Ford’s newest car site lets buyers purchase online—almost
A web site and interactive marketing program that Ford Motor Co. is launching to spur sales of its new hybrid compact sport utility vehicle takes car buyers close to making an entirely online purchase, but not all the way.
Ford, which is working with the Sierra Club, to promote the Mercury Mariner Hybrid, a new hybrid vehicle that the company is aiming at environmentally conscious car buyers, has a new web site, www.marinerhybrid.com, that lets customers research the new hybrid SUV, pre-select vehicle options, then locate a Lincoln Mercury dealer. To make the vehicle sales and selection process more interactive, shoppers will work online with a Ford call center employee or what the company is calling “personal sales consultants.”
The sales process will begin with customers logging onto marinerhybrid.com and choosing a certified Mercury hybrid dealer in their area. The personal sales consultant will obtain a price quote from the dealer and provide the quote to the customer, all the while being available to answer questions about the vehicle’s features, key benefits, and pricing. The consultant will then stay in touch with the customer throughout the sales process from the time the quote is requested until the vehicle is delivered.
Car buyers will not be able to make an online down payment or complete an e-commerce transaction when they purchase the new SUV. But by assisting car buyers with online support through much of the transaction, Ford believes it is using the web to proactively market to U.S. car buyers and drive sales to its dealers.
“We are taking a very non-traditional approach to marketing the Mercury Mariner Hybrid because our target customers are very progressive,” says Al Giombetti, president, Lincoln Mercury division of Ford. “The Mercury Mariner Hybrid’s target customers are looking for distinctive design, the versatility of a sport-utility vehicle and advanced technology that is capable of bettering both their lives and the environment. Moreover, they are tech-savvy: Our research indicates that more than 80% of Mercury shoppers begin their shopping experience online.”
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