Tarifa 1 Project Manager: BMW: Subaru: Ford: Toyota: Professor Ball LLD100WB December 3th, 2018 EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Introduction T

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Tarifa 1 Project Manager: BMW: Subaru: Ford: Toyota: Professor Ball LLD100WB December 3th, 2018 EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Introduction T
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BMW:

Subaru:

Ford:

Toyota:

Professor Ball
LLD100WB
December 3th, 2018

EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW

Introduction

The
purpose of this report is to be able to analyze four companies within the automotive industry and evaluate each company to determine which company meets the best criteria for the following functional categories,
global presence and
cultural accommodation,
marketing/sales,
customer service and
support, and
product communities. The four companies have been chosen due to the popularity and diversity that the company presents to our society,
BMW, Subaru, Ford, and
Toyota. Each one of these brands are famously known within todays society, whether it is a sport luxury enthusiast, a bond between humans and animals, or the patriotic American, and the global familiarity that we all grown to know.

Every day we accumulate about an hours worth of advertisement; and the majority of the time society spends most of their time staring into their mobile devices browsing through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Utilizing these platforms can create both a positive and negative impact depending on the individual or companys intention. Our team has completed research and data analysis to measure the usage and quality of social media platforms used within the given automotive companies utilized.

Function

Global Presence and Cultural Accommodation

In the automotive industry, there are many roles and factors that will inherently play a part on how significant a companys potential will develop over time. Depending on the companys resources and the markets needs, will vary upon the region of the world. In order for an automotive company to succeed, they must recognize the audience members and be able to concurrently understand sociological expectations such as modern-day technology and social media.

Toyota has entered the domestic automotive industry as an underdog compared to its domestic partners as demand for large fleet vehicles was much more common. Currently, Toyota is one of the highest valued automotive companies both domestically and globally. Toyota has created a presence through the use of different forms of advertisement on social media; the slogan Lets go places has created a strong culture presence for Toyota globally. The growth and future outlook for Toyota will only increase as they enter the market with different forms of advertising based on their social status, reflecting what content is placed upon social media. They have accommodated the needs of many countries and we have come to conclude that Toyota has globally accommodated the demands and needs of their consumers through social media presence.

Marketing and Sales

Effective use of marketing is by far one of the most important tools that the automotive industry can use. This determines the difference between good and great. Companies that are successful marketers are able to understand and relate their mission based on the consumers needs. Emphasizing advertisement campaigns through social media flourishes the consumers decision from the monotony that they are exposed to on a daily basis. To be able to peak an interest in society, environment, and the world increases the capacity of sales distribution and exposure of that company.

Share the love has stuck many hearts not only Subaru owners, but many citizens who have seen or viewed a Subaru commercial. Subaru capitalized upon its market by familiarizing its audience by being environmentally friendly as well as family oriented. It all began with Subarus all-wheel drive operation capabilities which allowed many outdoor enthusiasts to maneuver mother natures terrains. Subaru focuses their marketing through social media by utilizing hashtags and their social presence. They are able to use the love and enthusiasm of its customers and capitalize upon that through its social media platforms, which gains the advantage and chosen as the winner for marketing and sales.

Customer Service and Support

The breadth of consumers rely heavily upon customer support as automobiles are designed to best the previous generations. However, in order to ensure safety all automobile manufacturers guarantee a factory warranty and offer extended warranty after the factory warranty is exhausted. Each dealership vary on mileage and length of what portions of the vehicle is covered. The beauty of the United States is that we are a business focused country, focusing on lifetime customers, positive feedback, and innovation. With the combination of technology in our hands, the automotive industry is able to keep up with todays high demand. Customers are able to readily access customer service and support through a myriad of options, calling a customer service representative or local dealership, mailing directly to the company, emailing, and some companies offer assistance through the use of social media.

Ford has grown their community customer service base over the few decades as they are one of the first domestic companies that began here in the United States. With the ever-growing social media, Ford has taken advantage of this opportunity and is one of the few companies that offers customer support 24 hours a day, seven days of the week. Ford has also mentioned, Ford is now responding to an average of 2,000 people weekly via social media and the interactions have continued to rise from a year ago (Halliday, n.d.). Many of the other automotive companies focus responding through contacting them via email, phone, and online customer service. With the advantageous position of being able to contact its customer base through social media, and able to contact them through Ford 24/7, ranks Ford as the best outlook for customer service and support.

