Ford makes a bold move into videoblogging

It’s a little slick, but you can see Channel 9 influences on Ford’s new videoblog. And comments. What do you think? Would it get me back? Yeah. I like seeing how things are built. By the way, my Ford Focus is still flawless at 30,000 miles. It’s an awesome car. Yeah, Maryam’s BMW is better, but anyone can build a cool car for $45,000. Building a good and reliable car that costs under $20,000 is a LOT harder of an engineering challenge.

Update: I missed this intro video. Good stuff, we never really got into meetings at Microsoft cause we knew they’d never get approved if they were really authentic or people would hold back and change their behavior if they knew cameras were rolling.

I’m dealing with that even on a smaller scale. A friend throws the most amazing dinners. But, they are off-the-record, drink-some-wine-and-really-talk kinds of affairs. Turn on the cameras and will they be as special? Doubt it. But I wanna try.

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42 thoughts on “Ford makes a bold move into videoblogging

  1. I used to be a ford guy until I met my wife and bought a Nissan Sentra, 200 000+km or about 130 487 miles and still going strong, Now that some super engineering 🙂

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  2. I used to be a ford guy until I met my wife and bought a Nissan Sentra, 200 000+km or about 130 487 miles and still going strong, Now that some super engineering 🙂

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  3. You *can* get a BMW for $30k (my 325 was 35k after options, although IIRC Maryam’s in a 5 series). Can’t beat the maintenance plan (no charge for the first 4 years, including oil & brakes), although my particular dealership was real stingy with the loaner cars & my complaints to BMW went unanswered, hence my current Nissan Murano. I also had recurring issues with window actuators and ignition coils going out, which didn’t help matters.
    It drove like a dream, though.

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  4. You *can* get a BMW for $30k (my 325 was 35k after options, although IIRC Maryam’s in a 5 series). Can’t beat the maintenance plan (no charge for the first 4 years, including oil & brakes), although my particular dealership was real stingy with the loaner cars & my complaints to BMW went unanswered, hence my current Nissan Murano. I also had recurring issues with window actuators and ignition coils going out, which didn’t help matters.
    It drove like a dream, though.

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  5. Keith: Maryam’s is a 325i, 2007 model. With everything she got it cost $45,000 out the door, taxes included and all that.

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  6. Keith: Maryam’s is a 325i, 2007 model. With everything she got it cost $45,000 out the door, taxes included and all that.

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  7. Wow, thats the best corporate videoblog I’ve ever seen.

    Pretty impressive. I like that they are giving people the ability to save their videos and they also have the small “blog this” link. Well done Ford web design people!

    JON.
    http://scourist.com : daily travel video

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  8. Wow, thats the best corporate videoblog I’ve ever seen.

    Pretty impressive. I like that they are giving people the ability to save their videos and they also have the small “blog this” link. Well done Ford web design people!

    JON.
    http://scourist.com : daily travel video

    Like

  9. Goebbels: bold? I think taking cameras into meetings could be bold. I need to see more before I call it really bold, though. But the tone behind the site and the first ones are interesting.

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  10. Goebbels: bold? I think taking cameras into meetings could be bold. I need to see more before I call it really bold, though. But the tone behind the site and the first ones are interesting.

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  11. Just remember Friends don’t let Friends drive FORDS. Or is it that FORD stands for Fix Or Repair Daily? There are a lot of jokes about Fords these days and I guess I would have a hard time driving one.

    BTW the largest crowd and perhaps the biggest crowd to get to switch car companies would be the NASCAR crowd who either will never drive a car from another manufacture because they hate the person that drives for Chevy or Dodge or whatever. Or their favorite driver drives a Chevy, or Dodge, or Ford. Sad but true, and a video blog won’t get them to swtich either.

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  12. Just remember Friends don’t let Friends drive FORDS. Or is it that FORD stands for Fix Or Repair Daily? There are a lot of jokes about Fords these days and I guess I would have a hard time driving one.

    BTW the largest crowd and perhaps the biggest crowd to get to switch car companies would be the NASCAR crowd who either will never drive a car from another manufacture because they hate the person that drives for Chevy or Dodge or whatever. Or their favorite driver drives a Chevy, or Dodge, or Ford. Sad but true, and a video blog won’t get them to swtich either.

