01-05-07: What a wild strange trip it has been. For launched the Bold Moves video documentary series last spring as part of a larger campaign to boost their image across the multitudes. This week the final episode of the web-based video series was shown, bringing the campaign to an eventual close.
We have brought each episode to our readers, some with commentary and others without. We have been outwardly supportive of the Bold Moves documentary series as a concept, in-fact CBS news called us “gushingly supportive”. We’ll take that, in any case we called it as we saw it.
In concept, the idea was a brilliant stroke for the company. Allowing employees, the investment community, the media, car enthusiasts and everyday customers alike to see inside the company brought an openness to their struggles and helped to bring understanding to what is happening at Ford. Everyone has an opinion about what is, should be and what should have been. We are all better informed and fortified with information having the other side of the coin.
While it was indeed a documentary, it was also a marketing campaign make no doubt. There were ups and downs in what came across as honest assessment and introspectiveness on the part of Ford management. There were human stories of employees and their plight in finding new ways to keep their jobs alive or in changing their careers. Other episodes hit on the positive new developments in product and engineering. In fact, one episode even served to debut a new special edition Mustang.
There were some self serving moments in the series of course where the marketing and salesmanship was overplayed and we called them on it. But on balance we got to know many of the personalities at Ford Motor Company a little better by hearing their thoughts on matters a many.
In the final episode we heard from Ford CEO, Alan Mullally who replaced Bill Ford last fall. He comes across as a thoughtful and dynamic manager who has a finger on some of the issues that the talking heads have been carping about for years. Among them is the issue of leveraging global platforms, engineering and product development.
We will miss the weekly window into the soul of the machine that is Ford Motor Company. But as this campaign ends we are packing our bags for the Detroit Auto Show. This next week should provide the fruits of many labors portrayed in the video series. Ford will be showing off some of the most important new vehicles in their history at this year’s show. We will be there to bring it all to you.
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