Ford - Essay Example

Ford: Resurrecting an Iconic Company Where do you put Ford in terms of competitive position? Why? In terms of competitive position, Ford remains to be assuming a defending stance to regain its previous leadership position. As case facts revealed, it assumed the top 2 position in 1998, just behind GM in Fortune’s Top 500 companies (Kotler and Armstrong 572). Within the next decade, the position toppled with all indications significantly declining: revenues, market share, market value, falling behind the top 10 from Interbrand’s top 100 list, and over expansion to purchase other brands such as Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin, that led they astray and virtually lacked focus on their core competence. 2. Is Ford a market-centered company?

How can it improve in this area? At the time that the trends were declining, one would deduce that Ford lost its focus on the market. The company failed to identify and effectively address the changing factors in the external environment that impinged on the operations of automobile manufacturers, like them. To improve in this area, Ford must assume a proactive stance by scanning its external environment to determine the factors that influence consumers in their decisions to purchase automobiles.

They must determine supply and demand factors; as well as other macroenvironmental factors (economic condition, social factors, political factors, technological factors, and legal factors, among others) that affect various functions of the company’s operations. Likewise, their orientation should not be confined to the local market as other car manufacturers have assumed taking a global stance in identifying new markets, opportunities, and threats that need to be addressed. 3. How does Ford’s Sync contribute to its competitive advantage?

Is this a sustainable advantage? Ford’s Sync is an exemplary strategy that would significantly contribute to its competitive strategy by highlighting their strength in innovation and in its ability to answer the needs of contemporary buyers with the highly technological applications that Sync’s features offers. With its application in all Ford vehicles, consumers would perceive that Ford has regained its leadership in innovation and in focusing on the needs and demands of contemporary buyers.

It could be a sustainable advantage as long as no new technology would surpass its application. As technological developments are fast and evolving, Ford must always assume its proactive stance in discovering new ways and means for improving features that could be offered to its clientele. 4. Can Mulally succeed with small world cars? Mulally could definitely succeed with small world cars since these are found to be economical, cost effective in maintenance, and be able to address limited spaces for parking and for driving – which all address the changes in the external environment globally. 5. What other recommendations would you recommend to Mulally and Ford?

The best strategy is to focus on their core competencies, assume a proactive stance by immersing themselves in determining future trends in the automobile industry, and to extend the strategy in emerging markets beyond their local spheres of operations. Work Cited Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. “Ford: Resurrecting an Iconic Company.” Principles of marketing. Boston” Pearson Prentice Hall. 2012. Print.