Because becoming more environmentally responsible is what colors Ford’s current world.

In a new infographic from Salt Lake City, Utah’s most respected Ford dealership, Henry Day Ford, you can see that the company has made great strides in upping the eco-value of its rides.

For instance, in 2011, the typical Ford vehicle emitted 0.91 metric tons of greenhouse gasses. But in a span of just two years, Ford achieved a remarkable drop in those emissions to less than 0.78 per vehicle.

It’s all part of Ford’s plan for reducing vehicle waste by 40 percent by the year 2016.

You can learn more about it in the visual shared below.

The post Move Over Apple, Ford Motor Company Drives Home Point About Being Green appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Although the new report isn’t set for publication until February, MMW received a sneak peek. And the results show that auto makers that tout the safety of the vehicles in their digital marketing could see an enormous spike in sales in the coming years.

And few auto makers are in a better position to do that (with new or older model vehicles) than Ford.

Ford — in case you haven’t heard — has been “tearing it up” in a very good way. While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has continued to raise the bar for automotive manufacturers that want to achieve five-star safety ratings, Ford has devoted the time and effort it takes to score well in the rankings. From the Ford Fusion to the F150, Ford is becoming known for its engineering excellence.

Let’s take a look at three Ford offerings — recommended to us by the experts at Henry Day Ford, which has been studying and selling Ford vehicles in Utah since 1934. The company believes the 2014 Ford Focus Electric, 2013 Ford Fusion, and 2013 Ford F-150 typify the automaker’s commitment to safety superiority.

The 2014 Ford Focus Electric

What auto recently zoomed through each of the NHTSA’s three safety tests with flying colors? That would be the 2014 Ford Focus Electric. The two gas-powered models of this auto received an overall rating of four stars in both front and rollover tests, but the Electric brought home top honors with a coveted five-star rating. It’s a tad costlier than its gas-powered cousins, but benefits include beefed up features as well less expensive operational costs. Another advantage: the Focus Electric can qualify consumers for both federal and local incentives offered for buyers of electric vehicles.

The 2013 Ford Fusion

The Ford Fusion received five stars less than a year ago for its stellar performance in rigorous NHTSA tests. One reason? The auto’s eight airbag system made it a crash test titan. Designed to provide enhanced protection for all vehicle occupants (seat-mounted side air bags that deploy lower in the pelvis area, as well as the chest region, and new venting technology to bolster side-impact protection), the car also features reverse cameras, an adaptive cruise control system, and a blind-spot information indicator that helps keep passengers safe and secure.

The 2013 Ford F150

Last, but definitely not least, is the F150. One of the stars of Ford’s F-Series of full-size pickup trucks, it has been a bestseller since 1948. In fact, it has been the top selling vehicle in the U.S. for more than three decades. There are good reasons why. Consumers gravitate to the F150 for its power and performance, but it’s no slouch when it comes to safety. It’s the truck with a four-star rating — a hard-earned honor for modern pickups. This truck has been touted as a “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and continues to be an A-list choice.

The post Ford May Be Sitting on a Digital Marketing Goldmine in Response to The Safety of its Vehicles appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Today, one of the hottest tactics in automotive marketing is the use of infographics to illustrate why a particular vehicle is such an attractive buy. In recent days, the team at West Valley City Utah’s Henry Day Ford brilliantly used an infographic to highlight why the F-150 is the “world’s most popular vehicle.”

If you have ever wondered why Ford has sold more F-150 trucks than any other model, now you’ll know thanks to the visual shared below.

If, on the other hand, you’re not interested in this vehicle but want to know more how how to effectively market a dealership and run a top-notch website for prospective car buyers, check out the masters at work over at Henry Day Ford.

The post Henry Day Ford Lets Infographics Do the Talking appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

“As a result, showroom visits are decreasing, with more consumers comparison-shopping inventory online and only swooping in to buy after their minds are made up,” explains Kamal Tahir, vice president-Client Strategy at Datamyx, in a guest editorial for WardsAuto. “Dealerships no longer can rely on in-store visits to drive sales. They need to have the most powerful online presence wherever dealer or vehicle selection is happening and work far harder to keep customers close throughout the ownership cycle by using every retention-marketing tool possible.”

