LAS VEGAS -- Ford Motor Co. this year will double the amount of money available in a co-op pool that dealers can spend on advertising as part of an effort to better communicate with the public.
The automaker told dealers at its annual make meeting at the 2018 NADA Show that, by June, they will have roughly $270 million available annually in their advertising co-op, up from about $135 million today. Ford uses the co-op money to reimburse dealers for digital and print advertising that meet certain criteria.
Dealerships receive varying amounts of money back per year, depending on sales volumes.
"Dealer council has been working on a way to try and get more money back so dealers have an opportunity to spend more money on the message," Tim Hovik, a member of the Ford National Dealer Council and owner of San Tan Ford in Glibert, Ariz., told Automotive News.
Dealers also learned the company would update the private website it uses to communicate with them. The site has been known to be slow.
"There was a serious commitment to make communication better," Todd Dyer, president of the Ford dealer council, said after the meeting.
In addition to the extra advertising cash and updated website, Ford management discussed the product strategy unveiled last week in Dearborn, Mich. Dealers were shown the Mustang GT500, an unnamed small off-road SUV, and the next-generation Escape and Explorer -- all expected in showrooms in the next two years.
Ford has said that it will trim its car lineup, but management offered no specifics Saturday. Ford executives told dealers that their 70-day supply on cars is too high, but did not offer a lower target, according to multiple dealers in the room.
During the question-and-answer session, dealers pressed Ford on availability of parts to fix recalled vehicles, specifically Takata airbags and faulty steering wheels on Fusion and MKZ sedans that can loosen or detach. Dealers were told that roughly 20,000 parts are available to fix the steering wheels -- with more coming -- although the recall covers about 1.4 million cars.
Dealers were also told of a companywide initiative to recruit and train more mechanics, but few specifics were given.
"It was very, very upbeat," Jim Seavitt, owner of Village Ford in Dearborn, said. "It was nice to see them talk about product. I think the dealers were ready for that."
You can reach Michael Martinez at mdmartinez@crain.com -- Follow Michael on Twitter: @MikeMartinez_AN
