Ford has developed three distinct "Bold Moves" marketing campaigns

by Michael Collins, FCN

Ford has developed three distinct "Bold Moves" marketing campaigns that speak directly to African-American, Hispanic and Asian-American customers. Together, the three audiences comprise more than 80 million people, nearly a fourth of the U.S. population.

"Bold Moves focuses on the choices people make every day about how to live their lives," said Marc Perry, multicultural marketing manager for the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands, African-American markets. "What we're doing is putting a lens on that message to communicate with the various cultures that make up the United States."

As an example, Perry points to a television commercial currently in production for the F-150 that is scheduled to air on BET (Black Entertainment Television), the new CW network, and mainstream outlets like NBC, Fox, CBS and ABC.

The 30-second spot takes place in an urban neighborhood and tells the story of a compassionate construction worker who decides to make a "bold move" and renovate his local barbershop. The man and his friends use an F-150 to collect and tow the materials they need to get the job done.

"The great thing about the ad is that it's one of those iconic locations," said Mitchell Johnson of the Uniworld Group, Ford's African-American marketing agency. "It registers with African-American consumers and crosses over to the general market so they appreciate what they are seeing, as well."

To reach the Hispanic community, Ford has produced a Spanish language "Bold Moves" campaign with the tagline "Pasos Audaces" ("Bold Moves"). The television spots, featuring Hispanic actors and music, are airing on Univision and Telemundo, two Spanish language networks that program to the Hispanic population.

"Our research shows that the Hispanic market prefers to communicate in Spanish," said Susan Osorio, account supervisor for Zubi Advertising, Ford's Hispanic marketing agency. "The ads make people feel proud and they appreciate the brand reaching out to them in a unique way."

Asian-Americans also prefer to communicate in their native language, especially while at home. To reach them, Ford is preparing a series of spots that focus on an extreme sport called parkour, a form of running based on Asian disciplines. The spots will run on cable stations that feature Asian programming.

"Our ads stress durability, quality and reliability," said Courtney Walker, a management supervisor for PanCom International, Ford's Asian-American agency. They're designed to touch the heart of the consumer. By understanding the audience we can speak directly to them."

Multicultural marketing is "about connecting culturally on many levels all at once," said Dave Rodrguez, multicultural marking manager for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury.. "To be successful, we have to be comprehensive, consistent and culturally relevant."

For Ford, that strategy includes communicating through urban radio with nationally syndicated urban-oriented personalities like Steve Harvey, Tom Joyner and Michael Baisden. Not only do they run "Bold Moves" commercials and mentions, Ford products are present at many of their personal appearances and concerts.

Ford products are also all over the Yankee Daddy radio show that airs on the ABC network in top Hispanic markets across the country. The show features Reggaeton -- a musical genre that mixes reggae music with a Latin beat and stars Yankee Daddy, one of the hottest reaggaeton artists in the industry.

"Instead of the old melting pot metaphor where we all blend together as a kind of stew, I see us now coming together as a tossed salad," said Perry. "In a salad all the ingredients work together but still retain their original look, flavor and texture."

Marketing experts say the trend toward multicultural marketing will only continue to grow.

"The country has fragmented into so many different markets that a marketer not only has to know what to say, they have to know where to say it, said Michael Bernacchi, marketing professor at the University of Detroit-Mercy.

"Not that long ago many groups would have been flattered that a marketer was talking to them. Now they expect it."