Mark Fields speech in LA
By: Dave Leggett - 6 January 2006 14:11
The Los Angeles Auto Show is a curious one. The show used to almost coincide in the calendar with Detroit and therefore was much overshadowed. The date clash issue seems to have been dealt with by putting Detroit back several days and the LA show has become a more significant event in recent years, though it is of course still a smaller affair than Detroit. But one thing manufacturers do is look at how they can maybe make a splash at LA and not have the message swamped by the deluge of news coming out of Detroit. Sometimes there are some interesting set-piece speeches at LA. I recall Wolfgang Reitzle did one back in his PAG days.
And this week, we had Ford's Mark Fields. We reported the main points of his speech but sometimes it's nice to read through the whole thing. Actually, a good speech I thought and one that is right for now. Assertive and hope-giving, perhaps (ahead of the 'Way Forward' announcement on January 23rd). I just wonder what Ford has up its sleeve that can do for its brand what the RAZR cell phone did for Motorola or iPod did for Apple?
Click below to read the full transcript of the speech. By the way, I picked the photo of Mr Fields off the Ford media photo library. It was one of the few that didn't remind me of a smiling Barry Manilow.
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Comments on this blog post
I agree that Ford do need to seriously step up its game right now, or else the likes of Toyota and even Hyundai (whose sales have jumped up in the past years) will swallow them whole. As an American,I wouldn't want to see a company like Ford come crashing down especially after it's been in the business for such a long time. I think bolder, more distinctive designs with an eye on safety and fuel efficiency on its models will help (that Reflex Concept is good) a lot.
Tracy Dawson, United States
As a long serving auto industry person I agree this speech veers away from the normal " we know things are bad ,but trust us we know what we are doing" template. Mark Fields gives a clear , realistic view of the Ford plan , and uses some powerful phrases. Lets hope everybody at the top of the company stands along side him, the risks associated with failing to grasp the nettle are just too profound to envisage. The brand equity of that old blue oval needs some serious attention.
Keith Jordan, United Kingdom