Getting it right / Ford has reacted in a timely fashion to help its customers during these turbulent times. No-one wants to see a car commercial right now – and a typical Ford ad was never going to cut it. Indeed, over the past few weeks, many people have seen their lives turned upside down by this global pandemic. And beyond health concerns, people are facing significant economic woes from working from home, getting laid off as well as the many problems related to social distancing. Buying a new car will be low on most people’s list of priorities right now.
Ford’s relief programme and quickly improvised campaign offer a modicum of help and hope while illustrating the benefits of acting nimbly in a crisis situation. Here, Ford shows that it understands that car loans can be a huge financial burden with many Americans struggling to make payments each month (let alone during a deadly flu pandemic) and because of this, its actions will be much appreciated.
Roughly seven million Americans were 90 days or more delinquent on their auto loans at the end of 2018, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, although obviously that was long before the pandemic started.
Crisis response / Ford’s accommodating response to the reality of the situation helps to position it as part of the solution. We’ve seen other brands benefit from communicating a fast response to crises in the recent past. For example, the Kraft Heinz Company offered US federal government workers free groceries during the government shutdown last year. And, for the 2009 Super Bowl, Hyundai famously made a recession-themed campaign that increased consideration for the brand’s vehicles by 59% in the US, according to CNW Marketing Research, as cited by various media sources.
Born in the USA / Ford’s TV spots also remind the viewer of the brand’s firm place in American culture. Showing how Ford has weathered crises in the past – from WWII to recent natural disasters - puts the current situation in the context of history and is therefore somewhat reassuring while reminding the viewer of Ford’s heritage. The brand is effectively saying, ‘Don’t worry we will get through this together. We’ve done it before.’
