Mr. Hansen, Mr. Bochicchio, Ford set up a DACH organization at the beginning of last year. Why was that important? Olaf Hansen: As a DACH organization, we now represent the largest region within Ford Europe. At the same time, we can use efficiencies together. For example, we do a joint annual, quarterly and monthly plan. It’s not just about marketing, it’s about issues that affect the entire organization. We have shorter and faster decision-making paths. And we use shared back office functions that are centralized here from Germany for all three markets.
Donato Bochicchio: We have developed good internal processes and meeting structures. We see ourselves as a ONE team and benefit from each other.
Did you also set up a joint marketing board?
Hansen: No. But the marketing departments of all three regions are constantly exchanging ideas.
All three markets have different requirements. How do you do it justice?
Hansen: In general, we clarify for each topic whether it can be used in the entire DACH region. These include, for example, logistical questions, dealer information and network planning.
Bochicchio: We make sure that everything that concerns trade and customers is always thought of from the market. For Switzerland this means that our internal communication is always consistently in German, French and Italian. And we always have to translate German formulations into “Swiss German”.
BWith the new Ford claim “Bring on tomorrow”, however, stay with the original. Why?
Bochicchio: In Switzerland we have always worked with the original English claims. That reduces the complexity. Nevertheless, in this case we tested the German version against the English original. We have seen that the original is understood by people. Ultimately, the claim in our communication is just one element of many. The imagery is just as important, and that’s where we rely on regional staging.
How important is the Swiss market for Ford in general?
Hansen: For us as a DACH region, Switzerland is very important. The market is very open and flexible, so we can test a lot here. For example, we will start a digital initiative here in the coming year.
Can you be more specific?
Hansen: Not yet at the moment. But I can give you another example. Switzerland dealt with the issue of CO2 fleet consumption early on. We benefit from this experience with a view to sales and program planning.
Donato Bochicchio, General Manager of Ford Motor Company Switzerland SA
Could that also work for e-mobility, which has become more important in Switzerland this year?
Bochicchio: The topic is very important to us. One in five cars sold in Switzerland is currently electrified. We use the classic Ps, from product, price and place to promotion. To name two examples: We can offer almost all electrified versions of the models. In terms of communication, 60 percent of all media expenditure that we made this year was related to electrification.
Hansen: The budget is similar for Austria and Germany. And it goes on, in the coming year, for example, the Mustang Mach-E, which we will launch in all three markets. A good three weeks ago, we presented our European colleagues for the first time with a real DACH communication marketing plan in which e-mobility plays a major role.
Are there then also joint media plans?
Hansen: Media planning is one of the things that we don’t do centrally. And there are two reasons for this. On the one hand, media usage behavior is different in every market. On the other hand, the media landscape is very diversified in all three regions. You have only a few options to buy media across borders.
Which media channels are particularly important for Ford in Switzerland?
Bochicchio: We are strongly pushing the classic media TV, radio and out-of-home. But we don’t have a campaign that isn’t also digitally supported. Even before Corona, we had a digital share of almost 40 percent. But what is changing: We are using the digital issue much more at retailers because most of the customers now come from the online channel.
You are currently driving a free 4×4 upgrade campaign with Ogilvy in Switzerland.
Bochicchio: The campaign is a good example of how we respond to the needs of the respective market. The all-wheel drive is not just an additional gadget for us, but many Swiss people need this drive due to our topography. Two thirds of Switzerland are mountains, there is always snow. That is why 50 percent of all vehicles sold have all-wheel drive. You have to be able to play along, and we have the right product range for this. We just have to communicate this regularly with the right campaigns.
From January 2019, Olaf Hansen will be responsible for marketing at Ford-Werke GmbH in Cologne.
Switzerland is also considered an automatic country.
Bochicchio: That’s right. That helped us this year, for example, with the Puma, which we relaunched …
… and that runs well. You have sold the Puma over 1,400 times so far.
Bochicchio: The number would be even higher if we weren’t in a Corona year. The lockdown hurt us a lot. But we did a strong relaunch in July with a really great summer campaign. The puma is one of our most important pillars for the future. This also applies to the new Kuga. Its launch was in the middle of the first Corona wave and we then flexibly changed the media plans. With the relaunch of communication, the numbers at Kuga are picking up again.
How deep are the traces that Corona leaves on you?
Bochicchio: If the development of the Swiss automobile market continues like this, 2020 will be the worst year since mid-1970. For passenger cars, the overall market will be around 25 percent below the previous year. Things are looking better for commercial vehicles, and in 2020 we will book another record market share as Ford. Basically, two aspects make us confident. After reopening in May, we wrote more sales contracts in the following seven months than in the previous year.
And the second aspect?
Bochicchio: Our service business hardly suffered from Corona.
Why is that?
Bochicchio: The service companies were always open. That’s a reason. But we have introduced some digital services, such as the no-touch service or delivery to customers. And the dealers did well.
Does no-touch mean that I book an appointment online for an inspection, for example, and the vehicle is picked up and brought back?
Hansen: Exactly. The order is processed, then the vehicle is cleaned, disinfected and handed over to the customer. This is a service that we launched in all three markets this year. This is another example of how the DACH region pushes things together. We managed to do this because we are also working very closely with the dealer representatives to introduce such initiatives. We always want to give our customers added value.
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