As for those consumers, Gaunt claims that having fewer models to pick from is a good thing. "For our customers, this is a clear step forward, eliminating the confusion they've faced for years, seeing so many common products at supposedly 'differentiated' Ford and Mercury dealerships. This move brings simplicity, and brand clarity, for our customers."
Ford and its dealers will also be able to concentrate their marketing budgets on fewer models, so that could indeed allow Gaunt to grow the sales volume side of her company's business.But it's the other side of the company's business that excites Gaunt, as she follows Detroit-dictated policy to get the company into more of the businesses associated with the auto industry.
This move into the "Growth Zone," as Gaunt calls it, is not a reach for profit gravy, it's a step toward survival. "Given all the pressures on profit margins today," she says, "neither we nor our dealers can depend on new car and truck sales alone to carry us forward."
Gaunt believes there are "all kinds of opportunities to grow our business along what we call the 'automotive value chain'," which will "also appeal to our time-pressed customers, who want one-stop shopping experiences -- with people they trust."
Like Ford marketing divisions everywhere, Gaunt and Ford of Canada are "pursuing a number of growth opportunities."