Thoughts on MITX, Auto Industry and Stickers
Lots floating around in my head this morning and instead of typing or audio recording I figured I’d ramble to the video camera.
I hit on everything from El Consultador, the MITX awards and the bailout of the auto industry. Oh and I do a little show and tell with Chance’s new CD and my new laptop stickers.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:20 am |
No mention of the big hug you received from me? Obviously you are still too stunned to even find words to describe how awesome you felt.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:44 am |
Actually it was the amazing jacket you had on that has me speechless still today. *laugh*
Damn great to see you last night and sorry we lost each other once the festivities got under way.
November 20th, 2008 at 12:41 pm |
C.C., thanks for your perspective as always. I enjoy watching you think.
Allow me to weigh in on (what else?) the auto industry comments. I’m actually on the floor of the L.A. Auto Show right now and I’d like to tell you (a) why Ford is here and (b) what we launched.
Our colleagues in Detroit pulled out of the show but we remained committed to it - primarily because new products are the future of Ford and we had some new products to unveil. Yes, one of them was the 2010 Mustang, which is hardly a green vehicle. But it’s one that’s beloved by Americans. Over 9 million of them have been sold, and people are so passionate about it, they self-organize on and off the Web.
But we also launched two other cars that we’re really excited about: the Ford Fusion hybrid and the Mercury Milan hybrid, which are Ford’s entry into the mid-size sedan hybrid market. Since they’ll get 5 mpg more than the Toyota Camry hybrid and take you 700 city miles without the need to fill up the tank, we thought that was pretty important to share.
And as to the number of product lines that you alluded to, I know that Ford is giving a hard look to our lines and will be addressing that issue going forward. I can’t comment on specific plans or numbers, but we’re aware of the issue.
In addition, we’re realigning our product mix, which recently has been as high as nearly 70% trucks & SUVs. We’re retooling plants and creating flexible manufacturing facilities so that our product mix is more like 60% cars & crossovers. Ultimately, our goal is to give millions of people affordable cars they want and value.
Thanks for letting me go all “corporate” with this comment. Normally, I (and I know you) would kind of stay away from that, but I did want to address a couple of the auto industry issues/questions you raised.
Thanks,
Scott Monty
Global Digital Communications
Ford Motor Company
November 20th, 2008 at 2:15 pm |
CC,
I thoroughly enjoyed that. Even though I have no overpowering attachment or interest in any of the topics covered. Watching you think it all through was great though.
I had been doing personal weight loss journal vids on my site and always sorta made them up as I went along. I always got very positive comments on them. I can now see why. My vids were similar in nature. Off the cuff just one guy talking. I quit doing them as I felt that I had to do more with them and the pressure to get all creative was taking the fun out of them. I might just go back and do simple vidcasts again after watching and enjoying your 9 minute ramble.
Thanks!
November 20th, 2008 at 4:22 pm |
Hola, mi amigo. Careful bringing my business card so close to webcam… so powerful, it can deliver smackdown on its own! Many cameras broken… AND EVEN MORE FACES!
Besos,
El Consultador
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:23 am |
You made me think on this one. I had not considered that perhaps there might be too many product lines in a car manufacturer’s repertoire. I don’t drive so this didn’t occur to me. I think you might have something.
In contrast, I thought about Apple’s line-up, which consists of a limited, well-designed suite of computers that are versatile enough for the majority of users. Only the rabid geeks complain about the absence of a tiny laptop, a tablet, a micro-tower, absence of FireWire on the new MacBooks, etc. It’s a strategy that has seen Apple do very well, ever since 1998, when Steve Jobs scrapped the line-up and introduced the simplicity of four products: a laptop and desktop, both in a consumer and a pro configuration. Reduce the number of products you are making, and you can afford to make them more versatile to cover the gaps.