Product Communities

Growth within todays society allows access in many forms. Social media platforms such as YouTube grants users the ability to creatively make a video from scratch and popularize it. This also allows the community to be able to comment on their own opinion or feedback, acting as a form of endless networking. There are many entrepreneurs who want to earn their respective peers loyalty by enabling the audience members to watch these entrepreneurs to rate or review on their honest opinion about product A, B, or C. However, not limited to products, videos could be utilized to speak about an individuals experience within the company. Many automotive enthusiasts or concerned individuals search in the midst of a specific forum, where individuals are allowed to speak freely about their opinion or feedback. Within the automotive industry, there are a myriad of forums to choose from. One way of identifying a companys community is to examine the number of forum members within the website.

Both Subaru & BMW has created a large reputation within the automotive community and social media. Many vehicle enthusiasts spend their time browsing social media platforms through Instagram and Facebook, as well as vehicle specific car community forums, and attending various car meeting events. Out of 125,000 BMW owners, 40 percent of them are a part of international BMW club (BMWUSA). Subarus all-wheel drive community gains their outdoor enthusiast attention through the myriad of hashtags on social media, which is easily searchable. Ranking both BMW and Subaru as a tie upon product communities.

Summary

Overall, the automotive industry has a variety of choices within the market readily for a consumer to decide on what brand and preference they prefer. By recognizing each companys unique diversity and what they stand for, we are able to analyze the correlation between consumer and the market. Our team has concluded upon who has achieved the highest accommodation for all four functional categories, Subaru has climbed up the ranks of the automotive industry and is currently the most desired company. With Subarus global presence arising through their Love Promise envisioning of respecting all living creatures is an attractive trait for Subaru. The company does not just state what they believe in, but they also contribute and creatively fulfill that promise by being Americas first Zero-Landfill automobile company, collecting waste and in turn, becomes recycled or reused. Subarus advertising is quite subtle and ensures the focus around branding. The company encourages their customers to use social medias hashtag to build the Love Promise that Subaru has envisioned. For example, Subaru invites owners to #FurryFanFriday to have customers take photos of themselves with their pet. This tactic promotes sales and builds a community, to which has grown exponentially over the past two decades. Many of their advertisement through social media contains a form of a message, whether it is a family of dogs inside the car or the parents of a student who sets out to college with the same Subaru model that the parents grew up with. Subaru understands the audience and loves their customers and treats them as family.

Background

Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) is a German international company which currently manufactures luxury automobiles. BMW is a 102-year-old company. In 1917, the organization founded, and its offices are in Munich, Bavaria. In 1928, BMW’s started production of automobiles when the company purchased the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach car company. In 1953, BMWs built its first automobile large sedan which seated up to six people. It was power by the six-cylinder engine used in the BMW cars. Throughout the 1950s, BMW developed their design series with coupes, sedans, sports cars and convertibles. In 1918, the round blue and white BMW logo was created and is the colors of the flag of Bavaria which still used today.

Functions

Global Presence and Culture Accommodation

BMW is a worldwide company and is the worlds leading first-class manufacturer of automobiles which provides superior financial and innovative mobility services. In 1959, BMW restructured and became independently operated. With over 100 projects worldwide BMW is committed to unrestricted freedom of creativity and innovation. In the beginning, as a luxury car, the BMW was not a business success, but later in the years, it renovated the BMWs status as a company of high-quality automobiles. The economic success of the company based on social sustainability throughout the significance chain: at the local, national and international level. BMW sells their cars to global consumers through the internet on their website. On BMWs website, on the bottom right side, there is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Google. Consumers can click on the icons for more information as well the ability to contact them. BMW deserves 5 out of 5 points in the global presence and culture accommodation. The reason for this excellent rating because they stay current on their website and at the bottom of the website are links to five social media sites.

