The “Your Ideas” initiative will invite customers to enter the special dedicated section of The Ford Story website and submit, share and suggest ideas and technologies they think would benefit the automotive world.
“The Ford Story has connected with customers because it’s a place where Ford is sharing its successes and challenges in a more open and transparent way,” Mark Fields, Ford president, The Americas, said in a release. “We now see it as a platform to further the conversation driving innovative ideas, just as we engage others outside of the automotive sector, such as university students for research, suppliers for their expertise, and other industry leaders.”
The pilot session of “Your Ideas” gives consumers the ability to participate in a community-based setting, where ideas that are the most appreciated by viewers will be reviewed by Ford’s Advanced Product Planning and Marketing teams.
“Ford continues to innovate when it comes to engaging consumers in what’s next for Ford cars and trucks,” said Joe Pierucci, Ford’s Manager of Global Advanced Product Strategy. “We are enhancing traditional consumer market research, studies and focus groups by turning to the social Web as an innovative way of generating new vehicle feature ideas.”
Ford is therefore looking to engage consumers in its future development projects, that already feature partnerships with several social media, software developers and technology companies.
“We no longer believe that any one company or industry has a monopoly on good ideas; and embrace the fact that every good idea for our customers doesn’t have to start with us,” concluded Gerhard Schmidt, Ford chief technical officer and vice president, Research and Advanced Engineering.
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