Wandering with Reckless Abandon

Ok, so this is where the geeky side of me comes out…

A few months ago I read a book called treasure hunt… It spent a great deal of time talking about the disappearing middle market, and how consumers are beginning to trade up or trade down on the purchases that they make. The book also spends a great deal of time talking about the ethos of companies, and the effect that it has on the consumer… how the message communicated by a company drives sales and attracts consumers. As I am negotiating the world of car sales, I am seeing how this works within our industry, and how it has helped or hurt us in the past.

Ford Trucks have long been the big seller for Ford… as a result, Ford Trucks have a well-defined ethos and brand identity. You look at the commercials through the years, and there is a consistent message put forward: Built Ford Tough. The message that has been communicated has been the dependability, quality, and toughness of the truck. This message has been communicated using different phrases, spokesmen, and methods, but it has been a unified, common message. This message, coupled with a product that performs as advertised, has created a product consistently sells and drives our business. The truth is that you can get a truck that is cheaper than a Ford, but it is not a Ford. Ford is the truck that is worth trading up for.

When you look at our cars, there seems to be a different story… I look at an advertising strategy that strikes me as being inconsistent. Through the last few years I have noticed all sorts of different messages being communicated through our commercials. And it would seem that this has hurt us. I look at the Ford Five Hundred as a case in point.

The Five Hundred is a fine vehicle, it is very roomy on the inside, very comfortable to drive, and a classy, elegant car to look at. The only complaint that I have heard is that it is a touch underpowered, a larger engine would be nice, but it is a car that should be selling well. Recently Ford announced that it would be doing away with the Five Hundred, giving all sorts of reasons for that, talking about how it was a fine vehicle, blah blah blah… But lets face it… the car did not move enough units.

I think the truth becomes clear as you read the press release talking about what is going to be taking the place of the Five Hundred: the new Ford Taurus. You may recall that the Taurus is the vehicle that saved Ford back in the eighties… and was discontinued this past year. Reading through the blurb, Ford is planning on basing the new Taurus off of the Fusion, a very popular car (and one that is helping us to regain ground on Toyota and Honda) And at the same time they are redesigning the Focus…

I look at this, and I am actually kind of exited… I look at a unified message being formed and delivered by Ford. A constant theme running from the Focus (our low end vehicle), through the Fusion, and into the new Taurus. Add to that the redesigned Escape (low-end SUV), the brand new Edge, and the new Taurus X (which, to my understanding is a redesigned Freestyle), there seems to be a string of consistency running through our cars… just as there has been, and continues to be through our trucks.

The Five Hundred was and is a fine car… the problem was that it did not fit into where Ford was going, and did not fit the message that the Focus and Fusion were communicating… and so it had to go.

Switching gears for a second, I have spoken a little bit about my plans to head to Eugene next month… We are putting together the schedule for the weekend, and all of the stuff that needs to be communicated to our team, and fleshed out. My main concern through this process is setting forth a consistent message and language. Stringing a common theme through all that we do, and being clear on what our message is (and by extension, our vision, mission, and strategy).

Over the past few years Ford, GM, and Chrysler have all learned the hard way about about the power of clarity when facing competition with a clear message and mission. The church is in process of learning this same lesson, albeit in a slightly different way. Where the big three in Detroit have seen their market share decline because of all of the distractions and mixed messages that they have put forth, the church has seen its’ impact and relevance decline because of a number of communication issues (doing too much, doing too little, doing things just to do them, or not knowing why they exist). And while the bottom line is at stake in the automotive industry, the Kingdom is at stake for the church…

I pray that we may be able to develop a unified, coherent message, and that people may see the move of God through all that we do…