Are The Chevy Attack Ads Helping Ram Sales?

[bdegrand]

https://www.allpar.com/news/2017/06/do-chevy-ads-help-ram-37849

[F-150Synch]

Frankly, as an F-150 owner I think the Chevy ads dropping cinderblocks and toolboxes into the bed of both the Chevy and F-150 from a height that would cause damage to any pickup truck bed were pretty insulting.

 

Chevy obviously thinks people who buy $35-$45K trucks are stupid enough to drop heavy, sharply pointed objects into the bed from a height of three feet or more during the course of their daily activities, without any regard for the damage it might inflict.

 

I've carried bricks and other heavy objects (as well as pallets) and when I did I took suitable precautions to ensure that I didn't cause damage. Because I value my truck. I like my truck, and I paid a lot for my truck.

 

I have a spray in bedliner and when I carry heavy stuff I'm likely to slide in a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood.

 

I guess I'm smarter than Chevy gives me credit for.

 

Why would I buy a vehicle from a company that thinks I'm stupid and relies on deceptive marketing to try and influence my opinion?

 

Muppets!

 

F-150Synch

Edited July 27, 2017 by F-150Synch

[bzcat]

I've been saying it since the stupid ad campaign started a few years ago that all GM was doing was spending money to promote Ford's superior product attributes. And it's working (for Ford)!

 

The #2 brand in any market always has a difficult choice. It can try to emulate the market leader ("hey look, we have aluminum truck and turbo charged V6 too!") but that risks reinforcing the dynamics that made it a #2 brand in the first place. Or it can attack the market leader. But you can't attack the market leader with marketing fluff... your message has to tell consumer why the #2 brand is superior, not why #1 brand is inferior. GM choose the attack rather than emulate Ford, except it didn't have a better truck so it ended up spending all its money educating consumers on why Ford is a better choice.

 

As for Ram, the article spells it out pretty clearly. It is all about incentives. Ram is beating Chevy because FCA is willing to buy the market share with incentives. FCA did a smart thing by not directly engage Ford... instead it positioned Ram as the low cost brand and boxed Chevy out of the price sensitive/rebate dependent end of the market.

 

So buyers seeking premium trucks don't want Chevy because GM told them Ford is the place to go; and price sensitive truck buyers don't want Chevy because GM won't compete with Ram on rebates. So guess what happened?

[jpd80]

GM didn't learn from the first time it tried this stunt when F series sales increased and GM full sized truck sales declined.

 

I hope they keep jawing on about F150 and how terrible aluminum is, paint themselves in a corner real good.

Then, watch them squirm when their own truck buyers don't come on board with the new aluminum trucks..

[Ron W.]

I think the Ram Dodge trucks sell because they look good and there's alot of discounts on the hood.

Don't like the "Ram" name.

[jpd80]

GM, keep going with what you're doing, Ford and RAM send their thanks...

[Bob Rosadini]

I know of two recent purchases (19,500 GVW 4 x 4 dump, diesel, auto) and the Mopars were like 4 grand under Ford. On a more troubling note, a friend of mine is a paving contractor-and not the residential driveway type-although they do that too-this guy has 3 Wirtgen milling machines. They have been buying dodge service trucks last two years-less money and NO problems!

[tbone]

Do you think it's fair to say that the F series are considered to be premium trucks versus the Dodge or the Chevrolet? I suspect Ford believes that with a brand new truck they don't need to offer many incentives on it at this point. At some point the incentives will come and you might get closer in price but I don't think you'll ever see Ford be cheaper than a Ram. I'd be interested to see a trade comparison to see if the Ford maintains that price difference at the time of trade.

[akirby]

They're selling close to 900K Fseries every year.

 

Any more questions?

[sullynd]

I'm an architect. I work with a lot of contractors who drive fords for work, and RAMs at home. The reason? Usually cost.

[tbone]

I think it is really the 3/4 ton and above where Ram has gained some momentum against the F Series. There are reasons that have been discussed here beyond just price that have caused that. I think Ford has been steadily rebuilding that reputation, and the new generation Super Duty appears to be helping it.

[PREMiERdrum]

They're selling close to 900K Fseries every year.

 

Any more questions?

 

This, x1,000,000.

 

There are segments where Ford doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt.

 

However, the dedication, discipline, and mission with which they have handled the F-Series brand for the last 20+ years gets them damnnear beyond reproach for me.

 

They anticipate market trends before their competitors.

They define segments that their competitors often follow.

They know how to communicate their virtues to truck buyers, not just Ford truck buyers.

 

And, most importantly...

 

They take risks with the appropriate mix of discipline and investment.

[rmc523]

 

This, x1,000,000.

 

There are segments where Ford doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt.

 

However, the dedication, discipline, and mission with which they have handled the F-Series brand for the last 20+ years gets them damnnear beyond reproach for me.

 

They anticipate market trends before their competitors.

They define segments that their competitors often follow.

They know how to communicate their virtues to truck buyers, not just Ford truck buyers.

 

And, most importantly...

 

They take risks with the appropriate mix of discipline and investment.