Marketing/Sales

In the marketing and sales, BMW expands its marketing geographically. BMW provide finance for the companys sales and the dealerships. The company set the foundation for the growing finance and leasing business, which is a critical part of the companys success. In 2014, the German automobile company BMW dedicated their presence on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. However, BMW approached social media by creating a short video of two BMW cars kissing that went up on Instagram. It was a success and got 70,000 heart likes. The BMW marketing team also adopt hashtags in its branding. BMW online marketers pushed for more social media funds with digital technologies which the executives agreed (Cole, 2014). BMW ads and campaigns are the acknowledgment to social, financial, environmental and aggressive changes. The branding base on technology, quality, performance, and exclusivity. BMW sponsors many BMW websites. For example, BMW Magazine, BMW Motorsport, BMW Driving Experience and many more. BMW targets the market of the Generation X and Dot comers. They advertise through television commercials, internet, social media, magazines, event sponsorships, and mobile marketing. It earns BMW a 5 out of 5 rating for the marketing and sales aspect. They have an excellent strategy for using social media as part of their advertising and the brilliance on BMWs homepage for selling cars, promoting other BMW websites, and advertising new automobiles.

Customer Service and Support

For customer service and support, BMW provides customer assistance by email and phone. There are four ways to reach BMW: phone, email, web and write a letter. The BMW customers service department is open 24 hours, seven days, for faster response you can call and talk a live person or email is more convenient for customer assistance help. There are alternative methods upon contacting BMW support, which is through their website. BMW applies the fundamentals of first come, first serve basis when a customer reaches through email. BMW recommends not using customer support through a Facebook Business Page or on Messenger. BMW does not have a Facebook Business Page that is operated by their customer service department; but, there are other ways to get help. If you are trying to get an issue fixed or ask them a question, the best way is to contact their advice calling system. BMW deserves 4 out of 5 scores of the customer service and support aspect. The customers’ service department is open 24 hours, seven days and with four ways option of reaching BMW: phone, email, web and write a letter. BMW lost a point because it did not have the tools to communication through Facebook or the other social media sites.

Product Communities

For product communities, BMWs Facebook has over 20 million followers, and likes and Instagram has over 18 million follows. BMW customers are very devoted to the car and the company. They have one of the most passionate and loyal followings around the world. BMW as its own official BMW club. The following clubs officially recognized by BMW of North America and BMW Group International. There are over 135,000 BMW cars owners in the U.S. and 50 percent of the international BMW club membership. BMW recommended fan club website and forums. For the consumer opinions, personal reviews, and topic conversation with compatible minds of BMW followers, these sites are a great place to start interacting with followers like you. Note that the content on the sites is not sponsored, by BMW of North America or BMW Group International. (A community of Enthusiasts, n.d.). BMW deserves 5 out of 5 scores of the product communities aspect because they are very devoted to their fans.

Background

Subaru is a Japanese auto manufacturer established on July 7, 1953 and is the leading AWD, safety, and performance auto manufacturer in the United States. Subaru derived its roots as an aircraft manufacturer, being a successor of Fuji Heavy Industries. The word Subaru comes from the Japanese name for the constellation known in the Western world as Taurus. The constellations cluster of stars represented the five companies that merged in 1953 to form FHI. The first Subaru car was introduced in 1955 and was a 1.5-liter compact car with 55hp. Throughout its 50-year lifespan, Subaru has introduced and maintained a variety of AWD sedans, wagons, sport-wagons, coupes, sport-sedans, SUVs, and more. Subaru cars are known for their use of a boxer engine layout, which is the standard for their automobiles.

