Carmaker Ford says its tie-in with the Royal Australian Navy’s International Fleet Review has helped smooth the choppy waters somewhat following a patch of negative press in the wake of news that its Geelong and Broadmeadows factories will close in 2016.
The Fleet Review, which culminated in a 30-minute fireworks and light show on Saturday 5 October, was an opportunity for the brand to reassure Australians that it’s still looking out for them.
Ford Australia brand communications manager Neil McDonald said while it was hard to gauge consumer sentiment, feedback from the community had been “very positive”. “I certainly think it’s been a reset button to reinforce that Ford post-2016 will remain in Australia,” he said.
“That’s an important message to get out there. There was so much goodwill, and particularly from the Navy personnel who’ve been very supportive. Ford has a very long history with the armed forces in Australia.
“By having the involvement [with the Fleet Review] we were able to help leverage that for them for the evening – it assisted their story as much as it assisted our story.”
Ford was the event’s main sponsor and was responsible for the ‘#FordSalutes’ live sites around the foreshore, featuring a combination of event footage and roving crowd reporters, which was broadcast to 2.8 million viewers on the YouTube stream.
However, McDonald said the decision to be involved in the Fleet Review was taken before the news of the factory closures broke and was “completely separate”. He wasn’t able to say whether Ford would look to continue to leverage the ‘Proudly Supporting Our Australian Heroes’ positioning through more partnerships with the armed forces, only that they would look at other opportunities as they came up.
Antony Gowthorp, managing director of Imagination, the brains behind the Fleet Review, said the tie-in was a good “soft brand play” for Ford. “Ford didn’t come in to commercialise their brand. It’s anecdotal at the moment, but particularly through the media and the motoring press, a lot of those guys were turned around,” he said.
“This was a play just to let people know that Ford is very much supportive of Australia without shoving the brand in their face. And if you can change the perception, then maybe your above-the-line advertising will resonate more and go further.”
Dom Walsh, managing director of branding agency Landor Associates, was less convinced, saying brands had to match their words with their actions. “We always say a brand is a promise made and kept,” he said. “You’ve got to put your money where your mouth is. If you’re playing the patriotism card by aligning yourself with the Australian Navy, taking jobs offshore doesn’t really link with that. [Consumers] do make that connection.”
This article first appeared in the 18 October 2013 edition of AdNews, in print and on iPad. Click here to subscribe for more news, features and opinion and to read the full interview with Antony Gowthorp on tackling the logistical challenge of the Fleet Review – and what other brands can learn from it.
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