A look at the objectives of the Ford Motor Company and General Motors and the inherent global and local marketing strategies needed in the new global economy.
This paper discusses how, in today’s ever-competitive global economy, auto manufacturers like the Ford Motor Company and General Motors are continually looking for new and unique opportunities to strategically reduce costs. It looks at how, in the recent past, reducing labor was the methodology of choice and how, today, labor is at a premium, so new approaches are needed. It demonstrates how, by relocating to new markets with cheaper labor, the manufacturers, in a sense, reduce labor costs, but also get the advantage of being more strategically located with partners and eventual consumers. It examines how these changes require new thinking in regard to the marketing strategies needed to sell their products and how corporations like Ford Motor Company and General Motors have found ways to cut costs while helping improve quality for their new and emerging markets.
The circumstance in the automotive industry is that manufacturing automobiles has become a global business. The manufacturers are looking for cheap labor in emerging markets. Companies like Ford Motor Company and General Motors have been forced to move away from the higher priced labor in the United States therefore reducing the cost of importing parts and components. The idea is to build the cars closer to the natural markets which entails emerging markets will be where new cars will be sold in the future. Rapid growth in vehicle ownership is expected in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. (Vehicle Assembly: Industry Information – Trends Shaping the Industry) Ford, for example, has been gradually expanding its manufacturing facilities throughout Asia and mainland China and has made major efforts to attract new suppliers with a just-in-time delivery philosophy.