Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Consumer's Eye

Ford tries to lure women to Fusion

Automaker hopes cosmetics tie-in and test drives will help to sell the new sedan.

By Anita Lienert / Special to The Detroit News

Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

The average woman has recommended six products to her friends and family in the past month, a statistic that Ford Motor Co. says it's keenly aware of as it prepares to launch the 2006 Ford Fusion sedan, the successor to the Ford Taurus.

"If you can get women to experience something, they are more likely to talk about it," said Jyarland Daniels Jones, 31, market launch manager for Fusion.

Jones says a key part of the Fusion launch will be a two-pronged effort aimed at women, including special Fusion test drives and a new relationship that the automaker is finalizing with Sephora, the innovative French cosmetics retailer.

Although Jones says she cannot yet give details about how the marketing relationship with Sephora will work, she says it was inspired by the recent success of pairing the Ford Mustang with OPI nail polish.

OPI created Mustang-influenced colors, including "Gone Platinum in 60 Seconds" and "You Make Me Vroom," in a spring campaign timed to the launch of the new Mustang convertible.

"That relationship showed us you can market to women without making men hesitant about the product," Jones said. "The Mustang is not a chick car. What we learned from OPI is that it's OK to talk to women and not alienate men."

Sephora appeals to the female audience that Fusion is trying to reach -- 25- to 39-year-olds who are into "cheap chic." Jones says they shop for products that "have great quality, look good and are affordable."

Sephora, which made its U.S. debut in 1998, revolutionized the way women shop for cosmetics by displaying products on open shelves in big stores where customers can help themselves. That was a huge shift away from how high-end cosmetics were traditionally sold, mostly behind glass cases in upscale department stores.

Jones, who says she shops at Sephora, is also a fan of Neutrogena, a drugstore brand that promotes the fact that it is recommended by dermatologists, and MAC cosmetics, which is known for targeting professional makeup artists. Sounds like it wouldn't be a surprise if there were some kind of MAC or Neutrogena connection in Fusion's future, either.

You can reach Anita Lienert at Conseye@aol.com.