Ford's Blue Oval, other corporate symbols ad value ... · Think of the logos in your own life ......
3
CLASSIFIEDS: CARS JOBS HOMES APARTMENTS CLASSIFIEDS SHOPPING E-CIRCULARS DAILY DEALS ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE Sign up Log in MORE: Detroit Self-Portrait e-Edition MitchAlbom.com DealChicken Find what you are looking for ... SEARCH ADVERTISEMENT News Sports Autos/Biz Classifieds Entertainment Life Opinion Obits Help 6:33 PM, May 23, 2012 | A A The smiley faces at Ford are oval-shaped. Now that its credit rating has been raised, the car company has its iconic Blue Oval back – and with it the symbol of its rich automotive heritage and quality product. That could be – in the parlance of another quintessential American brand, MasterCard – priceless. “It would not be the same company without that logo. Anytime you see that logo, it cues up everything you think about Ford. When you see an advertisement, it makes it that much more valuable,” said Mike Levens, an assistant professor of marketing at Walsh College, who called it one of the automakers “intangible assets.” But that mental association is key. “The value of the total brand is determined by comparing how a product or service would sell without the brand,” explained branding expert Alvin Schechter, chairman of the New York branding firm Janine Gordon Associates. “A bottle of brown soda versus Coca Cola.” Think of the logos in your own life – from the Golden Arches (McDonald’s), the cornucopia of fruit (Fruit of the Loom) and the striped globe (AT&T) to the quintet of circles (Olympics), the bitten apple (Apple) and the four-colored waving flag (Microsoft). “In our minds, the entire concept of the name and the logo is the corporation. It’s the brand of the corporation,” said James Gregory, CEO of CoreBrand, a New York-based brand-strategy firm. “We value those things all the time. It can be worth 100s of millions of dollars. Trademark and licensing was a $25.18 billion industry in 2011, Ford's Blue Oval, other corporate symbols ad value, experts say 1 Comments Recommend Be the first of your friends to recommend this. Recommend Tweet Tweet 0 0 By Zlati Meyer Detroit Free Press Business Writer FILED UNDER Business Michigan Business Lincoln Dearborn Related Links Ford credit rating boost: 'The Blue Oval is back' Most Popular Most Commented More Headlines 1 2 3 4 George Zimmerman accused Sanford, Fla., police of corruption at 2011 public forum Florida A&M bandmates say slain student wanted beating 7-year-old Detroit boy dead, suicide suspected 'Dancing With the Stars' crowns ADVERTISEMENT Ford's Blue Oval, other corporate symbols ad value, experts say ... http://www.freep.com/article/20120523/BUSINESS06/1205230... 1 of 3 5/24/12 2:13 PM
Transcript of Ford's Blue Oval, other corporate symbols ad value ... · Think of the logos in your own life ......
CLASSIFIEDS: CARS JOBS HOMES APARTMENTS CLASSIFIEDS SHOPPING E-CIRCULARS DAILY DEALS ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE
Sign up Log in MORE: Detroit Self-Portrait e-Edition MitchAlbom.com DealChicken Find what you are looking for ... SEARCH
ADVERTISEMENT
News Sports Autos/Biz Classifieds Entertainment Life Opinion Obits Help
6:33 PM, May 23, 2012 |
A A
The smiley faces at Ford are oval-shaped.
Now that its credit rating has been raised, the car company has itsiconic Blue Oval back – and with it the symbol of its rich automotiveheritage and quality product.
That could be – in the parlance of another quintessential Americanbrand, MasterCard – priceless.
“It would not be the same company without that logo. Anytime yousee that logo, it cues up everything you think about Ford. When yousee an advertisement, it makes it that much more valuable,” saidMike Levens, an assistant professor of marketing at Walsh College,who called it one of the automakers “intangible assets.”
But that mental association is key.
“The value of the total brand is determinedby comparing how a product or servicewould sell without the brand,” explainedbranding expert Alvin Schechter, chairman ofthe New York branding firm Janine Gordon
Associates. “A bottle of brown soda versus Coca Cola.”
