Last stand-alone Mercury franchise closes, Ford cuts Mercury ads

chriswells78 · 12-18-2007, 07:59 AM

http://www.leftlanenews.com/last-sta...rcury-ads.html

Today marks a milestone for Ford's Mercury brand, and it could be one that foretells the future of the slumping marque. Community Motor Co. of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania — the only stand-alone Mercury dealer in the country — resigned its Mercury franchise today.

Joe Mastrangioli has been general manager of family-owned business for the last 50 years, but stiff competition from import brands and the lack of new Mercury products in the pipeline have forced him to close his doors on the new car business. "It seems like this is the time," Mastrangioli said. "The new-car business has declined so badly, and the competition from the foreign car manufacturers has been so great."

Community Motor has been the country's only stand-alone Mercury dealer since 2000. The dealership will continue selling used cars.

Mercury sales are down 6.7% this year — totaling 155,791 vehicles — and are way off from the brand's historical high of 579,498 vehicles in 1978.

Ford cuts Mercury advertising

Fittingly, Ford announced today that is will be slashing national Mercury advertising. The brand will be bumped from Tier 1 advertising — national — to less expensive Tier 2 ads — which are only run regionally. The shift in ad dollars is to make room for more Lincoln advertising.

"Tier 1 is the most expensive media that you have, and it's very good at brand building," Ford spokesman Jim Cain told Automotive News. "And since our priority is to grow Lincoln, and Lincoln is a brand that's adding new nameplates and really carving out its own unique identity, we've been intending to focus more there."

Ford continues to deny that the Mercury brand will be discontinued in the near future, but these reports only add fuel to the fire that Mercury could be dead by 2012.

cybergasm · 12-18-2007, 09:13 AM

And the soap opera continues.........

'97 V8 · 12-18-2007, 10:37 AM

Mercury sells VERY well where i live. Every other SUV is a mountaineer, be it a 97-01 or 02 to present, and the same for the milan and mariduar.

12-18-2007, 07:59 AM	#1
chriswells78 Wannabe Elite Explorer Powell(Columbus), OH 96 XLT 5.0 4x4 Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 2,558 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	Last stand-alone Mercury franchise closes, Ford cuts Mercury ads http://www.leftlanenews.com/last-sta...rcury-ads.html Today marks a milestone for Ford's Mercury brand, and it could be one that foretells the future of the slumping marque. Community Motor Co. of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania — the only stand-alone Mercury dealer in the country — resigned its Mercury franchise today. Joe Mastrangioli has been general manager of family-owned business for the last 50 years, but stiff competition from import brands and the lack of new Mercury products in the pipeline have forced him to close his doors on the new car business. "It seems like this is the time," Mastrangioli said. "The new-car business has declined so badly, and the competition from the foreign car manufacturers has been so great." Community Motor has been the country's only stand-alone Mercury dealer since 2000. The dealership will continue selling used cars. Mercury sales are down 6.7% this year — totaling 155,791 vehicles — and are way off from the brand's historical high of 579,498 vehicles in 1978. Ford cuts Mercury advertising Fittingly, Ford announced today that is will be slashing national Mercury advertising. The brand will be bumped from Tier 1 advertising — national — to less expensive Tier 2 ads — which are only run regionally. The shift in ad dollars is to make room for more Lincoln advertising. "Tier 1 is the most expensive media that you have, and it's very good at brand building," Ford spokesman Jim Cain told Automotive News. "And since our priority is to grow Lincoln, and Lincoln is a brand that's adding new nameplates and really carving out its own unique identity, we've been intending to focus more there." Ford continues to deny that the Mercury brand will be discontinued in the near future, but these reports only add fuel to the fire that Mercury could be dead by 2012. __________________ 1996 Ford Explorer 5.0 4x4... Too many engine mods to list in 6 lines 1999 Mustang GT 2002 Lincoln LSV8

12-18-2007, 10:37 AM	#3
'97 V8 Wannabe Elite Explorer Lima, Ohio '97 mounty 5.0 4x4 baby!! Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,696 Vehicle Specs	Mercury sells VERY well where i live. Every other SUV is a mountaineer, be it a 97-01 or 02 to present, and the same for the milan and mariduar. __________________ 1997 Mercury Mountaineer 4x4 V8 3" bl, manual t-case. Dana 60/14 bolt combo with 36x13.5x17 iroks on H2 rims. 5.13's. Future plan: 3.9 or 5.9 Turbo diesel cummins

12-18-2007, 09:13 AM	#2
cybergasm B Humboldt Ks 1997 Mountaineer 5.0 Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,603 Vehicle Specs	And the soap opera continues.........