xcel
05-19-2006, 07:14 PM
What does 'innovation' mean? ... They have a kingmaker working on Bill Ford. (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060519/BUSINESS01/605190424/1014)
Joe Guy Collier - Detroit Free Press - May 19, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Bill_Ford.jpg
Bill Ford - Chairman and Chief Executive - Ford Motor Company
Faith Popcorn, a popular futurist and author who spoke to the Detroit Economic Club this week, is founder and chief executive of BrainReserve, a New York-based consultant whose clients have included Avon Products Inc., Dell Inc. and PepsiCo Inc.
Popcorn, 64, is credited with identifying major societal trends such as cocooning. She talked to the Free Press about the auto industry. Here's what she had to say Wednesday:
QUESTION: What's the next big consumer trend and how will it affect the auto industry?
ANSWER: Buying with ethics. ... What's the brand made of? How is it responsible to society? How is it responsible to the environment? How does it treat its employees on the inside? What does it stand for beyond getting me from Point A to Point B?
Q: Which auto company is doing this well?
A: Nobody.
Q: What about Toyota Motor Corp.? Toyota's U.S. sales keep going up. It has the best-selling passenger car, the Camry.
A: What's their message?
Q: "Moving Forward."
A: What does that mean? You're this woman or this man. You've got 2.1 kids. You make what $90,000 a year ... And it says "Moving Forward." Oh, grab my heart. What the hell does that mean?
Q: What about Ford Motor Co.? Chairman Bill Ford is in a lot of commercials these days. He seems likable.
A: You know, Bill Ford, a very attractive adorable guy ... He is very, very believable. The wrong words are coming out of his mouth.
Q: Which words are wrong?
A: All of them. Bill Ford sounds like he has a big key in his back. Somebody wound it up, and he doesn't make any sense ... I don't know what he's talking about, as a female.
Q: He's talking about Driving American Innovation. Isn't that something good to talk about?
A: What does that mean? What does 'innovation' mean? ... They have a kingmaker working on Bill Ford. I would find out what the consumer wants to hear from Bill Ford. I'll bet you this, $100 million, they don't want to hear about innovation.
Q: So what should he say?
A: "Here's what's going to make your life wonderful ... I'm Bill Ford. My dad, my family, has been making cars for like 2 million years. Nobody can help you more than I can." ... I want to see who he is. I want to see what he's going to do for me.
Q: What do you drive?
A: I have a 1964 1/2 Mustang ... I have an SUV, Mercedes, the big one. I don't like it, terrible car ... I have a little (Mercedes) SLK. Terrible car. I hate that car.
Joe Guy Collier - Detroit Free Press - May 19, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Bill_Ford.jpg
Bill Ford - Chairman and Chief Executive - Ford Motor Company
Faith Popcorn, a popular futurist and author who spoke to the Detroit Economic Club this week, is founder and chief executive of BrainReserve, a New York-based consultant whose clients have included Avon Products Inc., Dell Inc. and PepsiCo Inc.
Popcorn, 64, is credited with identifying major societal trends such as cocooning. She talked to the Free Press about the auto industry. Here's what she had to say Wednesday:
QUESTION: What's the next big consumer trend and how will it affect the auto industry?
ANSWER: Buying with ethics. ... What's the brand made of? How is it responsible to society? How is it responsible to the environment? How does it treat its employees on the inside? What does it stand for beyond getting me from Point A to Point B?
Q: Which auto company is doing this well?
A: Nobody.
Q: What about Toyota Motor Corp.? Toyota's U.S. sales keep going up. It has the best-selling passenger car, the Camry.
A: What's their message?
Q: "Moving Forward."
A: What does that mean? You're this woman or this man. You've got 2.1 kids. You make what $90,000 a year ... And it says "Moving Forward." Oh, grab my heart. What the hell does that mean?
Q: What about Ford Motor Co.? Chairman Bill Ford is in a lot of commercials these days. He seems likable.
A: You know, Bill Ford, a very attractive adorable guy ... He is very, very believable. The wrong words are coming out of his mouth.
Q: Which words are wrong?
A: All of them. Bill Ford sounds like he has a big key in his back. Somebody wound it up, and he doesn't make any sense ... I don't know what he's talking about, as a female.
Q: He's talking about Driving American Innovation. Isn't that something good to talk about?
A: What does that mean? What does 'innovation' mean? ... They have a kingmaker working on Bill Ford. I would find out what the consumer wants to hear from Bill Ford. I'll bet you this, $100 million, they don't want to hear about innovation.
Q: So what should he say?
A: "Here's what's going to make your life wonderful ... I'm Bill Ford. My dad, my family, has been making cars for like 2 million years. Nobody can help you more than I can." ... I want to see who he is. I want to see what he's going to do for me.
Q: What do you drive?
A: I have a 1964 1/2 Mustang ... I have an SUV, Mercedes, the big one. I don't like it, terrible car ... I have a little (Mercedes) SLK. Terrible car. I hate that car.