Ford Drives Global Branding
Through Infoimaging
The Ford Division of Ford Motor Company has implemented infoimaging
technologies to manage its brand, adapt its marketing campaigns to new
channels, and streamline its design and production processes.
Historically, individuals throughout Ford’s vast network of 50
advertising agencies were unable to find the correct or approved
images for a given situation in the literally hundreds of possible
storage locations. Until two years ago Ford used Zip disks and CDs
exclusively for image storage.
Individuals would
follow the
path of least resistance, either 1) re-shoot the vehicle
professionally; 2) shoot a similar vehicle; or 3) scan an image from a
magazine ad. All three ad hoc solutions result in “brand
deterioration,” a loss of control over the company brand.
Ford Division sought a
solution to provide controlled access to a central repository of brand
assets, ensuring that all were working with the most current brand
approved imagery. They selected a solution that combines digital asset
management system with a full-featured image server by MediaBin.
The solution centralized assets, which has delivered the sought-after
brand control, and also encouraged collaboration among internal groups
and with service vendors. Benefits from cross-media publishing,
production efficiencies, and cost savings have proven to be dramatic.
In fact repurposing assets - primarily print to Web - is now viewed as
the most important application for the system by extending the use of
images for enhanced visual communication.
Ford Division has
found that the solution unexpectedly generates new revenue. The 50 ad
agency partners are authorized to use MediaBin. Ford is charging
internal departments (which contract the agencies) for access to the
system, which makes the system “self-funding.” There are also many
examples of expense reduction —the elimination of just one activity —
re-shoots — has saved Ford more than a million dollars a year that are
made possible by this infoimaging infrastructure solution.
"Working with close
to 50 ad agencies on multiple vehicle lines, we needed a solution to
help store, organize, locate, and repurpose thousands of costly
digital images. MediaBin's Digital Asset Management (DAM) system was a
natural fit for the Ford Division. Now in its third full year of
production, this solution has saved the Ford Division over $1.8
million per year through productivity gains, asset repurposing,
tighter brand control, elimination of CD-ROM creation, Web-based ad
agency self-service, and better search/retrieval. We see the current
system as just the beginning of a continuously evolving business
process." said Steve Lyons, President, Ford Division.
Photographed by Troy Wood under the direction of Latcha & Associates
for Ford Division. Blue Mach One
Mustang photo was shot by Ken Stidwill from Acme Photography in
Highland Park for Ford Motor Company.