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  13. Why is it that Ford and GM are the most keen to start blogs and vcasts?

    They should concentrate on their technology first. Are they thinking that they can’t sell cars because of the wrong perception?

    Who cares whether they work hard on their designs or whether they discuss this that and the other during their meetings.

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  14. Why is it that Ford and GM are the most keen to start blogs and vcasts?

    They should concentrate on their technology first. Are they thinking that they can’t sell cars because of the wrong perception?

    Who cares whether they work hard on their designs or whether they discuss this that and the other during their meetings.

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  15. A well – built car for under 20K isn’t an engineering challenge, it’s a materials/cost challenge.

    The Focus has a good price, but charging extra for ABS and the like? Those aren’t luxuries, those are safety features. I’m *far* more impressed with the Honda Fit, that gives you those things standard.

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  16. A well – built car for under 20K isn’t an engineering challenge, it’s a materials/cost challenge.

    The Focus has a good price, but charging extra for ABS and the like? Those aren’t luxuries, those are safety features. I’m *far* more impressed with the Honda Fit, that gives you those things standard.

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  17. Yeah, it’s a bold move for a car company to post a handful of silly blogs rather than… oh, you know… something bold like committing to hybrid technology. Whatever.

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  18. Yeah, it’s a bold move for a car company to post a handful of silly blogs rather than… oh, you know… something bold like committing to hybrid technology. Whatever.

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  19. Well, for the naysayers: Ford and GM started blogs first because they ACTUALLY SPEAK ENGLISH!

    Seriously, both are really hustling to make up their high labor costs. Ford gave away Dell PCs a couple years ago with Focus’s, the Focus is still better handling than most econoboxes, and Consumer Reports put the Focus reliability above Nissan Sentra. This, despite that I think CR skews to foreign cars because of their readership.

    And GM’s quality is already Toyota level. Indisputable after Toyota’s recalls this week.

    Anyway, I’ve driven a friend’s old BMW and it’s night and day. It was an early 90’s 3oo series with 4 cylinder, but the rear wheel drive and stick shift was amazing slick. Like a little rear drive Honda.

    I’m buying a car soon, and the Fit looks cool, but I doubt I’ll go that way because of the extra expense of buying and maintaining a Honda. I got 130k trouble-free miles out of a Dodge Neon, so I’m not exactly eager to pay extra for reliability that costs thousands more than regular maintenance and repairs. Maintenance that I rarely kept up on, too.

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  20. Well, for the naysayers: Ford and GM started blogs first because they ACTUALLY SPEAK ENGLISH!

    Seriously, both are really hustling to make up their high labor costs. Ford gave away Dell PCs a couple years ago with Focus’s, the Focus is still better handling than most econoboxes, and Consumer Reports put the Focus reliability above Nissan Sentra. This, despite that I think CR skews to foreign cars because of their readership.

    And GM’s quality is already Toyota level. Indisputable after Toyota’s recalls this week.

    Anyway, I’ve driven a friend’s old BMW and it’s night and day. It was an early 90’s 3oo series with 4 cylinder, but the rear wheel drive and stick shift was amazing slick. Like a little rear drive Honda.

    I’m buying a car soon, and the Fit looks cool, but I doubt I’ll go that way because of the extra expense of buying and maintaining a Honda. I got 130k trouble-free miles out of a Dodge Neon, so I’m not exactly eager to pay extra for reliability that costs thousands more than regular maintenance and repairs. Maintenance that I rarely kept up on, too.

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  21. I’m gonna have to try to build a new 325 to see how you got to $45,000. Only way I got that high on one was to boost up to a 330, but I didn’t think the extra half-liter was worth the 10k or so it cost to add it on. Seems like for that much, your wife coulda gone all the way and gotten an M3 (although my favorite BMW is the pricey M5) 🙂

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  22. I’m gonna have to try to build a new 325 to see how you got to $45,000. Only way I got that high on one was to boost up to a 330, but I didn’t think the extra half-liter was worth the 10k or so it cost to add it on. Seems like for that much, your wife coulda gone all the way and gotten an M3 (although my favorite BMW is the pricey M5) 🙂

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  23. Amazed that you came across even semi-positive about Ford’s entry into Blogging. Why? Because I had to shut my browser half way through the second video on there because it was so TOTALLY PRODUCED! The giveaways? Just about all of it!