Functions

Global Presence and Culture Accommodation

Subarus was the twenty-second largest automaker by production worldwide in 2012 with their automobiles being offered worldwide. Subaru believes in making the world a better place and the Subaru Love Promise is their vision of respecting all people. It is their promise to show love and respect to their customers and to work to make a positive impact on the world. Subaru aims to show the Love Promise as far as possible, so they do this by working with a diverse range of organizations. Subaru shows their love for the Earth by being Americas first Zero-Landfill automaker, with all waste recycled or reused. To Subaru, loving the environment means working to preserve it. Subaru shows their love for care by believing everyone should have the chance to lead a healthy life. They aim to give that healthy life to as many people as they can. Subaru believes a perfect world is possible with hunger being history and hope as commonplace. Through social media platforms, Subaru owners are able to interact with Subaru through their electronic devices. Whether it be through their computer, smartphone, tablet, or television, Subaru provides multiple mediums to connect digitally with their fan base and customer base. On their Instagram page, Subaru shares with their followers how they can partner up with different societies such as The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to provide blankets and arts & crafts kits to hospitals, treatment centers, and communities. Through posts like these, Subaru spreads the #SubaruLovesToCare hashtag. Not only does Subaru have an Instagram page for the United States, they also have pages for many other countries. Such as Turkey, Spain, Guatemala, Canada, United Kingdom, and more. Subaru also has numerous YouTube channels for different areas around the world, such as Australia and Canada. These strategies are highly effective because they get a strong engagement out of their consumers and followers. Because Subaru is able to accommodate their social media marketing for many different cultures around the world, we believe Subaru does a excellent job as a global presence and deserves a 5 out of 5 rating.

Marketing/Sales

Throughout Subarus social media platforms, they keep a consistent marketing image of providing automobiles to provide for families and sportscar enthusiasts. By posting videos and photos of families with their Subaru, viewers can get an idea that Subaru vehicles are a great option for their future or current family car. Subaru also interacts with their followers by inviting them to share a photo of their children behind a Subaru wheel. As Subaru owners post these pictures and use the hashtag #FutureFanPhotoFriday, Subaru is able to connect with their customers on a personal level and Subaru owners are able to build a stronger relationship with the cars brand. Subaru also does a #FurryFanFriday by inviting Subaru owners to post photos of their pets with their cars. As owners of Subaru are able to share photos with their pets with their cars, Subaru builds a heartwarming connection with their consumers. Subaru consistently invites Subaru owners to share the details and experiences with their cars through social media. To market for different countries on their pages, Subaru posts pictures of more specific cultures of people to cater to that country. Subarus marketing strategies influences followers and viewers to consider purchasing a Subaru for all of their commute and personal needs. In terms of marketing to sports car enthusiasts, Subaru does a great job at showcasing images online that bring the best out of their vehicles. Subaru provides a friendly, caring, outdoor, reliable, family-oriented, and car-enthusiast brand image, therefore we believe they deserve a 5 out of 5 rating.

Customer Service and Support

Subaru is dedicated to providing their customer with exceptional service. It starts in many of their stores, as customers rave about being treated much better than they would have expected. They believe in building lifelong relationships with their customers by earning their trust and exceeding their expectations by providing customer service with integrity and compassion. Subaru has received multiple Customer & Community Commitment awards through excellence in all areas of customer-focused performance and go the extra mile to make everyone feel welcome. Love is what makes Subaru a Subaru. On Subarus United States website under customer support, they mention that your local authorized Subaru retailer is the first stop for any questions or concerns. Their hours of operation through phone are Monday to Thursday from 7:30 A.M. to 8:00 P.M., Friday from 10:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Saturday 9:00 A.M to 3:30 P.M., and Sundays are closed. On their Facebook Page, Subaru of America also is able to be reached through direct message 24 hours a day. However, any concerns with a Subaru vehicle is to be directed toward a local authorized Subaru retailer and not on Facebook. Subaru also provides roadside assistance through telephone that can be found on their website. In conclusion, Subaru really cares about their customers and go the extra mile to provide them the best service. However, since they are not able to be reached by telephone 24 hours a day, there is one flaw. Therefore, Subaru deserves a 4 out of 5 rating for Customer Service and Support.

