Ford to unveil global marketing campaign

Ford will unveil its first global marketing launch campaign for its 2011 Ford Focus at the North American International Auto Show, popularly known to motoring enthusiasts as the Detroit Auto Show, to be held from 11 January – 24 January, 2010 at Cobo Center, Detroit, US.

The company says it wants to create ''a more consistent and compelling connection with customers worldwide, while better leveraging the company's global assets and capabilities''.

The marketing campaign planned for the Detroit auto show will also be its first under what the company calls its global collaborative approach, rather than dozens of individual ad campaigns for different markets.

As a part of  a pre-launch publicity campaign, Ford tapped 100 young, American "agents" to drive the Fiesta for six months starting in May and also used social media.

In the second phase Ford is taking video applications online through January to attract new agent teams. In 2009, Ford set aside 40 per cent its ad budget for digital and experiential marketing, with the television medium is still getting the biggest share at 50 per cent, and print only 10 per cent.

It is also expanding its US test-drive programmes, after the success of this programme during the Los Angeles auto show last month. 

In January, Ford appointed Elena Ford, the great great granddaughter of founder Henry Ford, as its new director of global marketing, sales and service operations. She is of company.

Since her appointment, she has been working to integrate the company's marketing team members, global agencies and other supplier partners with a common and integrated plan to bring new global vehicles to market.