Around the Net

Ford Boss Relies On Marketing

Ford President Mark Fields wants to redefine the august automaker, and he plans to use marketing to help him achieve his goal. In fact, some company executives believe he is the first executive at Ford in modern memory who has brought "a true marketing mindset to the top of the company," according to the automaker's chief North American designer, Peter Horbury. Fields has set out to revitalize Ford's main brands of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury, and put a stronger emphasis on development of new products. To succeed, he wants the company's marketing executives and product designers to work closely together to ensure that the Ford brands register strongly with customers once more. That will require the company to change, but Fields is determined. "Apple and Motorola went on the offensive," Fields points out. "They redefined themselves, they refocused on their brands, and they connected like never before with more customers."

advertisement

advertisement

Read the whole story at Business Week »

Next story loading loading..