Industry Professionals: Let's Grade Ford.

[vrewald14]

Thank you all for the very interesting comments and viewpoints! I would present 1 counter-point to this:

Keep in mind on the PR front - a LOT of the outrage was all based on a forum post/speculated timeframe that then morphed and was internalized as “fact.”

Making BS up in an echo chamber, then getting upset when someone doesn’t follow through on the echo-chamber BS doesn’t make a PR blunder - it makes for a bunch of excited, enthusiastic grown-assed people, deciding what fact is, then throwing a tantrum when the actual reality is made known. ?‍

You are absolutely correct that forum misinterpretation got the best of a lot of people. HOWEVER, I would suggest the root cause of the "outrage" is actually Ford's inability to provide enough clarity in their PR strategy. Not that the people speculate out of context. That has to be assumed that it will occur, so every effort should be made to provide clarity to avoid possible misinterpretation. It seems to me that details were SO vague that speculation was bound to be rampant and therefore either more details were needed, or nothing should have been said altogether.

I do really appreciate the fact that Ford representatives are saying anything at all. It is better than not feeling like there is zero conversation whatsoever.

I am curious to hear from some of the people with operations experience. How do you perceive the current potential for variation and options? Should there be less? Could there be more? At what point should the factory say "you can have any color you want as long as it's black"?

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[Big Boss]

I am curious to hear from some of the people with operations experience. How do you perceive the current potential for variation and options? Should there be less? Could there be more? At what point should the factory say "you can have any color you want as long as it's black"?

That is a tough question. As I mentioned in my previous post I oversaw a launch of a new product where we basically spent to much time listening to feedback, ideas and trying to make it the best we could. Granted it's never good to rush something out and have to make fixes along the way, but in the end that is what bit us in the rear end. By the time we finally launched our product, our competitors basically had the same basic idea as us and some other better features and beat us to market for a decent amount less.

So Ford needs to find the right balance. IMO things that seem like they should be simple such as manual + sasquatch should be done but other things I would think should wait till a MCE. It's not like my case where say Chevy is gonna spring a K5 blazer on them, but at the same time people have known the bronco is coming back since what 2018? They need to get the vehicle out

 

[rmc523]

Thank you all for the very interesting comments and viewpoints! I would present 1 counter-point to this:



You are absolutely correct that forum misinterpretation got the best of a lot of people. HOWEVER, I would suggest the root cause of the "outrage" is actually Ford's inability to provide enough clarity in their PR strategy. Not that the people speculate out of context. That has to be assumed that it will occur, so every effort should be made to provide clarity to avoid possible misinterpretation. It seems to me that details were SO vague that speculation was bound to be rampant and therefore either more details were needed, or nothing should have been said altogether.

I do really appreciate the fact that Ford representatives are saying anything at all. It is better than not feeling like there is zero conversation whatsoever.

I am curious to hear from some of the people with operations experience. How do you perceive the current potential for variation and options? Should there be less? Could there be more? At what point should the factory say "you can have any color you want as long as it's black"?

I know Ford has been trying to decrease build combinations overall.


---

Only other comment I'll make on the PR is that Ford had a whole huge live reveal thing around the country planned, but obviously with COVID that didn't happen, so they had to shift gears to the digital thing they did.

Supposedly some demo units will be moving about the country.

 

[TXBronco]

I know Ford has been trying to decrease build combinations overall.


---

Only other comment I'll make on the PR is that Ford had a whole huge live reveal thing around the country planned, but obviously with COVID that didn't happen, so they had to shift gears to the digital thing they did.

Supposedly some demo units will be moving about the country.

Yeah, I would have really liked to see the " Broncopalooza" they had planned with the 400+ Broncos rolling down the street......now THAT would have been a reveal.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Am I the only one who thinks the reservation site "crashing" was essentially planned?

If it doesn't crash, they can't say, "we were so overwhelmed by demand for our product that our servers crashed."
I had a feeling about that for days before the reveal, so I was never in a hurry.....still had my rez by 9:30pm Central.

 

[Wingzfan]

I haven't memorized every option on every one of the trims, but it feels like they have more options than needed. I'd maybe combine the Big Bend and Outer Banks into one model with multiple packages for upgrades. Maybe the hardcore off-road version is the BD with packages that branch off into rock crawler (Badlands) or whatever Wildrak is (Baja?).

 

[Sammy7]

I’m not PR, but I have worked on implementing IT projects for various organizations. One thing I’ve learned is there‘s a lot of apprehension and wild rumors flying around if you don’t effectively communicate with the end user. Simple statements such as “We’re on track to go live on 1 Jan and you’ll start training on the new system after Thanksgiving” went a long way.

