What started out as a bang now looks to be hanging on with a thread. The Ford Fusion, which was originally targeted to a younger demographic and received initial high levels of awareness from 18 to 24 year olds, appears now to be struggling. I actually thought the Fusion was squaring off against models like the Honda Civic, although Brandweek says the competition is really the Honda Accord and best selling Toyota Camry. Regardless, Ford is not selling a lot of Fusions so they are turning to cereal maker Kellogg's and discount retailer Target for help. Starting this week, 600,000 Ford Fusion car models can be found in boxes of Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes and Cocoa Krispies, sold at Target. One of the models will be emblazoned with Target's trademark bullseye logo and that lucky cereal buyer will win a real Ford Fusion (and be able to keep the model too). Sorry to be blunt, but this sucks and most likely won't end up being the spark Ford is looking for to sell more Fusions. You want to re-energize or fire up an audience segment? Take a cue from HBO, Dove or Axe for some hints on what works.
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