Ford F-150 The American Icon
Why is the Ford F-150 so successful?
It’s a startling statistic…the Ford F-series has been the #1 best-selling truck in America for FORTY SEVEN consecutive years. Think about that. What product in ANY area has had this kind of success.
What’s behind it and what’s next for #Ford – I caught up with Rob Kaffl, Director of U.S. Sales about the success (entire podcast below). Great insight to one of the toughest product balancing acts in history. Here’s what Rob said about being #1 for so long:
You know, when we think about the leadership, I think it’s easier for Ford sometimes looks at ourselves and pat ourselves on the back. But I think it’s really the customer, the customer base.
So I yeah, I think at times as you get caught up in them and the month to month of just monthly sales, you know, it’s good to talk.
I was four years old when we first took truck leadership over. So if you think about brands that have lasted through, you know, again, the era that I grew up, Sony Walkman, you know, it’s now an iPod. But I think, you know, there are times, you know, we probably underestimate the power and how important F150 is, but it’s obvious we talk about it being our crown jewels at Ford. So 47 straight years it is something we take pride in.
It’s something our dealers expect from us. And I think when you think about the built Ford tough emblem, that’s kind of like the symbol that we strive for each and every day.
There’s obviously something uniquely American about the F-150. We have pickup trucks all over the world, but not like in the USA. The way we identify with them, use them for work, daily driving and more. That’s what makes the F-150 such an amazing balancing act.
Think about products that are on top for an extended period of time:
- The iphone. Who is Apple really competing with other than itself? It’s an interesting dilemma, isn’t it? You’ve got to keep moving forward with innovations while remaining true to your core buyer.
- McDonalds. It’s still about the burger, isn’t it? You can introduce plenty of “one off” items (McRib, Chicken sandwiches, etc) – but at the end of the day you need to have that Big Mac on the menu. Remain on top with a stable product while showing innovation. Tough balancing act.
That’s what makes the F-150 such an interesting (and wonderful) product for me personally and professionally. I spent a couple of weeks driving the 75th anniversary edition F-150 and it was exactly what I wanted from an F-150. Strong. Capable. Comfortable.
Full disclosure: I had a 2002 F-150 FX4 to pull my camper and get around town, and while it was an amazing truck that served me well…it was NOTHING like the new F-150. While retaining it’s truck DNA, Ford has somehow managed to make this a comfortable daily driver that looks amazing and functions in any condition. I was actually looking forward to rain/snow driving it.
This is what makes the F-150 so unique to me. An amazing platform that continues to grow while being true to its roots.
