There were times when every single move Ford made was appreciated and respected for all what they did was, produce cars, which were reliable above anything else. To make it to the peak and to build consistency at that level are two different things and I guess Ford has realized it by now.
Everything they do from making cars to hiring top-end officials, receives criticism, indeed the attitude of people has undergone so much transformation that even a commercial the Detroit car maker relays, is subject to criticism.
A new Ford commercial shows Bill Ford talk big about the plans of his company and the tie-up with Volvo, a kind of re-branding act as well. Bill Ford mentions that the American Auto Industry is facing stiffer challenges and new competitors. These words are enough for the critics, as they believe that the man should have realized this atleast 15 years ago.
Ford talks about investing heavily in the R&D but the critics again mark this as a late initiative on the basis that, by the time the company develops something worthwhile, its competitors would have developed products that fly, again expanding the gap to a position where it lies now.
Hybrids have also been brought to mention and what reaction this aspect generated is anybody’s guess. Lastly, Ford talks about working with Volvo to develop new safety equipments, the latter obviously have a repute of developing products with top-notch safety gadgetry and Ford hopes to benefit from that.
On this issue, the consensus is that the Americans have loved Ford for Reliability and nothing else and this verdict means that Ford wants to concentrate on developing safer products, clearly meaning that the company has no clear strategy and wants to cater to every aspect related to car making rather than re-inventing cars, which earned them a reliable repute.
I guess its now time for Ford to answer the critics by practicing what they have preached in the new commercial or else quietly pack their bags off for whatever they do now is definitely not appreciated and before Ford faces identity crisis, curtains to the Detroit factory would atleast ensure that they have a revered name in history.
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