Filed under: Trends, Marketing/Advertising, Crossovers/CUVs, Ford
Edge vs. Lambdas - money talks
Ford sent but a single model into the roiling crossover market battle with GM's Lambda
The advertising campaign for the Edge saw Ford hitting the web with a vengance, in addition to being placed well with several programming tie-ins. Viewers of American Idol and Extreme Makeover were treated to the Edge blitz, with snappy spots from David Mamet highlighting the Edge's speed and serenity. Overall, the crossover segment has been good for Detroit, with the Buick Enclave in particular zipping right off dealer lots, and the buying public embracing car-based, truckish-looking big wagons.
[Source: Advertising Age]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
psarhjinian 1:54PM (2/06/2008)
Duh.
GM has too many brands. Next up, water is wet and the sky is blue.
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Will 1:55PM (2/06/2008)
So, uh, why is there a gallery of the Holden Crewman attached to this post on the mainpage...?
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Ligor 1:56PM (2/06/2008)
don't forget -
the Edge is also cheaper (the enclave can almost go double the Edges price)
and the Edge is a bit smaller and fits more families, while the M Lambadas come off kind of big when you first see them
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Mercury Fan Forever 1:58PM (2/06/2008)
I would much rather own a Buick Enclave or GMC Acadia than the Ford Edge or the ugly Lincoln MKX.
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Polly Prissy Pants 2:00PM (2/06/2008)
And don't forget availability. We were set to buy an Outlook a month or two back but never could find one the way we wanted. Ditto the more expensive GMC's. We could have waited or ordered but there are just too many 'as good' vehicles out in the marketplace to jump through too many hoops. Maybe next time GM.
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Gavin 2:01PM (2/06/2008)
What about the Lincoln MKX? Were those included in the 130,000 sales? If not, how much did those sell?
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tanooki2003 2:02PM (2/06/2008)
GM vehicles are commonly known for making huge vehicles but lacking in interior space. When will Bob Klutz Nutz fire not only the american side designer but also himself?
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jay tee 2:45PM (2/06/2008)
The Lambdas have more interior space than the GMT-900's, seat 7 or 8, while outpowering, outsizing, outweighing, yet till having better fuel economy (similar on some trims) than the Edge.....
Lutz>you
Seoultrain 4:12PM (2/06/2008)
"outsizing, outweighing..."
yeah, nice argument. More size and more weight to lug around is just great. If you're a fatass and can't fit in the already decently large Edge, you should go for the GMs. If you're lugging around more size and weight all the time, why not have a car that's an extension of that? Welcome to America.
Corey W. 2:04PM (2/06/2008)
Wouldn't the question be what is expected sales for ALL Lambdas platform, compared to the same outlook for the Edge. Example, just because it's spread between 3 brands doesn't mean it suppose to sell 3x's the amount in total. Maybe it's me, just an odd comparison. GM has many brands, but I don't think accounting says, ok were expecting to sell 100,000 brand X cars, and then when brand Y comes out based off the same platform, we should be able to sell another 100,000. Not sure if that makes since, that's just my two!!
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SkiD666 2:05PM (2/06/2008)
Edge/MKX aren't in the same class as Lambda's, why should their sales be compared.
Lambda's have basically sold as fast as GM could build them, so it's not an advertising issue, it's a production issue.
When the new Chevrolet Traverse doubles the sales of the Lambda's will that be attributed to advertising?
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Mercury Fan Forever 2:05PM (2/06/2008)
The Lincoln MKX sold 37,953 units in 2007
According to Media Ford.com
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Jeff 2:05PM (2/06/2008)
This is a dumb comparison. The Ford is a mainstream product, while Buick, Saturn, and GMC are all either luxury or niche brands. GM's mainstream Lambda is the Traverse, which isn't out yet. That will be the biggest seller of the four.
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slider912 2:12PM (2/06/2008)
Sales are one thing, profit is another. I'm willing to bet that GM turns a prettier penny on each Lambda sale than does for on each sale of Edge/MKX. Yes, sales are good, but only part of the story.... its the cash flow that will keep these giants going.....
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DKB_SATX 2:16PM (2/06/2008)
Cash flow is not the same thing as profit. Which do you mean?
Mr. Oak 2:13PM (2/06/2008)
"How did the Edge move 130,000 units alone while GM needed the aggregated sales of the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Saturn Outlook to close 137,000 deals?"
Mr. Roth, with all due respects, this is the same idiotic arguement that folks make about the Mid-Size car market. GM out sells both Toyota and Honda in that market segment. However instead of forcing a single model down your throat(Accord or Camry), GM offers lots of different flavors of esentially the same car. Hey, same thing with the F series vs. the Chevrolet\GMC trucks. GM sells more. Again, why is this a story?
Sir, tell me, how many Taurus Xs did Fords sell? that is a much better comparison, since they are direct competitors. I am willing to go out on a limb and say, that GM sold more Lambdas last year than Ford has sold Freestyles/Taurus Xs ever. Now, that should be your story.
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Dan Roth 2:25PM (2/06/2008)
Turn the argument upside down, that's what's a little surprising:
There's only one flavor of Edge (okay, two if you count the MKX) versus three - and now four - different versions of the Lambda. You would think that the wide variety of flavors of Lambda would handily fend off the Edge. Not so - and the reason for that is that Ford spent nearly 200 million on the Edge's advertising to get it out there, get it visible, create buzz, and like all advertising, convince people that they want it.
I've explained the Lambdas a lot more after someone says "the GMC what?" than I have the Edge - "oh, that car that drives around on balconies and stuff on TV"
Mr. Oak 2:46PM (2/06/2008)
Dan, I think you missed my point. While we're at it, let's run the numbers to see id Ford sells more Mustangs than GM sells Corvettes. Hell, they're both 2 door cars.
Even though they are both CUVs, The Edge, which I would buy if I didn't have a family of five, is not in the same market as the Lambdas. Most people that are buying Lambdas are coming out of Fullsized SUVs(Expeditions, 'burbans etc., or Mini-Vans).
Like the RX-300, the MK-X is a certified chick mobile. Not the type of vehicle a man would buy for himself. Next time you see a man driving a MK-X stop him and ask, 80% chance it belongs to his wife.
BTW: No response to my reference to Ford's 3-row CUV the Taurus-X? The only vehicle that Ford offers is in the same segment as the Lambdas.
Gregg 2:17PM (2/06/2008)
Now, how is it again that Ford's decision was a better one?
Let's see, they spent more ad money overall to move fewer units than GM overall. Meanwhile, the Buick Enclave has been in short supply and GM moves every Lambda it builds, with only the Outlook lagging (and that is mostly a looks issue). Now with Chevy in the picture, how are things going to be any better for Ford?
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j_jones99 2:17PM (2/06/2008)
The Lambdas are way different to the Edge. Why not compare the Edge to the Nissan Moron-o?
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