INNOVATION AND INTEGRATION

Innovation and Integration

Innovation and Integration

Ford Motor Company

Introduction

This report will be looking at the Ford Motor Company. It will discuss industrial and company background by analyzing the automobile industry, Ford's financial performance over the past five years, and the corporate values of the company. The marketing strategy of the company will be discussed in detail, while also identifying any external factors that affect Ford's marketing plan. Ford's main competitors will be analyzed in order to compare their marketing strategies with that of Ford. The effectiveness of the company and its marketing will then be determined. After taking this information into account, suggestions will be made in order to improve the marketing strategy of the company.  Company History

Ford Motor Company started on June 16, 1903, when Henry Ford founded the automobile company. He was a pioneer that started what was to become one of the world's largest corporations. Ford is one of the world's oldest automobile manufacturers that had to develop many new ideas throughout its existence in order to adapt to changing times. Ford is most well known for introducing the first moving assembly line in 1913. It was used first on the Model T and significantly reduced assembly time. This contributed to the fact that Ford was producing 50% of all cars in the U.S at the end of 1913. To stress even further the importance of the assembly line, during World War 2 the assembly line was put to use on bomber planes. They were able to produce one bomber every hour, which heavily contributed to giving the allies an advantage. In 1922, Ford purchased the Lincoln Motor Company in order to appeal to the luxury market. Mercury was later formed by Ford in 1939 to produce middle class cars but was soon combined with Lincoln in 1945.

Assembly Line

Ford Motor Company's most significant contribution to automotive manufacturing was the assembly line. It was first utilized at the Highland Park plant in 1913. The new technique allowed individual workers to stay in one place and perform the same task repeatedly on multiple vehicles that passed by them. The assembly line proved tremendously efficient and aided the company in exceeding their competitors' production levels. This was a major contribution towards making their vehicles less expensive. Early Vehicles

In 1908, the Ford Model T was introduced. After producing 15 million Model T's in nineteen years, Ford Motor Company had become a giant in the automotive industry that spanned the globe. In 1925, Ford Motor Company acquired the Lincoln Motor Company, thus branching out into luxury cars, and in the 1930's, the Mercury division was created to establish a division centered on mid-priced cars. This high level of growth was a result of Henry Ford's strategy of creating affordable automobiles to the general public.Going Global

Ford Motor Company went public on Feb. 24, 1956. Henry Ford II's ability to identify political and economic trends in the 1950's led to Ford expanding globally in the ...