FORD Reduces Ad Buy to Touch Customers Where They Live

Ford Motor Co. may not do everything right (requiring each Ford car name to start with an F a few years back comes to mind), but under the marketing leadership of Jim Farley they’re starting to look at marketing in an entirely new way.  Cutting back on general ad buys and making their message more direct, Ford is learning to Oprah-ize advertising.  During Oprah’s Big Give, Ford hosted 1100 in home parties — think Tupperware with a V-6 — to watch the show and to let guests of the parties drive a Ford.  As traditional and even new media become more crowded, advertisers will need to complement ad buys with stand-out marketing initiatives like these.  I think we can expect more of this innovative marketing from Jim Farley and Ford.