Remember that marketing is like coffee – your consumers will have a variety of tastes and preferences, and you can’t just brew a single pot of Breakfast Blend and let it sit.

When it comes to advertising and marketing tactics that work best among prospective car buyers, the data shows that a well-designed, responsive website that’s interactive and loaded with information can do more than anything else to engage customers.

One of the biggest misconceptions about automotive marketing, however, is that it’s done most effectively in the digital age by young dealerships. In reality, veteran marketers contend, well-established dealerships tend to have better websites because they know their customers so well and can inform their digital marketing teams of exactly what needs their web presence must address.

An excellent example of a terrific website comes from an equally terrific and well-respected Ford dealer that has been family owned and operated since 1934. West Valley City’s Henry Day Ford is not only one of Utah’s top Ford dealerships, it’s also behind one of the most efficient and attractive dealership websites in the U.S. right now.

Today, car shoppers in Utah say Henry Day Ford’s website is every bit as comfortable and accommodating as the dealership itself has been for the last eighty years.

If you’re website can achieve the same, experts say, you’ll have no worries.

“This avoidance of physical dealerships is in stark contrast with how much online vehicle research is happening: 4 in 5 people now use the Internet for car buying, visiting 10 auto websites in the process,” explains Dr. Mary Sheridan, Manager of Research and Analytics at DMEa. “More people are stealthily comparison-shopping dealerships and inventory online, and then swooping in to buy when their minds are already made up. Dealerships can no longer rely on in-store visits and the old ‘be-backs’ to drive sales: they need to have the most powerful online presence wherever dealer/vehicle selection is happening, and work far harder to keep customers close throughout the ownership cycle, using every retention marketing tool possible, like a constant-connection mobile app.”

The post Modern Automotive Marketing Demands Digital Savvy appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

But Henry Ford and his team have always been innovative marketers, even in what now harkens back to relatively ancient times in the world of advertising.

Fifty years ago, Ford famously sliced and diced a new Mustang convertible and sent it in pieces up an elevator to the top of the Empire State Building before it was reassembled and displayed for the world to see.

Well, what worked one-half century ago may work again. This time around, the venerable automobile maker will adorn the Empire State Building with a 2015 Mustang in celebration of the sweet ride’s 50th anniversary.

For Ford, however, this marks just the latest in a long lineage of marketing brilliance that spans the board room to the dealership. Today, many Ford dealerships – including those that have been around for 80 years – are garnering a reputation for being the most tech-savvy and forward-thinking in the automobile industry.

Family owned and operated since 1934, West Valley City’s Henry Day Ford is one of Utah’s top Ford dealerships. But it’s also one of the most respected for reasons that extend beyond the customer service and satisfaction generations of car shoppers have enjoyed. Their digital marketing and sales prowess are second to none.

As Digital Journal reported earlier this week, customer are given an opportunity to virtually test drive a number of new model vehicles through the Henry Day Ford website, which is fast-becoming a feature that countless dealerships across the U.S. are scrambling to offer.

“Want to check out the 2015 Ford Explorer SUV?” the report asks. “Just a few clicks will take you inside the vehicle for a comprehensive look at the model that provides everything but the new car smell.”

Since the start of 2014, Ford has dazzled the automotive world with more than just its usual far-sighted marketing. It’s penchant for cutting-edge technology has been off the charts in recent months as well.

As MMW reported in January, Ford Motor Company’s AppLink SDK is resonating with developers at a high speed. By that time, more than 1,000 software devs had already signed up for the program that was officially rolled out at this year’s CES.

Despite how new the program is, the incentive for developers to get on board is clearly strong, especially in light of the fact that Sync AppLink services are supported in hundreds of thousands of Ford vehicles like the Ford Expedition, Fusion, F-150, Focus, Mustang, E-Series and more.

“The Ford Developer Program marks a dramatic shift in how we will innovate new features and add value to our vehicles throughout the ownership period,” said Hau Thai-Tang, vice president of Engineering, Ford Global Product Development. “Opening the car to developers gives consumers a direct voice and hand in the creation of apps that can help our products remain relevant, up to date and valuable to our customers.”

It seems like that’s also the goal with Ford’s marketing.

The post Ford Remains a Big Driver of Innovative Automobile Marketing appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.