    One of your previous posts challenged readers to find a picture of a REAL person (i.e. not stock photos) on the Nestle web site. I’d challenge you to do the same on this new Ford blog. Love the idea. Just not real enough.

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  24. Amazed that you came across even semi-positive about Ford’s entry into Blogging. Why? Because I had to shut my browser half way through the second video on there because it was so TOTALLY PRODUCED! The giveaways? Just about all of it!

    One of your previous posts challenged readers to find a picture of a REAL person (i.e. not stock photos) on the Nestle web site. I’d challenge you to do the same on this new Ford blog. Love the idea. Just not real enough.

    Like

  25. I don’t know about anyone else but I have been an avid ford user for many years now. Up until recently I have believed Ford has always stood up for their customers. Lets face it we have all seen the Taylor Hicks commercial for Ford. That commercial has officially forced me never to buy Fords quality car ever again. I would rather purchase a 10 speed bike then a Ford just so they know that that commercial has killed their image.

    Of course everyone knows who Taylor Hicks is. Even myself who rarely watched the show knows Ford is a sponsor, but when will it end? The commercial airs back-to-back frequently and I know I’m not the only one out there blogging out against it. PLEASE FORD FOR YOUR IMAGES SAKE STOP THE MADNESS!!

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  26. I don’t know about anyone else but I have been an avid ford user for many years now. Up until recently I have believed Ford has always stood up for their customers. Lets face it we have all seen the Taylor Hicks commercial for Ford. That commercial has officially forced me never to buy Fords quality car ever again. I would rather purchase a 10 speed bike then a Ford just so they know that that commercial has killed their image.

    Of course everyone knows who Taylor Hicks is. Even myself who rarely watched the show knows Ford is a sponsor, but when will it end? The commercial airs back-to-back frequently and I know I’m not the only one out there blogging out against it. PLEASE FORD FOR YOUR IMAGES SAKE STOP THE MADNESS!!

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  27. I never cease to be amazed that you seem so amazed with your Ford’s capabilities. The Focus started out as a European design back in 1998, and I still see 1998-model cars on the roads. My 2001 model has now done 45,000 miles. I’m sure some 1998 cars have done more than 100,000 miles.

    A 1998-model 1.6 litre 5-door hatchback car is worth around £2000 – original manufacturer retail price was a little over £13000. My car – same specification, but three years newer – originally retailed at nearly £12000, but is still probably worth around £3500.

    Reportedly Ford of North America made some engineering changes to the original European design to lengthen the wheelbase, reduce costs and generally make it easier for the Detroit workers to build it. That’s had a knock-on effect on their reliability. Last I looked, Which? magazine (the UK equivalent of Consumer Reports) were reporting Ford’s reliability as being significantly better than VW, Audi, BMW and Mercedes, and better than some Japanese manufacturers, although I recall that Mazda (also owned by Ford) came out a little better than Ford.

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  28. I never cease to be amazed that you seem so amazed with your Ford’s capabilities. The Focus started out as a European design back in 1998, and I still see 1998-model cars on the roads. My 2001 model has now done 45,000 miles. I’m sure some 1998 cars have done more than 100,000 miles.

    A 1998-model 1.6 litre 5-door hatchback car is worth around £2000 – original manufacturer retail price was a little over £13000. My car – same specification, but three years newer – originally retailed at nearly £12000, but is still probably worth around £3500.

    Reportedly Ford of North America made some engineering changes to the original European design to lengthen the wheelbase, reduce costs and generally make it easier for the Detroit workers to build it. That’s had a knock-on effect on their reliability. Last I looked, Which? magazine (the UK equivalent of Consumer Reports) were reporting Ford’s reliability as being significantly better than VW, Audi, BMW and Mercedes, and better than some Japanese manufacturers, although I recall that Mazda (also owned by Ford) came out a little better than Ford.

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  30. The differences are beginning to emerge after the average desk body and a very harmonious, in our view, a modern silhouette touring: fast, with notes sportivnosti and at the same time vmestitelnogo and cozy…

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