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Ford/Mercury marketing screw up?

stratplayastratplaya Member Posts: 5
edited March 2014 in Mercury
I just saw an ad on TV for the Mercury Milan. It featured 4 young women leaving some kind of bistro/shop with big smiles. What segment is Mercury going for with the Milan?

I am a 42yo male. Thanks Ford for eliminating the Milan/Focus from my list.
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Comments

  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    You make your purchasing decisions based on a TV ad?

    Ford does seem to be targeting Mercury towards women in their ads, but I think this is intentional, to gain market share from the foreign brands, who seem to have a greater share of the female purchases.

    This doesn't mean you lack masculinity if you buy a Milan.

    You can always buy a Fusion instead if you fear Milan is being labeled as a "girliecar". It is basically the same car anyway except for a bit of styling differences.
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    The Fusion ad portrays a woman at a dry cleaners.. wanting to pay for the guy in the Mustangs shirts!! I bought a Fusion SEL V6! I'm selling it... Foolin... ;)
  • faberdavidfaberdavid Member Posts: 2
    To be honest the fact they used women in the ad hooked me. It caught my attention towards the commercial and made me realize the Milan existed. Go and behold bought the Premier. Love It. The ladies love it too ;)
  • glasstopglasstop Member Posts: 1
    I am a Ford/Mercury person to the core, but when I looked at the Fusion and saw that 30% was built in U.S/Canada and 70% was foreign, it really disappointed me to the point of saying that I would consider a Ford Five Hundred or Mercury Montego before buying a car with so much foreign labor in it. The transmission is built in Mexico and the engine in Japan, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are both 70% U.S./Canda and 30% foreign.
  • dlangdlang Member Posts: 59
    Sad but true, the Milan is built in Mexico and it feels like it's still on siesta! But aren't there foreigners working in US auto plants?

    What Ford cars are built in Chicago? I always found my Chicago built Sables better than the Atlanta ones.
  • tazerelitazereli Member Posts: 241
    Ford claims that the Fusion is the only car in its class with AWD. Ford must not know about that super secret sedan called the Subaru Legacy. You would think the marketing people would actually know the competition.

    Regards,
    Kyle
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    500, montego, and freestyle.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Show me an AWD V6 Legacy.
  • tazerelitazereli Member Posts: 241
    image

    Outback 3.0R Sedan.
    6 cylinder Subaru sedan.">

    Ford marketing must have a very narrow definition of "competition"
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Maybe it's AWD V6 Mid-Size sedans whose name doesn't start with O?
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    Based on price and size, I would say that Legacy IS NOT in the same class as the Fusion.

    Mark.
  • sir_timbitsir_timbit Member Posts: 39
    Well, not being able to buy the Ford shown in the link below in North America is definitely a screw up. At least make it a Mercury if it'd be too pricey to be a Ford.

    http://www.netcarshow.com/ford/2007-mondeo/1280x960/wallpaper_01.htm

    The Fusion's not bad, but this is a gorgeous car!
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Expect the next generation Fusion and Mondeo to be built on the same platform and share most of the sheetmetal. In the past Ford North America and Ford Europe were not forced or even encouraged to share platforms. Mulally says Ford will share platforms and sheetmetal globally (but not within the same country) and that includes Australia.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    The Mondeo has the same front end that everybody hates on the Ford 500.

    Mark.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,314
    i don't think they look anything alike, escpecially when the 500 gets the 3 bar.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    Do you mean the next Mondeo or the current Mondeo?

    Next:
    image

    Current:
    image

    Ford 500:
    image

    The current Mondeo sure looks like the 500 to me.

    Mark.
  • lostwrenchlostwrench Member Posts: 288
    Subaru Legacy is a Compact Car.
    Ford Fusion is a Midsize Car.

    Two different classes.
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    beautiful car! This is what Ford needs!
  • savethelandsavetheland Member Posts: 671
    It may be too small though (like Saturn Aura).
  • whitexafwhitexaf Member Posts: 4
    Ford makes some great cars overseas. The Europeans, the Brits and the aussies all have some fine, enthusiast-grade Fords that cannot be purchased in the USA. Shame, too, but not a new phenomenon. When stationed in Spangdahlem, Germany back in the `60s, I had a Ford Taunus (not TauRus) station wagon that suited my (2-kids + wife and very junior officer) family well.
  • stratplayastratplaya Member Posts: 5
    When Lincoln started shipping their new sedan a couple of years ago the name was , as we all know, the Zephyr. A name that conjures up in the mind, well, things that are very old and outdated. I always thought that using that name was very ill conceived and last year Ford fixed that by renaming it the MKZ.

    SP
  • otaku18otaku18 Member Posts: 10
    I own a fusion. I like fords but I didn't base my decision on how much was US built or that it was ford or anything else, I based my purchase on the car and its merits (not ads either) I liked the style and comfort and it seems well built and reliable (and thats what all the pros say so far for now) also I believe the engine is mexican and the trans is Japanese.

    I wouldn't get a milan not just because it seems the ads are aimed towards women but because the styling seems to be aimed towards them as well. I've known two people who wanted milans-both women. I've known one person who wanted an mkz-a 40+ year old man, thats the car for your demographic!
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,314
    my kids like the 'red hot chili peppers', they are ok, with 'zephyr'. it doesn't matter now. it's 'mkz'.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • depalmadepalma Member Posts: 3
    I agree with you. I base my purchase on the merits of the car, and not ads or percentage of U.S. content. The automotive business is a strange place these days. If a potential Fusion/Milan buyer is concerned with buying American, they should buy the Mazda6, a so-called Japanese car which happens to be assembled in Michigan by United Auto Workers. Or, you could buy the "All American" Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan - but, oh yeah, they are made in Mexico.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    I do not care where the car is "made", but there are many auto company jobs and investments other than the final assembly plant. The fixation on the location of final assembly that some have just seems kind of silly to me. In some cases it is even a subtle "racism" such as the periodic posts on VW forums regarding whether their car was assembled in Mexico or Germany.

    Besides why should I be opposed to there being jobs in Mexico, Japan, or wherever? Those people are human being too...what is so wrong about some of them having good jobs?

    I did buy an "assembled with pride by UAW" Mazda6 over the Fusion/Milan, but the location of assembly and company headquarters had nothing to do with the decision.
  • depalmadepalma Member Posts: 3
    You are making the same point I was trying to make, but you did a better job of it. I have owned several (and own one right now) Fords made in Mexico, and have been perfectly happy with all of them.

    I was trying to respond to some of the posters, who seem to think if they buy a car with an American name on the front, then they are buying "American". The fusion/milan is no more or less "American" than the majority of cars sold in this country.

    Also, this bit about the Milan being for women is just silly marketing nonsense. I happen to think the Milan is a sharp looking car. Does this make me less of a man?

    As i said, I buy a car based on its merits - everything else is meaningless.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    I happen to think the Milan is a sharp looking car. Does this make me less of a man?

    I'm a girlie man too ;) . I think the Milan looks better than the fusion. I've been known to watch a movie on WE or Oxygen from time to time, too...oh, the shame :blush:
This discussion has been closed.

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