A product strategy plays a pivotal role in accentuating sales figures and registering record growth, besides customer service and satisfaction derived by them. Every product is inducted to achieve a specific purpose such as fulfilling a newly cropped up need or to complete a marque’s scope of vehicles so as to broaden the horizon of what the brand stands for.
Top Models Driving Ford's Success:
In recent times, Ford in the Middle-East realm has been on a binge of launching sterling vehicle propositions that extrude elegance and sophistication. These cars are underpinned by segment-first features, powertrain options and practicality, so that its cars can become nonpareil in their respective segments. The recent examples of Bronco, Territory, Taurus and its most recent launch, the Everest SUV, have all garnered acclaim for the sheer bells and whistles that they have to exhibit.
Customer Experience and Distributor Network:
The American blue oval achieved highest-ever Q1 volumes since 2016, registering a phenomenal 29% year-on-year on Q1 growth. Not just in the UAE, but even in other nations such as Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the mid-sized crossover-cum-SUV, Territory was the sales champion as it achieved this commendable feat in just 18-months of its launch.
The brand may have bid sayonara to its venerable Fusion sedan, but the flagship Taurus saloon also managed to grab eyeballs and turn penchant into immense volumes for itself specially, in the GCC and Saudi Arabia. Owing to this model, consumer perception of the brand and perceived quality of its models also made a huge leap forward. Ford’s Brand Health Report also witnessed major limps in fidelity and validation for the brand.
After an almost two decade hiatus, the Everest nameplate that made a splashing comeback this year, was immediately received well by the fastidious audience of the Middle-East. It rapidly became the third volume pillar in the Middle-East by clocking in record sales numbers in March, 2024.
The brand has been humble in attributing a major part of its success in the Middle-East market to its distributor network. The brand’s President for Middle-East, Ravi Ravichandran remarked his appreciation for the distributors making special mention of their professionalism and commitment to delivering excellence by providing enchanting customer experience and products that satiate all the perfunctory needs of a typical consumer.
Through their synergies, Ford was able to increase its market share by 0.5% vis-à-vis the previous year across the region.
As the brand instils its roots firmly towards achieving an even brighter future, it already has plans ready to introduce some of the most sizzling products to keep its audience enticed and expand its customer base in its wake.
Future Prospects:
Besides amping up the luxury quotient with an updated Lincoln Nautilus, the brand is also targeting a new F-150 launch for its fans who revel the combination of American muscle and breathtaking performance. However, its biggest gift to the region will be its first-ever EV launch, slated for 2025, preparations for which have already commenced.
In the only region where all the Raptor nameplates of Bronco, F-150 and Ranger collectively thrive, “Ford Middle East will continue developing a robust sales and production plan for 2025, while also prioritizing customer satisfaction as a key pillar of our strategy – we recognize that customers are our biggest advocates, and will always strive to treat them like family,” added Ravichandran.
Ford features a comprehensive lineup of vehicles in the Middle-East as it encompasses pickups, a host of SUV offerings, each tailored to meet a specific purpose and a sedan which simply aims to redefine luxury.
For business owners looking at efficient and reliable workhorses, Ford has multiple van solutions to cater to their varying and eclectic needs. High degree of customer satisfaction is just the icing on the cake. It’s no wonder then, that it was able to register a myriad of records and achievements in just one quarter.