Ford”s not responsible for the rampant speculation, but they are responsible for the void in which it spreads. I’m OK with Mike Levine using his personal Twitter account to engage with people, but he needs to follow up with announcements through more official channels since that’s where people naturally go for information.

Even if Ford can’t provide Bronco-specific updates, they’d be wise to push out something. I’d be communicating how new products are developed and where the Bronco is on that timeline.

 

[vrewald14]

Am I the only one who thinks the reservation site "crashing" was essentially planned?

If it doesn't crash, they can't say, "we were so overwhelmed by demand for our product that our servers crashed."
I had a feeling about that for days before the reveal, so I was never in a hurry.....still had my rez by 9:30pm Central.

Kinda sorta I agree with you. I do not think they actively "planned" to limit their bandwidth and traffic flow to a point in order to CAUSE a crash as a way to hype up their product.

I do believe they knew the response and engagement on reveal night COULD be far higher than anyone anticipated, and that it could easily overwhelm their system. I think they looked at their risk / reward curve and decided that there was literally no benefit to spending much more money to guarantee that there would not be a website crash, because they knew at the end of the day they would still accomplish what the wanted. Sure it would look bad yada yada but oh well.

It's crappy for a lot of customers, but it really doesn't do any significant damage to Ford. They're just living in a world that has to decide do I spend $100k on web tech for this reveal or $100k on something else more valuable long term.

 

[Big Boss]

I haven't memorized every option on every one of the trims, but it feels like they have more options than needed. I'd maybe combine the Big Bend and Outer Banks into one model with multiple packages for upgrades. Maybe the hardcore off-road version is the BD with packages that branch off into rock crawler (Badlands) or whatever Wildrak is (Baja?).

It does seem like there is a little over lap with the big bend and the outer banks. A loaded big bend is essentially a base outerbanks minus a few things.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Kinda sorta I agree with you. I do not think they actively "planned" to limit their bandwidth and traffic flow to a point in order to CAUSE a crash as a way to hype up their product.

I do believe they knew the response and engagement on reveal night COULD be far higher than anyone anticipated, and that it could easily overwhelm their system. I think they looked at their risk / reward curve and decided that there was literally no benefit to spending much more money to guarantee that there would not be a website crash, because they knew at the end of the day they would still accomplish what the wanted. Sure it would look bad yada yada but oh well.

It's crappy for a lot of customers, but it really doesn't do any significant damage to Ford. They're just living in a world that has to decide do I spend $100k on web tech for this reveal or $100k on something else more valuable long term.

^^^^^What he said. Lol.
That was basically what I was trying to express.
They thought it may happen and it real easy to put a positive spin on it ..... and say sorry afyetwards with big puppy dog eyes.

 

[sjp]

Interesting thread. I'm an MBA who came from sales and marketing and I even did a few years as a communications manager for a high-tech corporation (I ghostwrite business books now), and while yes, they blew the PR on this thing, it's not going to hurt them one bit. If anything, it's getting them tons of publicity they never could have hoped for with a slick rollout.

I have to laugh when people whine about the so-called "temper tantrums" and "meltdowns" on this site. Far from it - this is the interwebs, folks, and this ain't nuthin'. I could point you to some other forums I'm on that would make your eyes bleed.

People saying we should lighten up haven't been in the business. Levine and the rest are used to this stuff. You have to have thick skin to be in sales, marketing, PR, and really any customer-facing position. You're going to get beat up a lot and you learn to let it roll off. Believe me, these guys get big bucks to let it roll off. No one gets a butt-hurt from a Twitter post or a forum thread and survives in sales.

They'll recover just fine. In the meantime, we can have some fun with it. Honestly, I don't think anyone's really all that upset. This is how we amuse ourselves until we can get some pricing on this thing and start figuring out what we can afford. AF Ford, or Ford AF. Either way, I don't think their screw-ups have changed anyone's mind when it comes to making a purchase.

 

[huey]

Here’s my take:

process engineer here, who happens to work for a company that builds or has built many frames / cradles including ford products such as; explorer, escape, mustang, f series, ranger & bronco. Responsibilities include, ensure the design, cost, engineering changes & throughput of the assembly lines meets both my company & Ford's expectations. First thing, I have not seen the vehicle so my opinions are solely based on pictures. Also I will not spill any beans or respond to replies about current/future product knowledge so please don't ask.

