Customers

Our customers' wants and needs continue to evolve. We monitor consumer trends and develop and promote products to fit particular market segments. In recent years, we have paid particular attention to the growing demand for more fuel-efficient and cleaner vehicles. Please see the Economy section of this report for a full discussion of our customers.

Diversity of Customers

Our customers are increasingly diverse. Our Insight program helps dealers better understand and serve minority customers. The program includes web-based cultural training, in-dealership workshops and assistance in developing comprehensive multicultural strategies.

As part of our multicultural efforts, we have launched a multi-language Asian-American Web site. Meanwhile, our integrated Spanish Web site – Ford's "Mi Negocio" (My Business) – is one of the most comprehensive of its kind in the auto industry, offering a one-stop resource and outreach services in key Hispanic markets.

Engaging with Our Customers

Maintaining good relationships with our customers is one of our most important activities. We provide a variety of means for customers to reach us, including mail, email and toll-free phone. We reach out to customers and potential customers through focus groups and other market research, and we track customer satisfaction.

We also gather online, consumer-generated content to learn what consumers are saying about both our Company and the industry in general. Increasingly, customers are using these electronic media – including Web sites, discussion groups, blogs and social networks – to research, discuss and problem-solve topics related to their current vehicles and those they are interested in purchasing. In recent years, we have been participating more actively in this social media arena, monitoring consumer-generated content found online. Summary reports are developed based on what we find and gather online, to convey what consumers are saying about our Company and our products. These reports are cascaded throughout the Company – from brand managers and product development engineers all the way up to senior-level management.

In addition to listening to what customers are saying online, we are also increasingly sharing information and engaging in discussions through various social media. In an effort to accomplish authentic interaction between the Company and web users, we are democratizing our social media efforts to enable any Ford employee to interact in online communities on our behalf. In 2009, we began to train employees in how to do this, giving them clear guidelines consistent with our ONE Ford principles. Our goal is to maintain our position as the world's leading social automotive brand and to humanize the Company by building relationships with our customers and providing value through these kinds of social media communications.