Think of the logos in your own life – from the Golden Arches(McDonald’s), the cornucopia of fruit (Fruit of the Loom) and thestriped globe (AT&T) to the quintet of circles (Olympics), the bittenapple (Apple) and the four-colored waving flag (Microsoft).
“In our minds, the entire concept of the name and the logo is thecorporation. It’s the brand of the corporation,” said James Gregory,CEO of CoreBrand, a New York-based brand-strategy firm. “Wevalue those things all the time. It can be worth 100s of millions ofdollars.
Trademark and licensing was a $25.18 billion industry in 2011,
Ford's Blue Oval, other corporate symbols ad value, experts say1 Comments Recommend Be the first of your friends to recommend this.
Recommend TweetTweet 0 0
By Zlati Meyer
Detroit FreePressBusinessWriter
FILED UNDER
BusinessMichigan BusinessLincolnDearborn
Related LinksFord credit rating boost: 'The Blue Oval is back'
Most Popular Most Commented More Headlines
1
2
3
4
George Zimmerman accused Sanford,Fla., police of corruption at 2011 public
forum
Florida A&M bandmates say slainstudent wanted beating
7-year-old Detroit boy dead, suicidesuspected
'Dancing With the Stars' crowns
ADVERTISEMENT
Ford's Blue Oval, other corporate symbols ad value, experts say ... http://www.freep.com/article/20120523/BUSINESS06/1205230...
1 of 3 5/24/12 2:13 PM
according to the trade publication The Licensing Letter.
Schechter called the possibility of Ford losing its brand identity“disastrous” and “incomprehensible.” But if it had happened, thecarmaker would’ve come up with another logo (“The color blue iseveryone’s property.”) and another name, like taking on Lincoln.
In 2006, seeing the trouble in the industry coming down the pike,Ford used assets, such as auto plants and trademarks (including itsfamous name), as collateral for $23.4 billion in loans.
That the Dearborn carmaker even mortgaged the Blue Oval wasamazing to Gregory.
“The logo itself is a representation of the corporate brand. In thecase of Ford, you have one that has tremendous value. People getvery emotional and have a real love for the history and heritage ofFord. When they put that as collateral, I thought it was a veryinteresting statement they were making -- that we’re all in on this,that we’re going to absolutely have to make this work,” he said. “Itwas a statement of how serious the commitment was for thecompany to survive.
Ford is 50th on Interbrand’s 2011 Best Global Brands list, the samerank as last year; it’s valued at more than $7.4 billion, up 4% over2010. Of the 12 automotive companies included on the globalbranding and brand-management firm’s annual roster (determinedby financial performance, the role of the brand in the decision topurchase the product and brand strength), Ford ranked sixth.Interbrand pointed out that Ford is “rekindling its swagger in thehome market, calling out competitors in current advertising.”
“By seeing a brand logo, it brings the essence of the brand to theforefront of your mind,” Levens explained. “Anytime you look atadvertising, it’s all the historic stuff that’s been out there before --logo, messages and all the current stuff -- and those blend togetherto create a purchase opportunity for Ford. The fact that they havethat logo, if they couldn’t use it, they’d have to get somewheresome other way without that visual cue. If you didn’t have that, whatwould it be? The color blue? The shape of the car?”
The actual design is itself clever, according to Schechter. The BlueOval is technically a wordmark, which includes both the name of thecompany and the design; think of the encircled cursive font of GEversus Gucci’s double-Gs.
“A company that has a wordmark is generally better off than onethat has a separate symbol,” he said. “It combines both the appealof the visual device and the recognizably of the name. You don’thave to advertise for years that the swoosh is part of Nike. You seeit immediately, the brand name in all its glory.”
View Comments (1) | Share your thoughts »
5
winner!
Kobe Bryant takes a shot at Bad BoyPistons
Most Viewed
PHOTO GALLERIES
ADVERTISEMENT
Asian Markets Regain Some GroundMay. 21, 2012
Lions at charitybocce-ball tournament
Indians 4, Tigers 2
Ford's Blue Oval, other corporate symbols ad value, experts say ... http://www.freep.com/article/20120523/BUSINESS06/1205230...
