• Automotive News, Monday, August 30, 2010 10:57 AM

Jim Farley, head of Ford's global marketing, says his biggest challenge in the coming year -- although he refers to it as an "opportunity" -- will be its launches in Western Europe and the U.S., particularly the Focus.

"It's our first truly global launch as a company," he tells Jamie LaReau, Edward Lapham and Laura Clark Geist in a Q&A. "Our industry has not had global launches in mainstream business."

Farley cites the closing credibility gap against Toyota as a big plus, enabling it to "decelerate" its incentives as more people consider the brand than in the recent past. He also says that fuel consumption will play a major role in its marketing as people worry that oil prices will rise again. "Fuel consumption is a huge differentiator for the brands," according to Farley. "We have dramatically changed our reputation for fuel economy."

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