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Ford sees mobile push as key to wooing younger auto buyers

Ford Motor is focusing on marketing vehicles not just as transportation but as a technology experience to attract millennial buyers who regard cars as an expensive burden, according to the automaker?s third annual trend report. 

Among the trends Ford expects to influence consumers and brands in 2015 and beyond is buyers desiring not to be left behind with a product that has become outdated or obsolete. The predictions suggest how, in an age of constant innovation, ?mobility? is outpacing the definition of the word as the concepts of transportation and communication converge.

?Millennials? views on automobiles are certainly different than previous generations who may have coveted a car as the ultimate status symbol,? said Sheryl Connelly, Ford global consumer trends and futuring manager. ?Accordingly, Ford vehicles have long provided more than mere transportation.

?Technology is a very distinct competitive advantage for us,? she said. ?We are helping enable the mobile technology experiences that are important to millennials through Sync AppLink. 

?AppLink provides for the seamless command and control of smartphone apps through voice recognition. So, it provides a more convenient way to use the apps that millennials love while inside of the car.?

Ride sharing
Ford needs to deliver transportation solutions through car sharing and ride sharing to ensure that millennials come in contact with Ford products, said Roger Lanctot, associate director for global automotive practice with Strategy Analytics in Newton, MA.

Losing interest in carrying things.

?Ford should have programs to support Uber and Lyft and all of the other ride sharing offerings,? he said.  

?Ford should also look into leveraging its AppLink platform for car-sharing services. Bottom line is that Ford should participate in all of the new, emerging transportation alternatives.  

?Not everyone wants to or can afford to own a car,? he said.

Two thousand and fifteen will be the year of smartphone integration, with Ford leading the way in proprietary smartphone connectivity systems sold, Mr. Lanctot said. 

Brandishing its Ford Sync and Ford MyTouch systems, Ford can be expected to extend its leadership even as it enables Apple?s CarPlay and Android Auto solutions to work within its own platform, according to Mr. Lanctot.

Although auto marketers have made reaching millennials, born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, a top priority, Ford?s report also suggests it is imperative to find ways to reach the group coming up behind: Gen Z, roughly defined as those born after 1993.

Many members of this generation are highly connected, having had lifelong use of communication and media technology such as instant messaging, text messaging and mobile phones.

Ford projects Gen Z will spearhead society?s shift toward a greater acceptance of rebellious behavior.

Meanwhile, consumers will become less interested in carrying things as wearable gadgets and smartphone apps tighten their hold.
 
Ford already is marketing to millennial buyers by enabling the car to act as an all-in-one platform for software, service, content and applications. In the months and years ahead the Dearborn, MI-based automaker can be expected to show infotainment displays more often, with clever app integrations. 

Recognizing that millennials are somewhat immune to traditional marketing messages, Ford in recent years let 100 bloggers share what they thought of the experience of driving a Fiesta for six months. Ford?s partnership with Zip Cars reaches millennial drivers who are not interested in owning a vehicle but keeps the automaker top of mind should the buyer?s priorities change.

?Not all millennials are the same,? said Erich Merkle, Ford sales analyst. ?While some of the younger millennials that are single might very well be aspiring to live in downtown urban areas, older millennials are forming families. The older millennial, now approaching 35 years of age, purchases the large majority of new vehicles among the millennial buyer.? 

Ford?s Explorer SUV is the brand?s fastest growing vehicle with older millennials.

Self-aware
A car that is more self-aware and capable of interacting intelligently with the driver is in demand and Ford has already made huge progress on the human-machine interface front.

Gen Z: rebels on the rise?

?This is where I expect some change ? in voice and gesture recognition, etcetera,? Mr. Lanctot said.

?Google is no longer the be all and end all. In 2015, every car company will be trying to find a way to do business with Uber or like Uber,? he said. ?Ford has an edge with its app/smartphone integration. The path to disruption and differentiation lies through Uber.?

Final Take
Michael Barris is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York.