New Bronco Overall Product fit vs. Customer Needs: C

It seems Ford really researched the hell out of this and spent a great deal of time reviewing competitor vehicles such as the JK. I think Ford had a goal to steal customers with the latest version of the bronco, and can still do so. However I see mixed bag results & there are some fails imo, such as 1) MANUAL tranny not on 'squatch or on bigger motor. Ford has been non committal on this, the only thing confirmed it won't be on the '21 models. If there is a chance on a latter MY bronco this should have been brought forward to the '21 bronco. 2) creature comfort in the back like console AC & rear seat folding/removal. Some of us live in hot/humid climates and will take long highway trips. Kids/dogs in the back need effective AC, especially on a rig that costs up to 60k. Also ask jeep crew how much they would love to have easy remove rear seats on both 2 door & 4 door. This would have been a big win for Ford if they had easy remove rear seats 3) towing package limited to 3,500lbs. Real opportunity here to create a package that would increase towing to 5,000 lbs or higher. Even if it meant borrowing ranger suspension parts and reducing some off road ride characteristics. Not all bronco buyers are hardcore off roaders, but thinking many would love to tow boat/travel trailers. If the ranger frame & drive line can handle the loads why can't the bronco, guessing it is suspension related. Future raptor model a year or so later keeps interest well after launch, but I think an all hands on deck / fully monty launch approach including raptor would have been better.

Variation Management: B

If anyone has ever been to BIG 3 vehicle assembly plant it is very impressive. The sequencing(build-up) of a vehicle is so awesome & complicated. The factory has a build sheet for each vehicle and has to ensure all the correct parts are installed & arrive at the right time. With that in mind certain groups are pitted against each other to offer the most options but keep complexity & cost down. To start there are 7 trims, with first edition falling off leaving 6. It would seem possible/likely there will be two more trims coming later, 1 Raptor level and 1 SVT or similar potentially bringing the total to 8 which is a very healthy mix if that happens. Even if there are only 6 trims that is substantial, but again I am surprised there is not a towing package/trim that drives the capacity up. I believe this is a big gap Ford is missing out on to bring new customers and really dominate the segment. The age of covid is here and travel trailer popularity is thru the roof requiring capable tow rigs. Full marks for offering at least 6 trim levels, but loose points for no high tow package, no 6 cylinder and no high torque capable manual transmission. I am hesitant to add missing a diesel as another fail, but it may not be as things move to turbo 4 bangers or electric. Still little early to see how the final availability of rest of the options plays out into each trim level

Initial Release Event: B-

So covid is a thing and nothing Ford could have done. Launch delays were inevitable and the right choice was made to delay as a new program launch is a huge undertaking and so crucial to good sales/image. Having said that it seems they could have been a lot more prepared on what options/trim levels contain what features. The mule pictures that are posted/leaked seemed to add a lot of confusion( & hype) and did little to clarify what would be production vs prototype. Ford knows this is a highly anticipated vehicle and clarity goes a long way to real customers that will buy not based on hype. The flip side is Ford marketing team did their job, they know they have a good product and played this up well

Product Design and Approach: B+

The bronco is very much a nameplate that carries plenty of owner nostalgia and excitement. A large full frame vehicle that was off road capable, removable top and rugged good looks. The 93 would tow 7,100 pounds with the 5.8L/auto & factory trans cooler. The new edition lacks the towing capacity but brings a lot of current tech and keeps some of
the nostalgia. Ford did a nice job maintaining some very ford design ques such as rear tail lights, front end and some body lines. I have some complaints but hope they will be addressed on the 22 model. It is not uncommon to have an OEM address some miscues 6 months or so after a launch based on customer feedback. They also seem to have gone out of their way to make attachment points and subtle details have the ability to be changed by owners to make their bronco their own. For the mall crawler crowd(higher percentage) if the product stands up with good build quality and fit/finish(jeeps sucks at this), minimal squeaks & rattles Ford has a winner.

Engineering: B-(for now)

For me it's too early to tell - the true test is after 1 year of bronco's on the road and what fails/works. Was there a design failure, a weld failure (cough jeep JL trackbar cough), an ease of use limitation on a certain feature? Examples of things that need time in the hands of owners doing dumb and normal things that humans due to expose these failures. Whether used as an off road rig, grocery getter, daily driver...... many things play out over time, & I need my hands on to really say one way or another.

