Ford Bronco Marketing Team Helps Drive SUVs Smash Success
Photo: Ford
The 2021 Ford Bronco is finally out there in the wild, where it was always meant to be. But if you’re not already locked in, you might have a while to wait until you can get one — with more than 125,000 on order, the all-new Bronco is basically sold out for the next few years. And Ford says its “rapid response” Bronco marketing team is a big part of that impressive feat.
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Bronco breaks the internet, marketing team responds
When the new Bronco bowed on July 13 last year, reservations immediately came flooding in, leading a Ford exec to say: “We broke the internet.” Within 48 hours, 100,000 reservations were in, the majority of which belonged to customers new to Ford entirely. That presented an immediate challenge for Ford Marketing Strategy Manager Tim Son Hing and the Bronco marketing team.
“Managing the challenges of a highly successful product like Bronco is a good problem to have, but the risks are real, especially for a high-visibility product for Ford,” said Son Hing. “Our No. 1 goal has been to stay connected to our reservation holders to make sure new customers coming into the Ford family have a positive experience from reservation to delivery and throughout their entire ownership experience.”
In response to the surge in reservations, Son Hing and his team pulled together what Ford describes as a SWAT team. Experts from customer operations, IT systems, and social media set out to build up clear channels for customers to communicate their interests and concerns.
Ford’s ‘SWAT team’ gives Bronco customers clearer communications
Photo: Ford
The team crafted a three-pronged marketing strategy centered around the core ideas of emotional appeal, reciprocity, and transparency. The team and its approach allowed Ford to respond quickly to on-the-ground sentiments. Son Hing’s “SWAT team” was quick to pick up interest in offering the Sasquatch Package for models equipped with the standard seven-speed manual. Within weeks, Bronco engineers had a manual Sasquatch figured out and ready to go.
Other quick responses included offering an all-black interior for the sold-out First Edition models and white hardtop roof and green exterior options for the 2022 Bronco. Son Hing says he wants his team to continue this approach with a specialized tracking process for customers that lets them see when their vehicle is assembled, shipped, and delivered.
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.