 

It makes you wish they could somehow transfer that effort/capability to the rest of the lineup. Crossovers/SUVs are fairly close (though somewhat slipping as of late with Fields' moves to delay everything), but cars (aside from perhaps Mustang) are a different story. But even when cars/crossovers are done well, they pull back and let them coast, not being proactive like they are with F-series.

Edited August 3, 2017 by rmc523

[tbone]

 

It makes you wish they could somehow transfer that effort/capability to the rest of the lineup. Crossovers/SUVs are fairly close (though somewhat slipping as of late with Fields' moves to delay everything), but cars (aside from perhaps Mustang) are a different story. But even when cars/crossovers are done well, they pull back and let them coast, not being proactive like they are with F-series.

Yes, I really thought they finally had a CamCord fighter with the 2013 and up Fusions and they just did not carry it forward with the kind of effort they have with trucks, all while the others are bringing out new models.

[akirby]

I don't think they have enough resources to do that on every vehicle so they have to pick and choose. I think they can do much better than they have been doing though. Longer term it probably requires more resources and given Ford's cash reserves and continued profitability they should be able to afford it.

[silvrsvt]

Given what happened with the lineup between 2010 and 2015 with worldwide consolidation and the downsizing of the white collar work force prior to that, you can see why things might have been done the way they where. The planning for MCE's of most products today was happening back in 2015.

 

I'm sure some of the moves Field's did also only exasperated that.

[jpd80]

It's time for Ford to stop worrying about saving money, consolidating programs

and get to work on new projects that deliver vehicles that people want to buy.

 

Ford now has RWD versions of 2.3 EB, 2,7 EB, 3.5 EB, 5.0 V8 and a 5.2 FPC

so why not roll out some volume selling RWD Utilities and cars that share

F150 and Mustang's engines and transmissions.

Edited August 4, 2017 by jpd80

[akirby]

It's time for Ford to stop worrying about saving money, consolidating programs

and get to work on new projects that deliver vehicles that people want to buy.

 

Ford now has RWD versions of 2.3 EB, 2,7 EB, 3.5 EB, 5.0 V8 and a 5.2 FPC

so why not roll out some volume selling RWD Utilities and cars that share

F150 and Mustang's engines and transmissions.

 

<cough> cd6 <cough> explorer <cough> aviator <cough>

[rmc523]

 

<cough> cd6 <cough> explorer <cough> aviator <cough>

 

You ok over there?

[akirby]

 

You ok over there?

 

Had something stuck in my throat. It's ok now.

[rmc523]

 

Had something stuck in my throat. It's ok now.

 

Was it carbon monoxide from that Explorer?

 

Maybe that's a bad joke

Edited August 4, 2017 by rmc523

[akirby]

Way too soon.

[meyeste]

I think so, though I have had people say "wow the new Ford bed gets holes in it, did you see that?" however every person that has said that too me were people that don't own trucks and aren't even around them.

I grew up with trucks being from a rural area, we used them to haul livestock, wood, creek gravel, and whatever, I can't recall ever punching a hole in one, though I can recall scratching them up and dealing with subsequent rust and that is why I and everyone I know puts a bed liner in them. I have never, ever seen anyone put a tool box on a bed rail, and almost everyone that has a need to carry tools around with them has the toolbox mounted behind the cab. Putting a let's say 25 pound steel tool box on a bed rail would instantly draw the attention of just about everyone in the area and they'd say some form of "what are you thinking?", not because they are worried about punching a hole in your bed (which Chevy did do to their own truck at least once), because doing so is an obvious safety hazard. Think about what would happen if that tool box fell the other way - you'd likely lose a toe or break a foot or if there are kids around severely injure them yes even truck owners try to avoid situations that obviously would result in injury.

 

As a truck owner I felt Chevy was talking down to me, as if I were dumb enough not to see the obvious flaws in the scenarios.

[tbone]

I think so, though I have had people say "wow the new Ford bed gets holes in it, did you see that?" however every person that has said that too me were people that don't own trucks and aren't even around them.

I grew up with trucks being from a rural area, we used them to haul livestock, wood, creek gravel, and whatever, I can't recall ever punching a hole in one, though I can recall scratching them up and dealing with subsequent rust and that is why I and everyone I know puts a bed liner in them. I have never, ever seen anyone put a tool box on a bed rail, and almost everyone that has a need to carry tools around with them has the toolbox mounted behind the cab. Putting a let's say 25 pound steel tool box on a bed rail would instantly draw the attention of just about everyone in the area and they'd say some form of "what are you thinking?", not because they are worried about punching a hole in your bed (which Chevy did do to their own truck at least once), because doing so is an obvious safety hazard. Think about what would happen if that tool box fell the other way - you'd likely lose a toe or break a foot or if there are kids around severely injure them yes even truck owners try to avoid situations that obviously would result in injury.

 

As a truck owner I felt Chevy was talking down to me, as if I were dumb enough not to see the obvious flaws in the scenarios.

Well stated. Which is why the ad has clearly not been effective.