Ford Response
I wanted to share the following email that I received from a Ford dealership in response to an email that I sent stating that I was going to be joining the boycott of Ford products.
I had provided my contact info on the dealership webpage that I visited to see how much my current vehicle is worth.
I was contacted by the salesman via email and VM. I sent an email back thanking him for following up so quickly but that I would not be buying a Ford product. This is the email response that I received.
“Hi Mark
Al Giombetti sent this letter to me, and I wanted to share it with you.
I would ask you to share with these customers some straightforward messages from Ford. Our only agenda is to develop, manufacture and sell the most innovative products to anyone who wishes to buy them. We buy advertising to put Ford’s message in front of as many customers as possible – customers who have a lot of other options. That’s why our ads focus on our company, our brands and our products. They’re not crafted to endorse or promote anyone’s point of view but our own.
The websites that have been vocal critics of Ford fail to mention others in our industry that advertise in gay and lesbian publications like The Advocate and Out. They include GM’s Cadillac and Saturn brands, Toyota’s Lexus and Scion brands, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen/Audi, just to name a few. In fact, according to Rivendell Media, Toyota, GM, and BMW all ranked ahead of Ford in gay and lesbian ad spending during the first quarter.
Other national brands that advertise in gay and lesbian publications include: American Express, Diet Pepsi, Avis Rent-a-Car, Kohler, Budweiser, Time Warner, Wells Fargo and GlaxoSmithKline. And I think it is safe to say that we all do it for the same basic reason – to reach potential customers.
Marketing to specific communities is nothing new to Ford or to the industry. For example, we market to African-American, Hispanic and Asian consumers in publications specifically directed to these communities. We don’t do this to make a political or social statement; we do it because we respect them and hope they will become customers. For the same reason, we also advertise in media directed at social and religious conservatives, like Christianity Today, Today’s Christian Woman, The National Liberty Journal and Chrisma. Ford Motor Company is also one of the largest advertisers on Christian radio stations.
I am fully aware of the challenges we are facing together in one of the most competitive and difficult times in our history. And I am also aware of the pressure that is being brought to bear by those who don’t agree with some of the advertising or charitable decisions the company has made. Our best response is to listen to every customer, correct any misinformation, and ask them to support Ford. They should stand by our company because of our innovative products, because for generations we’ve been a positive force in American society, and because our successful Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers have made their communities stronger.
This is a message we can share proudly in every corner of America.
Al Giombetti”
**Al Giombetti is Vice President, Ford Motor Company and is President of Ford and Lincoln Mercury
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