Based on what engineering we see now, Ford has filed plenty of patents solely for this vehicle and it appears plenty of solid design & thought has gone into this. Door storage, mirrors attached to the cowl, hopefully easier removal top are winners. It will be the smaller not so obvious things that will form my full opinion down the road

Public Relations: D+

Ford appears to be trying to get closer/listen to the customer before they even buy via twitter presence(Mike Levine) and the recent Q&A. I believe Ford has the effort, understanding & expectation for good customer relations. Now they need to work on the execution and delivery. The biggest issue was not having a standard & clear communication summary sheet of trims and available options that meshed with pictures that were released. Ford will no doubt tweak what production intent is, but they must have a very solid list of items that won't change. Websites like this will always have excitement and unintended errors as people make assumptions based on photos and form opinions based on other members interpretations. Ford is not to blame for this by any means, & I am not saying they need to somehow reign in all the false rumors on the internet. However Ford owns this product & has the ability to control the script better by very clearly identifying what is real and what is non production intent, get ahead of the hype by releasing info to the masses so they control the narrative. Assign ford PR crew to fan-sites/social media to create awareness of fact/fiction - better than what they did on bronco.

Even better - get the trucks out to dealerships, I wanted to say car shows, track meets etc but you know....covid. At the very least get more production intent content out to dealerships vs he proto mules that are on the road that still have content that will never make it into production.


Conclusion: C+

first - props to the OP - good thread & content.
I really hope this vehicle will fill the needs of the masses in many ways. The bronco has the potential to do so but will need some work to get there based on what is known now. I would hate to hear from people that they were excited to buy one but opted out due to missing fundamental content at certain trim levels or frustrated that certain feature just not available

 

[vrewald14]

Huey - thanks for the great perspective here. It's nice to see another engineer finally take the time and do a "full monty" grading as I started out with.

It's very interesting that you ranked lower in some categories and higher in others, but at the end of the day we were at similar conclusions.

The towing package facet of this is interesting. I am definitely one of the "I don't need more than 3500 lbs" people (have a diesel Excursion for towing), but based on some of the nearly irate and widespread reaction I've seen from customers, I think you're completely right that if they had a "heavy tow" option - they'd really differentiate themselves from Jeep even more and make a killing with a good portion of enthusiasts. Those people would likely be willing to sacrifice off-road performance. Maybe we'll see it in years to come.

With respect to your product design and approach grade (B+), what would it have taken for you to have given a higher score? Mostly the towing rating or other things as well?

Here’s my take:

process engineer here, who happens to work for a company that builds or has built many frames / cradles including ford products such as; explorer, escape, mustang, f series, ranger & bronco. Responsibilities include, ensure the design, cost, engineering changes & throughput of the assembly lines meets both my company & Ford's expectations. First thing, I have not seen the vehicle so my opinions are solely based on pictures. Also I will not spill any beans or respond to replies about current/future product knowledge so please don't ask.

New Bronco Overall Product fit vs. Customer Needs: C

It seems Ford really researched the hell out of this and spent a great deal of time reviewing competitor vehicles such as the JK. I think Ford had a goal to steal customers with the latest version of the bronco, and can still do so. However I see mixed bag results & there are some fails imo, such as 1) MANUAL tranny not on 'squatch or on bigger motor. Ford has been non committal on this, the only thing confirmed it won't be on the '21 models. If there is a chance on a latter MY bronco this should have been brought forward to the '21 bronco. 2) creature comfort in the back like console AC & rear seat folding/removal. Some of us live in hot/humid climates and will take long highway trips. Kids/dogs in the back need effective AC, especially on a rig that costs up to 60k. Also ask jeep crew how much they would love to have easy remove rear seats on both 2 door & 4 door. This would have been a big win for Ford if they had easy remove rear seats 3) towing package limited to 3,500lbs. Real opportunity here to create a package that would increase towing to 5,000 lbs or higher. Even if it meant borrowing ranger suspension parts and reducing some off road ride characteristics. Not all bronco buyers are hardcore off roaders, but thinking many would love to tow boat/travel trailers. If the ranger frame & drive line can handle the loads why can't the bronco, guessing it is suspension related. Future raptor model a year or so later keeps interest well after launch, but I think an all hands on deck / fully monty launch approach including raptor would have been better.

