The Detroit Free Press is reporting that, in an effort to refocus its image, Ford has dumped golf in favor of bull riding.
Ford will abandon its sponsorship of Phil Mickelson, the Ford Championship at Doral, and the Ford Senior Players Championship. In exchange, it has bought a stake in the four year old bull “Super Duty”, which will be entered in the Professional Bull Rider’s Tournament (PBR) as part of the “Built Ford Tough” series.
Mickelson for Super Duty?
I can understand perhaps cutting back on the sponsorships. Maybe they weren’t getting their money’s worth out of Mickelson. And maybe even Doral. But the Ford Senior Players Championship was played in Ford’s backyard at the TPC in Dearborn. And when I say “in Ford’s backyard”, I mean it literally. The TPC Michigan is wedged between the Henry Ford Greenfield Village Museum and Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn—Henry’s hometown.
But golf, it seems, just doesn’t fit into Ford’s self-image as a free spirited, guts-and-glory company. Bull riding, with its eight second bursts of brushes with death, does. Bull riding, it is said, is a growing sport, and is apparently shown on NBC and the Outdoor Life Network.
Lots of automotive companies and brands sponsors golf tournaments and players: Buick (and by extension, all GM brands), Honda, Mercedes, Nissan, Chrysler, Toyota, Lexus, BMW, and others I am probably forgetting. Ford doesn’t seem to be worried about being left behind here, though.
The difference, I guess is in the product line. The other car companies are attracted to golf’s upscale audience. Ford wants to sell pickup trucks. It’s also pitching its products at NASCAR and on American Idol.
As a Michiganian, I hope it works out for them. As a golf fan, I think they’re making a mistake—at least in pulling out of the Senior Players Championship.
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This seems pretty darn stupid if you ask me. The Dural I think was pretty good coverage for Ford, I loved how they had the GT500 and the GT out off the 18th. I agree, I don’t know if they are getting their moneys worth out of Phil, it seems to me when I watch golf, all I ever see is Tiger. Since it seems that Tiger and Phil play the same tournaments, and so you don’t see much Phil (unless by some chance he is playing with Tiger).
But Bull Riding? I am not going to be watching that, but why not sponsor both? I see that you might not get the 4×4 truck buyers clamoring for what Phil is driving, but surely Ford needs someone to sell their cars too. I didn’t see why Ford is not having Phil sponsored by Lincoln Mercury though. I hardly see Phil or Mrs. Phil driving an Explorer or Mustang; but I could see them driving Navigators, Town Cars, or LS’s.
Ford, it never seemed did much with Phil in the same way Buick did with Tiger. I never saw a commercial with Phil driving a Ford.
I will have to say that that is the image I see of Ford. To me Ford is more bull riding than golf and especially their trucks. I do hate to see it happen.
Ford prolly likes bull riding better because it signifies they are tough, but really does bull riding have a bigger following that golf?
It’s got to be the tough aspect they are pushing for!