Ford recently launched its "box on wheels" crossover the Flex, but sales have fallen short of expectations.Of course much of the blame for the slow sales can be blamed on the horrible economy, but Ford also feels that its current marketing for the Flex has failed to spark any interest in the vehicle. Ford Motor Co.'s new sales and marketing chief, Jim Farley devised an unorthodox marketing campaign for the new Flex, but Ford execs feel a more mainstream approach would work better.
Sales of the Flex have been averaging a very low 2,000 per month, which if this trend continues will only amount to 24,000 units. Ford originally planned on selling 100,000 units per year.
According to analyst Jim Hossack of AutoPacific Inc. in Tustin, Calif., "The market is part of it, but it's more than the market," he said. "There is a problem. The amount of marketing is part of it -- there's too little of it -- and the execution is part of it."
Farley defended his ads by claiming that the Flex is winning over converts from other brands at a higher rate than Ford expected.