Variation Management: B

If anyone has ever been to BIG 3 vehicle assembly plant it is very impressive. The sequencing(build-up) of a vehicle is so awesome & complicated. The factory has a build sheet for each vehicle and has to ensure all the correct parts are installed & arrive at the right time. With that in mind certain groups are pitted against each other to offer the most options but keep complexity & cost down. To start there are 7 trims, with first edition falling off leaving 6. It would seem possible/likely there will be two more trims coming later, 1 Raptor level and 1 SVT or similar potentially bringing the total to 8 which is a very healthy mix if that happens. Even if there are only 6 trims that is substantial, but again I am surprised there is not a towing package/trim that drives the capacity up. I believe this is a big gap Ford is missing out on to bring new customers and really dominate the segment. The age of covid is here and travel trailer popularity is thru the roof requiring capable tow rigs. Full marks for offering at least 6 trim levels, but loose points for no high tow package, no 6 cylinder and no high torque capable manual transmission. I am hesitant to add missing a diesel as another fail, but it may not be as things move to turbo 4 bangers or electric. Still little early to see how the final availability of rest of the options plays out into each trim level

Initial Release Event: B-

So covid is a thing and nothing Ford could have done. Launch delays were inevitable and the right choice was made to delay as a new program launch is a huge undertaking and so crucial to good sales/image. Having said that it seems they could have been a lot more prepared on what options/trim levels contain what features. The mule pictures that are posted/leaked seemed to add a lot of confusion( & hype) and did little to clarify what would be production vs prototype. Ford knows this is a highly anticipated vehicle and clarity goes a long way to real customers that will buy not based on hype. The flip side is Ford marketing team did their job, they know they have a good product and played this up well

Product Design and Approach: B+

The bronco is very much a nameplate that carries plenty of owner nostalgia and excitement. A large full frame vehicle that was off road capable, removable top and rugged good looks. The 93 would tow 7,100 pounds with the 5.8L/auto & factory trans cooler. The new edition lacks the towing capacity but brings a lot of current tech and keeps some of
the nostalgia. Ford did a nice job maintaining some very ford design ques such as rear tail lights, front end and some body lines. I have some complaints but hope they will be addressed on the 22 model. It is not uncommon to have an OEM address some miscues 6 months or so after a launch based on customer feedback. They also seem to have gone out of their way to make attachment points and subtle details have the ability to be changed by owners to make their bronco their own. For the mall crawler crowd(higher percentage) if the product stands up with good build quality and fit/finish(jeeps sucks at this), minimal squeaks & rattles Ford has a winner.

Engineering: B-(for now)

For me it's too early to tell - the true test is after 1 year of bronco's on the road and what fails/works. Was there a design failure, a weld failure (cough jeep JL trackbar cough), an ease of use limitation on a certain feature? Examples of things that need time in the hands of owners doing dumb and normal things that humans due to expose these failures. Whether used as an off road rig, grocery getter, daily driver...... many things play out over time, & I need my hands on to really say one way or another.

Based on what engineering we see now, Ford has filed plenty of patents solely for this vehicle and it appears plenty of solid design & thought has gone into this. Door storage, mirrors attached to the cowl, hopefully easier removal top are winners. It will be the smaller not so obvious things that will form my full opinion down the road

Public Relations: D+

Ford appears to be trying to get closer/listen to the customer before they even buy via twitter presence(Mike Levine) and the recent Q&A. I believe Ford has the effort, understanding & expectation for good customer relations. Now they need to work on the execution and delivery. The biggest issue was not having a standard & clear communication summary sheet of trims and available options that meshed with pictures that were released. Ford will no doubt tweak what production intent is, but they must have a very solid list of items that won't change. Websites like this will always have excitement and unintended errors as people make assumptions based on photos and form opinions based on other members interpretations. Ford is not to blame for this by any means, & I am not saying they need to somehow reign in all the false rumors on the internet. However Ford owns this product & has the ability to control the script better by very clearly identifying what is real and what is non production intent, get ahead of the hype by releasing info to the masses so they control the narrative. Assign ford PR crew to fan-sites/social media to create awareness of fact/fiction - better than what they did on bronco.

Even better - get the trucks out to dealerships, I wanted to say car shows, track meets etc but you know....covid. At the very least get more production intent content out to dealerships vs he proto mules that are on the road that still have content that will never make it into production.


Conclusion: C+

first - props to the OP - good thread & content.
I really hope this vehicle will fill the needs of the masses in many ways. The bronco has the potential to do so but will need some work to get there based on what is known now. I would hate to hear from people that they were excited to buy one but opted out due to missing fundamental content at certain trim levels or frustrated that certain feature just not available

 

[TXJeepScientist]

Where I see Ford messing up will occur in December when Accessories and pricing will be released. This is almost as bad as having to make funeral arrangements at the last minute just because the buyers would like time to think about their purchase.

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