Photo courtesy of Ford
In a move meant to reshape its brand experience in dealerships worldwide, Ford recently released news that it was kicking off an expansive plan -- titled Ford Signature 2.0 -- to update and modernize the way would-be Ford owners engage with sales staff on premises.
"The design delivers on Ford’s global brand strategy by offering ways for customers to explore Ford’s exciting products while building trust and community with the dealership," the Ford release noted.
"To support dealership associates in delivering on this promise, Ford also provides guest experience training for dealership staff globally, focusing on service, communications, and anticipating customer needs," it added.
The Ford Signature 2.0 experience rests upon four primary pillars, as follows:
- Discover Ford: This cornerstone hints at an array of immersive brand experiences -- likely digital in-house marketing and information packages -- which aim at informing customers about Ford's accessories, core products, and technological edges in visual and tactile senses.
- Hospitality first: A zeroing in on dealership staff as brand ambassadors, this pillar promises dedicated hospitality spaces where car shoppers can chat with staff with questions, concerns, or other topics. Both food and beverages will be provided in these areas, whether showroom or service spaces.
- Operations excellence: Ford was rather ambiguous on this front, simply speaking to efficient design to "optimize flow and functionality," with an emphasis on "employee spaces" closing out the explanation.
- Sales and service anywhere: Providing the option for car buyers to either conduct business in a traditional sales space or in a hospitality area was underscored as a highlight of this expansion in the retail experience.
Finally, Ford emphasized the importance of blending its new digital and in-person sales funnel. In the U.S. in addition to 15 European markets, prospective buyers are able to initiate their build, price out, and customization of said build online or in-person, being able to bring any process -- at any point in the customer journey -- to the dealership to close the transaction.
Ford's US Sales Appear Strong, Despite EV Business Faltering, and Trucks Are its Moneymaker
According to the Detroit Free Press, Ford has enjoyed a bit of a rebound when it comes to its fortunes stateside, selling 175,584 vehicles in the U.S. in October -- a slight 1.6% uptick versus last year's figures in the same time frame. Concerning YTD through the end of October, Ford sold a little more than 1.8 million vehicles in the United States (1,834,492), a statistic which represents a 6.6% improvement over 2024's numbers.
However, in October Ford also observed a drastic decline -- perhaps expected, due to the expiry of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit -- in EV sales, a 25% decline resulting in 4,709 total EVs sold. However, YTD through October Ford has seen a marginal improvement in its EV sales, up 0.5% versus last year's sales.
On the other hand, much of Ford's recent strength can be laid at the feed of healthy sales tied to its gasoline-powered trucks and other larger vehicles. Of all vehicles sold in October, the majority (1,052,573) were classified as gas-powered pickup trucks.
"The money-making machines continue to sell well," Cox Automotive spokesman Mark Schirmer told the Detroit Free Press. "F-Series volume at 67,000 was slightly above the five-year average. Bronco, Bronco Sport, the commercial vans — all healthy volume. The big vehicles continue to move and that's good for Ford's bottom line. "