Maruti Suzuki’s Vitara Brezza has quickly climbed the sales charts in its segment. Its swift growth has indeed pushed out Ford’s popular seller EcoSport from the top-five list in the domestic market. Ford India has invested over Rs 200 crore in a multi-media brand campaign, in order to reclaim its lost share and woo back customers.
The price the Ford EcoSport was recently slashed by up to Rs 1.12 lakh, in order to compete with the likes of Maruti Suzuki's Vitara Brezza. The Brezza has claimed the second position in utility vehicle sales in April with 7,832 unit sales; EcoSport could not make it to the list of top five models. It stood fifth with 3,911 units sold in April last year. Similarly, sales of the next-generation hatchback Figo and compact sedan Figo Aspire remained sluggish in the domestic market with a total of 2,211 units sold in April. Under a new initiative, Ford has introduced a host of measures at its dealerships and service touch points to support on-ground delivery and to strengthen relationships with the customers.
Ford’s new campaign will highlight the company’s after-sales, service quality and customer friendly steps, which will also help slowing demand for the Figo hatchback and Figo Aspire compact sedan. Speaking about it, Ford India spokesperson said, “The budget lined up for the campaign is over Rs 200 crore. Aligning with Ford's vision of 'Go Further', the new campaign encompasses the entire gamut of Ford portfolio of products and services, promising trust and transparency as experienced being part of a family.”
The company had also recently introduced a service price calculator on its website intending to offer better services to its customers. The spokesperson added, "The price promise allows customers to know the cost of periodic maintenance even before booking the service at a Ford dealership. It enables customers to carry a print out of the calculated web quote, ensuring complete trust and transparency in their service experience at any Ford dealership.”
The Ford India website also allows customers to check the price of parts. The company is focusing on ensuring availability of its parts through a network of authorised parts distributors across the country, covering Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi, Hyderabad, Telangana, Karnataka, among others. In the next phase, the expansion will see retail distribution getting launched in Gujarat, West Bengal and Rajasthan.