2 of 3 5/24/12 2:13 PM
TOP VIDEO PICKSYOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN
Al Gore has 'serious girlfriend,'Washington Post reports (DetroitFree Press)
The Blue Oval is Ford's again ascredit upgrade freesautomaker's assets frommortgage (Detroit Free Press)
Cipriano assigned friend to killIsabella, 8, witness testifies:'Tucker loves his sister' (DetroitFree Press)
Tom Monaghan talks about
SPONSORED LINKS
Ten Worst Foods for ProstateHealth (CooperativeHealth)
Four Aggressively MarketedKitchen Gadgets Your Shouldn'tBuy (Eat Better America)
Kate Middleton Stuns at theQueen's Diamond Jubilee Tour(StyleBistro)
We're Getting a Divorce, NowWhat? (Women&Co.)
6 surprising things that don'thurt your credit score
2013 Ford FusionExposedApr 11, 2012
2013 Ford Escape at
selected by TaboolaMETROMIX
The Avenue's Block Party
More from Metromix
MOST POPULARGeorge Zimmerman accused Sanford, Fla., policeof corruption at 2011 public forum
1.
Florida A&M bandmates say slain student wantedbeating
2.
7-year-old Detroit boy dead, suicide suspected3.'Dancing With the Stars' crowns winner!4.Drew Sharp: Tigers blowing opportunities, blamingeveryone but themselves
5.
Top 10 Michigan attractions you might not haveseen
6.
Recruiting: High-profile prospects impressed aftervisits to Michigan
7.
SUBSCRIBE!Sign up for home deliverytoday.
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTSPSL baseball: Louis Chapa leads Western tofifth straight titleMay 22 roundup: Megan Fedolak notches 20thwin for L'Anse CreuseMay 19 roundup: L’Anse Creuse North baseballsweeps Grosse Pointe South InvitationalMay 18 roundup: Walled Lake Northern baseballsweeps doubleheaderMick McCabe: Selfless prep runner allowsyounger opponent to win raceNorthville senior Mallory Weber's play is allabout hard work
ADVERTISEMENT
Site Map | Back to Top
NEWSDetroitMetro DetroitWayne CountyOakland CountyMacomb CountyMichiganPolitics/Election 2012Rochelle RileyWeatherNation/World
ENTERTAINMENTDetroit MetromixEventsMusicRestaurantsMoviesArtsTV and radioNames & FacesSylvia RectorJulie HindsMark StrykerEse EsanRachel May
SPORTSLionsTigersRed WingsPistonsWolverinesSpartansHigh School SportsGolfMitch AlbomDrew SharpOutdoorsOther collegesAuto Racing
OBITSDeath NoticesSubmit a Death NoticeEstate Services
AUTOS/BIZAuto newsAuto reviewsGeneral MotorsFordChryslerDetroit auto showMichigan businessReal estateTom WalshSusan TomporMark PhelanNation/world business
OPINIONEditorialsLetters to the editorCommentaryMike Thompson cartoonsStephen HendersonRon DzwonkowskiBrian DickersonEditorial page blogColumnistsMitchAlbom.com
CLASSIFIEDSCarsHomesJobsRentalsShoppingAdvertise
LIFEFoodTravelHealthShoppingCrossword puzzleComicsTechnologyRelationshipsBooksCivil RightsGeorgea KovanisJeff SeidelEllen Creager
HELPAdvertiseArchivesContact usSubscriber servicese-EditionGot a question?BookstoreReading WorksFree Press CharitiesPage and photo reprints
FOLLOW US
Mobile
RSS
E-mail Alerts
Text Alerts
News | Jobs | Cars for Sale | Homes for Sale | Apartments for Rent | Real Estate | Shopping
Copyright © 2012 www.freep.com. All rights reserved.Users of this site agree to the Terms of Service, Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights, and Ad Choices
Ford's Blue Oval, other corporate symbols ad value, experts say ... http://www.freep.com/article/20120523/BUSINESS06/1205230...
3 of 3 5/24/12 2:13 PM
