A Gift for my Son
Ford F-150 Monster Truck
Earlier this week, one of our family friends dropped off a few presents for the kids. Isaac received this monster truck with over-sized tires and an apparent appetite for destruction.
Needless to say, he loves it.
This particular truck is battery operated and has two buttons on the top. One which makes the toy move forward (rear-wheel drive) and one which makes the truck sound like it’s driving over smaller, meeker, more foreign-made vehicles. While he and I have had a blast loading this truck up with different stuff and sending it roaring across the living room floor, I can’t help but notice how cheaply it is made. When we first got it out, there was hot glue dripped randomly across the top of the truck, one drop of which had landed on a button, making it impossible to push. The body of the truck is glued to the frame with the same adhesive goop. From the time we opened the packaging, the body has easily separated from the frame. There is also glue hanging out the front of the truck, covering up it’s “teeth”. See the photos below for details. With all of these lousy manufacturing mistakes, what really stands out to me that this truck is overly-branded as a Ford product.
Touchpoints for Everyone
As a Partner at an idea studio in Dayton, Ohio that places great emphasis on brand, I find myself obsessed with these kinds of touchpoints. Unfortunately for Ford, this is actually a reflection on their brand. As you can see from these photos, the have placed their logo liberally on the truck.
I can imagine the meeting where this kind of decision was made. Perhaps someone suggested they find an inexpensive way to put the Ford name into the minds of little boys all over America. Maybe they didn’t consider the fact that one or two parents would also receive some kind of brand impression from the product. I would venture a guess that the negative impression on the parents outweighs the positive impression on the kids.
A Better Approach
So what should Ford have done? To start with, I’d recommend that they get their hands on any product they plan on allowing to carry their logo. An alternative would be to manufacture a high quality toy truck, somewhere in the USA, that came free to any parent that purchased a new Ford truck. This way you know you have a “Ford-friendly” family and you are reinforcing that positive emotion. Just throwing a load of trucks with your logo on them into every dollar store across the country doesn’t do much for your brand.
How to Learn from Ford’s Mistake
Something as simple as this may seem harmless. And, perhaps Ford hasn’t done any damage to their reputation by doing this. However, if it were my company, I wouldn’t settle for “made in China” brand awareness. This also applies to packaging. Anyone who’s opened an Apple product can tell you that they create an experience from the moment you hold their product in your hands. The key message here is to spend adequate time evaluating areas where you can effectively increase your brand’s value.
A good place to start would be a brand analysis…
Made in China
At least the truck is good for hauling these “Vensafi” batteries (proudly made in China) which came pre-installed in the truck and died within the first ten minutes of play.
The Dilution of a Brand
A Gift for my Son
Ford F-150 Monster Truck
Earlier this week, one of our family friends dropped off a few presents for the kids. Isaac received this monster truck with over-sized tires and an apparent appetite for destruction.
Needless to say, he loves it.
This particular truck is battery operated and has two buttons on the top. One which makes the toy move forward (rear-wheel drive) and one which makes the truck sound like it’s driving over smaller, meeker, more foreign-made vehicles. While he and I have had a blast loading this truck up with different stuff and sending it roaring across the living room floor, I can’t help but notice how cheaply it is made. When we first got it out, there was hot glue dripped randomly across the top of the truck, one drop of which had landed on a button, making it impossible to push. The body of the truck is glued to the frame with the same adhesive goop. From the time we opened the packaging, the body has easily separated from the frame. There is also glue hanging out the front of the truck, covering up it’s “teeth”. See the photos below for details. With all of these lousy manufacturing mistakes, what really stands out to me that this truck is overly-branded as a Ford product.
Touchpoints for Everyone
As a Partner at an idea studio in Dayton, Ohio that places great emphasis on brand, I find myself obsessed with these kinds of touchpoints. Unfortunately for Ford, this is actually a reflection on their brand. As you can see from these photos, the have placed their logo liberally on the truck.
I can imagine the meeting where this kind of decision was made. Perhaps someone suggested they find an inexpensive way to put the Ford name into the minds of little boys all over America. Maybe they didn’t consider the fact that one or two parents would also receive some kind of brand impression from the product. I would venture a guess that the negative impression on the parents outweighs the positive impression on the kids.
A Better Approach
So what should Ford have done? To start with, I’d recommend that they get their hands on any product they plan on allowing to carry their logo. An alternative would be to manufacture a high quality toy truck, somewhere in the USA, that came free to any parent that purchased a new Ford truck. This way you know you have a “Ford-friendly” family and you are reinforcing that positive emotion. Just throwing a load of trucks with your logo on them into every dollar store across the country doesn’t do much for your brand.
How to Learn from Ford’s Mistake
Something as simple as this may seem harmless. And, perhaps Ford hasn’t done any damage to their reputation by doing this. However, if it were my company, I wouldn’t settle for “made in China” brand awareness. This also applies to packaging. Anyone who’s opened an Apple product can tell you that they create an experience from the moment you hold their product in your hands. The key message here is to spend adequate time evaluating areas where you can effectively increase your brand’s value.
A good place to start would be a brand analysis…
Made in China
At least the truck is good for hauling these “Vensafi” batteries (proudly made in China) which came pre-installed in the truck and died within the first ten minutes of play.