Ford Is Making Merchandise Moves as It Looks to Expand Into Lifestyle Brand

Ford, following in the footsteps of Ferrari, is increasing its non-automotive merchandise in an effort to create a wider ranging brand.

The company just hired Alexandra Ford English, daughter of Ford executive chair Bill Ford and great-great granddaughter of Henry Ford, to the newly-created position of global brand merchandising director.

Click here to read the story at magazine.promomarketing.com.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is a brand?
2. What is a lifestyle brand?
3. What is positioning?
4. Why do you think Ford is positioning itself as a lifestyle brand?
5. Do you think this is an effective positioning strategy for Ford? Why or why not?
6. Why do you think Ford is expanding its merchandise sales operation?
7. How might selling merchandise help Ford from a branding perspective?
8. What are industry trends?
9. Why do you think so many brands are releasing merchandise?
10. What is customer service?
11. Based on information from this story, how did Ford use its merchandising platform from a customer service perspective?