The Role of Promotion In Marketing - Essay Example

Sales were up 22% last year, twice as much more than the growth in the automobile industry overall. The strong image of reliability, coupled with national brand identity, Ford has made consumers trust them and thus choose their products over others. Lexus is a higher priced brand and appeals to a more affluent customer. Famous for their luxury sedans they have also introduced SUVs, sports coupes and hybrids into their product line. The Lexus LS was ranked highest in the industry by the Initial Quality Standard study.

Beginning with the first introductory year of 1990 until 2011, it has ranked highest in 13 of the last 22 years. Advertising Ford advertises on network TV, in print publications and online. Since 2009, under the direction of Marketing Director, Jim Farley, they have increased advertising spending considerably. The gains were phenomenal. Farley, at first apprehensive because he aspires to bottom-up methods, wasn’t sure how his tactics would fit in with the company. You can see Ford cars advertised on the major networks like CBS, NBC and ABC and in the most popular consumer and news magazines such as Time magazine, Harper’s and Newsweek.

Their online advertising efforts are focused on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Flickr with a heavy concentration on mobile marketing. They attribute the success of using these platforms to their popularity and achieve an immeasurable amount of exposure themselves. One consumer expressed his favorable opinion of Ford’s advertising by applauding their focused message, appealing to not only interested buyers but also to current customers and the many ads on television and direct-mail campaigns.

The public opinion of Ford Motor Co. has grown so high in recent years as others automobile companies were faced with needing government funds to survive. Lexus’s advertising is as sleek and modern as their cars. They are so beautifully designed they have a tremendous appeal to consumers and inspire purchases by those who want to attain the level of sophistication the car implies. As with Ford their ads can be seen on all of the major networks and in the most widely read magazines. They are more apt to place ads in magazines like Town & Country and Vanity Fair because of their brand identity as a luxury car.

Alongside Ford, Lexus is seen as having a high public profile in social media outlets. They can be seen in commercials on YouTube, have a strong Twitter following and Facebook fan base. The Promotional Mix A Detroit firm, Team Detroit, manages Ford’s advertising campaigns. There with Chief Creative Director Toby Barlow, Tom Farley and he explore their creativity. For each campaign they come up with a new idea and pick a new creative team. The unexpected ideas and fresh perspectives always add up to great campaigns.

On the Internet, Ford has launched new campaigns with across the board exposure and signed an unprecedented 12-month media commitment with a company called Specific Media. They attribute the success of their advertising to their superior demographic and behavioral targeting that more effectively reaches current owners and prospective buyers. In 2010, Advertising Age ranked Ford Motor Co. as the number 1 marketer in the country. Lexus’s advertising is revolutionary in its high tech appeal and positions itself as the leader in innovation.

This works well for a glamorous identity but their customer’