Ford Marketing Genius – Test Drives For Charity

We’re often accused of bashing Ford Motor Company here at TundraHeadquarters, but let’s be clear – Ford is a solid company. We predicted Ford stock would go up this year (so far it has…big time). We’ve always said the F150 was a good truck in both of our Tundra vs F150 comparisons, and despite our recent lambasting of Ford’s SFE F150, we’re usually on board with every marketing move Ford makes.

Ford Marketing Genius - $20 Test Drives for Cancer

The latest move – offering to make a $20 donation to the Susan G. Koman foundation for each person that test drives a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury product between now and July 1st – is unadulterated genius.

Test drive incentives have been around for a long time, but they’re never really been that effective. Offering “select consumers” a $50 gift card to test drive a new car is problematic. First of all, which consumers do you select? Do you give the $50 gift card to people who are current owners? If so, you’ll end up paying people to do something they were going to do anyways. Do you give them to people who weren’t going to consider your product? At best, they’ll walk away from a drive begrudgingly admitting that your vehicle is nice before buying a competitor’s product. At worst, these naysayers will use the $50 gift card as proof that your vehicle is so bad, you need help just to get people to test drive!

This promotion, however, is PERFECT. Now people have a reason to drive a new Ford that doesn’t play to their pre-conceptions, and the marketing folks don’t have to feel bad about incentivizing people to do something they were going to do already…because the money goes to a good cause.

Oh yeah – did we mention that a charity benefits here? Susan G. Komen For the Cure is the biggest winner of all…but Ford’s sales will come in second.

Smart Ford – very smart. Toyota, if you’re listening, hurry up and double Ford’s offer of $20 per test drive. It’s a win-win.