Product Communities

Those who are loyal fans to Subaru fully immerse themselves into the car brand. Their famous sportscar model, the WRX, has a very large and exclusive following. For a majority of their Instagram and YouTube posts, Subaru receives a much higher amount of likes when showcasing the WRX. Not only is the WRX a sedan that with sufficient amount of space for a family, it is also a very practical car with a sports car aesthetic. For their two most popular car models, the WRX and Forester, owners also have their own communities online which shows their loyalty to the brand. Each year, an annual event is held in California for Subaru lovers all across the United States to gather enthusiasts and Subaru-centric companies. This event is known as Subiefest and is run by a community of Subaru lovers. There are also numerous Subaru community forums and group pages on Facebook where loyal fans are able to connect with one another and buy, sell, or trade Subarus. As another way for the Subaru community to connect through their Instagram and Facebook pages, Subaru posts photos asking a question to interact with their followers such as, what the name of their Subaru is. This creates discussion and community among owners which fosters an even closer relationship with the car brand. All in all, Subaru has many loyal and tight-knit communities across the globe dedicated to appreciating Subaru vehicles. To conclude,we give Subaru a 5 out 5 rating for their product communities.

Background

Ford Motor Company is one of the faces of the American automotive industry. Ford was founded by Henry Ford on June 16th, 1903 and is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. The company markets vehicles for both consumer vehicles as well as commercial automobiles as well. Ford also has a branch company for luxury automobile enthusiast called Lincoln. Ford is widely known for the implemented technique of the assembly line, and by the year of 1914 these tactics were known as Fordism. Ford went public in 1956 and was close to bankruptcy in the beginning of the century but Ford has rebounded to prevent default for the company. As for the iconic blue Ford logo it was originally enlisted in 1909 by Childe Harold Wills but it was first added to the 1927 Model A.

Functions

Global Presence and Culture Accommodation

Ford Motor Company is the 2nd leading American automotive company. Ford has a great cultural impact with regards to their company policies. At, Ford, we go further to make our cars better, our employees happier and our planet a better place to be. Ford is also the fifth biggest company in the global market for automotive which requires a ton of production as well as innovation to meet the needs of the diverse global cultures. Ford must keep up with current trends outside of the automotive specifics including the biggest tool in recent years which is Social Media. Ford has thumbnailed tabs for social platforms upon their website as icons. As for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram being the biggest tools for them in terms of global presence. In terms of rating, we have concluded that Ford motor company would be given a rating of 3 out of 5. Ford has created a very Patriotic consumer attitude. This may have caused an effect for the future outlook for the company and to its relative competitors to be seen as disadvantageous. The exclusive appeal within the United States may be unique but creates a lack of diversity if Ford vehicles are exported outside the United States, limiting manufacturer and consumer needs.

Marketing and Sales

As stated through the global section of focuses, Ford seems to focus a lot on the American Patriotic branding and it has worked for them. They use positioning to aid in this, Ford motors use value-based positioning strategy to create emotional and inspirational touch with the customers. In recent news, the Warriors basketball game was live, and the sportscaster had announced a Ford Warriors play of the game, which is a highlight by the Warriors Forward, Kevin Durant. Most importantly, this was televised as they are advertising in numerous marketing campaigns and viewers. Ford has a unique Instagram account as stated, I think what I enjoy most about Fords Instagram channel is the fact that the content isnt repeated anywhere else. If you want to see cool images of Fords cars from its entire history, you have to follow this channel. On Fords, Twitter page there was a segment of Ford celebrating 10 million Mustangs made and consumers would reply with pictures of their car and would express their love for their Mustang. Fords official Twitter page replied to the fans and consumers, which expressed good customer relations utilizing social media to their advantage. As Ford Motor Company demonstrates their marketing tactics, we have given a 3.5 out of 5 rating. Given that Ford commercializes their product exclusively without the high demands of a diverse community; many communities and diverse backgrounds may not be exposed as they focus within the sports demographics.

Customer Service and Support

Ford is very diverse with their customer support services. They can be contacted through the phone, email, live chat, but most importantly social media. They have 24/7 self-help that consumers can utilize for their Ford questions and concerns. Ford has seen a growth in social media customer service, as stated, Ford is now responding to an average of 2,000 people weekly via social media and the interactions have continued to rise from a year ago (Halliday, J). Ford overall has a high satisfaction with their customer service and the implementation of social media to aid to this process was a great attribution. Ford is credited with a 5 out of 5 rating for the customer service and support category.

