03SILVERSTREAK
12-10-2008, 02:17 PM
I found this and thought I'd share it...
PR Disaster: Ford Suing The Only People Who Actually Still Care About Ford Cars.
Ford is suing multiple Ford enthusiast web sites. You may want to read that again. Ford is suing multiple Ford-enthusiast web sites. Ford Motor Company, who loses an average of $1,925 every time it sells a vehicle is now suing people who run Ford vehicle fan sites.
Websites such as The Ranger Station (http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32801), Michigan Mustang (http://www.michiganmustang.com/) and Mustang Evolution (http://www.mustangevolution.com/) have all received legal notices from Fords lawyers. Jalopnik (http://jalopnik.com/5106183/bold-moves-ford-threatens-enthusiast-sites-with-lawsuits-over-copyright-infringement) reports:
In a recent letter to enthusiast web sites, Ford's reportedly requiring the relinquishment of all Ford trademarks including domain names, banners, signs and merchandise as well as a restitution payment of $5,000 by December 19th.
This company doesn't understanding anything about... well, anything.
People who run Ford-enthusiast websites should be Ford's closest allies at this moment. The company is on the ropes. They've gone to the government hat-in-hand and been denied. This may be their final hour and they're lashing out at the people they need the most: people who still believe in the company's products. (Yes, they're out there.) They should be cultivating these brand ambassadors, but no, they'd rather send the lawyers after their best, and maybe only, source of positive word-of-mouth.
This is so short-sighted it defies belief. That is, unless you know that in 2006 after posting a record $12.7 billion net loss Ford gave its new CEO Alan Mulally (http://images.google.com/images?lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Alan%20Mulally&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi) $28 million for four months on the job. (This is according to the company's proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.) This man went to Washington in November with GM and Chrysler, collectively asking Congress to loan him $25 Billion of taxpayer money. When he was asked to take a symbolic salary cut to $1, not including stock options or bonuses where corporate-America CEOs make the majority of their money, he replied "I think I'm OK where I am."(!?)
Well, pretty much no one else does, Alan. And now your company is suing the only people who do "think you're OK where you are."
What should Ford be doing with it's fan sites? How about cultivating them? How about tapping into this community of folks passionate about your product...
Sponsor a barbecue and talk to these people about why they're passionate about past Ford vehicles and apply that to future products. (The Ranger Station? Who loves Ford Rangers? Why?)
Host a track day at their proving grounds to strengthen the bond between the company and their most evangelistic customer base.
Reaching out to them with special promotional products you can only get through membership so they can increase their numbers.
Or jeez, maybe they could just not sue them into oblivion. That's free.
The hubris runs high at Ford and it goes all the way to the top. President Bush said that giving this company a loan would be throwing good money after bad. I finally agree with him.
*Ford has stated that they're not facing short-term liquidity issues like GM and Chrysler and they will not be seeking any sort of government funding
UPDATE:
Good news! At least someone at Ford is paying attention to their base: about 30 minutes after this was posted, Scott Monty (http://www.scottmonty.com/), Global Digital Communications Ford Motor Company, left a comment below. I'm pasting it into the body of the story, because I think it's important to note that there are people at Ford who are "not pleased" as well.
I'm looking into this personally with our Chief Trademark Counsel. I'm not pleased that such action would be taken, but I'm trying to understand the full ramifications of the story.
I'll update when I know more.
Scott Monty
Global Digital Communications
Ford Motor Company
He also has a good post on his blog about how Ford can pay more atention to their customers (http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/11/how-you-can-use-social-media-to-help-us.html) (instead of, say, suing them.) Thanks for chiming in, Scott, I'm looking forward to your update.
PR Disaster: Ford Suing The Only People Who Actually Still Care About Ford Cars.
Ford is suing multiple Ford enthusiast web sites. You may want to read that again. Ford is suing multiple Ford-enthusiast web sites. Ford Motor Company, who loses an average of $1,925 every time it sells a vehicle is now suing people who run Ford vehicle fan sites.
Websites such as The Ranger Station (http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32801), Michigan Mustang (http://www.michiganmustang.com/) and Mustang Evolution (http://www.mustangevolution.com/) have all received legal notices from Fords lawyers. Jalopnik (http://jalopnik.com/5106183/bold-moves-ford-threatens-enthusiast-sites-with-lawsuits-over-copyright-infringement) reports:
In a recent letter to enthusiast web sites, Ford's reportedly requiring the relinquishment of all Ford trademarks including domain names, banners, signs and merchandise as well as a restitution payment of $5,000 by December 19th.
This company doesn't understanding anything about... well, anything.
People who run Ford-enthusiast websites should be Ford's closest allies at this moment. The company is on the ropes. They've gone to the government hat-in-hand and been denied. This may be their final hour and they're lashing out at the people they need the most: people who still believe in the company's products. (Yes, they're out there.) They should be cultivating these brand ambassadors, but no, they'd rather send the lawyers after their best, and maybe only, source of positive word-of-mouth.
This is so short-sighted it defies belief. That is, unless you know that in 2006 after posting a record $12.7 billion net loss Ford gave its new CEO Alan Mulally (http://images.google.com/images?lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Alan%20Mulally&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi) $28 million for four months on the job. (This is according to the company's proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.) This man went to Washington in November with GM and Chrysler, collectively asking Congress to loan him $25 Billion of taxpayer money. When he was asked to take a symbolic salary cut to $1, not including stock options or bonuses where corporate-America CEOs make the majority of their money, he replied "I think I'm OK where I am."(!?)
Well, pretty much no one else does, Alan. And now your company is suing the only people who do "think you're OK where you are."
What should Ford be doing with it's fan sites? How about cultivating them? How about tapping into this community of folks passionate about your product...
Sponsor a barbecue and talk to these people about why they're passionate about past Ford vehicles and apply that to future products. (The Ranger Station? Who loves Ford Rangers? Why?)
Host a track day at their proving grounds to strengthen the bond between the company and their most evangelistic customer base.
Reaching out to them with special promotional products you can only get through membership so they can increase their numbers.
Or jeez, maybe they could just not sue them into oblivion. That's free.
The hubris runs high at Ford and it goes all the way to the top. President Bush said that giving this company a loan would be throwing good money after bad. I finally agree with him.
*Ford has stated that they're not facing short-term liquidity issues like GM and Chrysler and they will not be seeking any sort of government funding
UPDATE:
Good news! At least someone at Ford is paying attention to their base: about 30 minutes after this was posted, Scott Monty (http://www.scottmonty.com/), Global Digital Communications Ford Motor Company, left a comment below. I'm pasting it into the body of the story, because I think it's important to note that there are people at Ford who are "not pleased" as well.
I'm looking into this personally with our Chief Trademark Counsel. I'm not pleased that such action would be taken, but I'm trying to understand the full ramifications of the story.
I'll update when I know more.
Scott Monty
Global Digital Communications
Ford Motor Company
He also has a good post on his blog about how Ford can pay more atention to their customers (http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/11/how-you-can-use-social-media-to-help-us.html) (instead of, say, suing them.) Thanks for chiming in, Scott, I'm looking forward to your update.