Ford Motor is taking a leaner and greener approach to the launch of its newest hybrid vehicle. The more fuel-efficient version of its Mercury Mariner sport utility vehicle will be sold exclusively online, meaning that consumers will not be able to see it on the lot. Customers will order the car through Ford's Mercury Web site and pick it up at the dealer after delivery.
"We believe so many people have an appetite for the hybrid that they will buy it without a test drive," said Linda Perry-Lube, the online marketing manager for Mercury.
Mercury also plans to advertise the Mariner hybrid only over the Internet, eschewing the traditional TV and print blitz. The ads will heavily target the Web sites of environmental groups, as well as regular car sites.
While carmakers have been shifting more of their ad dollars to the Internet, the two-pronged approach of selling and marketing online could mark the new model for Mercury. If the strategy works, the company will look to expand it to other vehicle launches, including its new Milan sedan that will roll out in the fall and a hybrid version planned for later.
Mercury believes that by going off-road it will reach a target audience of educated and affluent buyers who are more likely to start their car shopping online. This is especially the case when it comes to hybrids, where the newer technology almost demands that buyers do more research.
Despite the higher cost for hybrids, Mercury expects that demand for the 2006 model will outstrip supply. A limited run of 2,000 vehicles, priced at $29,840, will be made available this year.
The Mariner hybrid is being sold online before it even goes into production, which means buyers will have to wait until October before the vehicle arrives. Ford actually moved up production for the Mariner a full year in a race to pull even with Japanese competitors like the popular Toyota Prius.
The Mariner hybrid is the second of Ford's five announced hybrid vehicles. Ford's Escape Hybrid was its first hybrid on the market and the first SUV hybrid.
The company learned some hard lessons from that launch, when it snubbed an offer from the Sierra Club — a frequent critic of Ford's fuel efficiency — to help spread the word. This time around, Ford actively courted the group, which sent out a newsletter blast to its members touting the hybrid