Product Communities

Long established, Ford automobile owners have enveloped a patriotism for their vehicles, a love and desire for their pride as Americans. They enjoy the pleasures that it brings to them, they admire, and they usually have a love for American muscle cars. For instance, the community of Ford owners can be looked at on their social media pages in the comments section. After scrolling through, we found a couple examples, I bleed BLUE! Proud to have just retired (Love my 96 F150 and my new explorer too) (Marlenesmith63). Also, a statement from the President of Ford Motor Company Fund states, Our mission to strengthen communities and help makes peoples lives better. Ford is given a 4 out of 5 rating for their presence within the car and truck enthusiast scene. Examining vintage car events, muscle car meetings, and the Baja 1000, many of Fords lifelong community is classic car owners or outdoor enthusiasts.

Background

Toyota Motor Corporation is the Japanese parent company of the Toyota Group, the biggest conglomerate in Japan. As of September 2018, it was the sixth-largest company in the world by revenue and the world’s second-largest automotive manufacturer in 2017. Toyota owns nearly 600 subsidiary companies, which are diversified in many fields such as automobiles production, automobile parts production, as well as commercial and industrial vehicles production. The company started in 1933 and for several decades it has been Japans largest automobile manufacturer. The company has also prospered in the American market with a reputation for its low-cost, fuel-efficient, and reliable vehicles. In the 21st century, the company experienced significant growth with innovations such as its luxury brand, Lexus (1989), and the first mass-produced hybrid-powered vehicle in the world, the Prius (1997) (britannica.com).

Function

Global Presence and cultural accommodation

Since 1957, Toyota has expanded the scope of automobile sales on a global scale. For over fifty years, Toyota vehicles have reached over 170 countries all over the world with 51 bases in 26 different regions. Toyota also has design and R&D bases in nine locations overseas, showing that “from development and design to production, as well as sales and service, Toyota has now achieved consistent globalization and localization” (toyota-global.com).

Most impressed of all in Toyotas global conquest is the companys achievement in utilizing social media to reinforce the brand image to customers. Toyota global site is nothing but astonishing. The design is clear and professional. The content is rich with Toyotas many aspects of operation. All are presented on a user-friendly platform. The site even has its own social media page which provides links to four major social sites that Toyota is utilizing YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Google plus. On YouTube channels alone, Toyota has around 400,000 subscribers and provides various contents about product information, cultural events Toyota sponsors as well as commercial videos. On Twitter, Toyota is doing okay with 159,000 followers. But both pale in comparison to the company official Facebook page with over 4,000,000 likes and follows as of today. And the company has grown to this from a number of 71,600 likes only in 2010. For these achievements, we believe Toyota has earned a solid 5 out of 5 for its global presence uptake in social media.

Marketing/Sales

During the recall incident in 2010, when Toyotas vehicles were discovered having faulty accelerator pedals, the company finally decided to step up the game with social media. The marketer has been faulted for communicating too little and too late in traditional media, but it’s gone all out when it comes to Twitter, Facebook, blogs and other social-media channels (Michael, 2010).

To create contents, Toyota used to launch a campaign which featured 15 second videos. These short productions were first posted on Instagram then pushed through Facebook ads. The costs are low, yet the videos reached target market. Moreover, the videos created a positive sentiment toward the brand. Customers can also share them through Vine or Snapchat, which further increases engagement. Aside from sharing images and videos through its Facebook pages, Toyota frequently get fans to join in the brand establishing process by asking for their opinions on this channel. This way, customers can express themselves while also providing data that otherwise would not have been available (Helene, 2014). We have agreed that Toyotas marketing strategy using social media is well-exercised for 5 out of 5.

Customer Service and Support

Toyota participates in many activities on social media, from offering prizes through Facebook and YouTube, to engaging with people on Twitter and seeing to everything from public relations to customer service. To foster a positive relation with the public, Toyota has staff trained in social media and lets them converse directly with customers. During social media department meetings, Toyota gathers several other departments idea and decides its social media content with any good ideas from the participants. On the Toyota Social Media Marketing Facebook page, which was created for dealers and their employees as well as suppliers, the companys strategies and insights are issued publicly. Toyota car owners and fans can also access this page that connects Toyota Social Networks and Online Communities. This access goes a long way toward giving the impression of transparency, a feature that is now almost required due to changing customer expectations. As an added bonus, the strategy increas

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