Ford SWOT Analysis In A Nutshell

Founded in 1903 by Henry Ford and is the fifth-largest family-owned company in the world. Ford is a globally recognized brand in the automotive industry for a couple of reasons. First, Henry Ford is well-known as the inventor of the production line and thus the modern automobile industry. Today, Ford has also maintained relevance as the seventh-largest car manufacturer worldwide, selling a range of passenger cars, trucks, and vans.

Let’s have a look at a SWOT analysis for Ford to give a general view of its position in the automotive market.

Table of Contents

Strengths

Dominant market position – Ford’s biggest market is the United States, where it enjoys a 14.8% market share for cars and light trucks. It is second only to General Motors.
Proven expertise in light commercial vehicles – this leaves Ford in a good position to take advantage of the increasing demand for delivery vehicles as a result of the surge in eCommerce.
Consumer popularity – Ford enjoys a consistent and long-lasting relationship with its customers. For example, the Ford F-Series pickup truck has been the highest selling truck in the USA for a record 41 years straight. Furthermore, the F-series outsold its closest rival by over 200,000 units in 2017.
Research and development – Ford continues to invest heavily in research and development. Powertrain technology, eco-friendly fuel, and improved safety are the focuses of the company. Ford also owns many patents – with over 100 patents alone filed on their pickup trucks.

Weaknesses

Dependence on US markets – Ford has a high dependence on sales derived from the US market. It has little to no exposure in emerging car markets such as China and India, where experts predict the majority of future car sales will originate. Ford has also struggled to make an impact in Europe after initial success there.
Product recalls – approximately 830,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles were recalled in 2016 because of faulty side door latches, hurting Ford’s brand image. Further recalls occurred in 2019 when over 1.2 million SUVs were found to have suspension problems.
High-cost model – Ford’s relatively high priced vehicles are reflected in its generous employee wage packages. However, this puts it at a competitive disadvantage to its competitors – particularly Asian brands such as Toyota, Mazda, and Hyundai.

Opportunities

Emerging economies – if Ford can manufacture vehicles for Chinese and Indian consumers while still maintaining profits, then this represents an excellent opportunity for company growth.
Green vehicles – as consumers become more concerned with environmentally friendly transport, Ford is well placed with their research and development background to develop cars to fill this market.
Ride-sharing – because of Ford’s reputation for producing fuel-efficient engines, it is also well placed to take advantage of the demand for ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft.

Threats

New competitors – the growing presence of foreign car companies in the USA is cause for concern. Volkswagen and Toyota, in particular, are challenging Ford’s long-held status as the maker of the most popular pickup truck. Mercedes and Nissan are also offering vans that compete with similar Ford offerings.
Changes in consumer preferences – like all automotive manufacturers, Ford faces an uncertain future. The shift toward alternative fuels is a matter of when not if. There is also an increasing trend away from privately owned cars toward public transport.
Changes in legislation – several European countries have taken steps to restrict carbon emissions, particularly in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Other countries where Ford does business are also setting stricter standards, such as Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.

SWOT Analysis Case Studies

McDonald’s SWOT Analysis

Nike SWOT Analysis

Samsung SWOT Analysis

Samsung was founded in South Korea in 1938 by Lee Byung-Chul. Originally a trading company, it took Samsung 22 years to become the fully-fledged electronics company that most people recognize today. Indeed, the company is a leader in technological innovation through telecommunications, electronics, and home appliances.

Costco SWOT Analysis

Costco is a large American multinational corporation with a focus on low-cost, membership-only retail warehouse clubs. Costco is the 4th largest retail operator in the world, operating 785 warehouses in 10 different countries. Indeed, it has enjoyed rapid success growing from zero to $3 billion in sales within six years.

Walmart SWOT Analysis

From humble beginnings just over 50 years ago, Walmart has grown to become the world’s largest retail company. A single small discount store in Arkansas has now expanded to over 11,000 stores in 28 countries. Some reports suggest that the company now makes $1.8 million of profit every hour.

Uber SWOT Analysis

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Uber started as a peer-to-peer ridesharing platform. In more recent times, the company has moved into food delivery, rental cars, and bike-sharing. In one form or another, Uber now has a presence in over 900 cities worldwide.

Disney SWOT Analysis

It would be hard to argue the case for a more recognizable entertainment brand than Disney. Disney is of course synonymous with Walt Disney, but it was Walt and his brother Roy who started the company in 1923 in Burbank, California. Disney content is now broadcast on over 100 channels in 34 different languages across the globe.

Coca-Cola SWOT Analysis

Coca-Cola is the market leader of the soft drink industry. It is also the most widely recognized brand, with a Business Insider study revealing that a staggering 94% of the world population recognizes the red and white logo. However, Coca-Cola faces significant challenges with increasingly health-conscious consumers and less access to water resources.

Ford SWOT Analysis

Tesco SWOT Analysis

Tesco was founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen, as a small group of market stalls. After rapid expansion in the following years, the company became the largest retailer in the UK and is now the second-largest in the world. To put their dominance into perspective, consider that Tesco serves around 66 shoppers per second across 7000 retails stores, delivering approximately $180,000 worth of sales every minute.

Nestlé SWOT Analysis

Nestlé is a large multinational food and beverage manufacturer with more than 2000 brands spread across 197 countries. Some of Nestlé’s well-known brands include Nescafe, Kit-Kat, Purina, Aero, Butterfinger, Maggi, and Haagen-Dazs. Originally a producer of infant food in 1867, it is now considered to be the world’s largest food manufacturer.

Amazon SWOT Analysis

Amazon is among the most diversified business model in the tech industry. The company is well-positioned to dominate e-commerce further. And while its online stores have tight profit margins, Amazon still unlocks cash for growth, while consolidating its dominance in the cloud and grabbing new opportunities like voice.

Facebook SWOT Analysis

Facebook, with its products, with its strong appeal, and consumer brand has a solid business model, threatened in the last years by privacy concerns, which open up the way to potential regulation to break up the company. If that will not happen, Facebook will have the chance to expand to define other markets like VR.

Starbucks SWOT Analysis

Starbucks is a global consumer brand with direct distribution, recognized brands, and products that make it a viable business. Its reliance on the Americas as a primary operating segment makes it a weakness. At the same time, Starbucks faces risks related to coffee beans price volatility. Yet the company still has global expansion opportunities.

Tesla SWOT Analysis

Among the most recognized car manufacturers, Tesla is valued more than the combined market capitalization of GM and Ford. While the company’s direct distribution is a strength, its lack of financial viability is a weakness. Competition is a future threat. However, if Tesla defines a new market for car manufacturing its potential growth will be massive.

Netflix SWOT Analysis

Netflix is among the most popular streaming platforms, with a subscription-based business model. The brand, platform, and content are strengths. The volatility of content licensing and production are weaknesses. The streaming market is a potential blue ocean. Inability to attract and retain premium members, and its fixed long-term costs are threats to its business model.

Apple SWOT Analysis

Apple can leverage a strong consumer brand and set of successful products as a strength. Yet the company is still too reliant on the iPhone as a primary revenue stream. Though Apple is working to open up new markets as an opportunity, it has to make sure to sustain its stores’ sales.

Google SWOT Analysis

Google’s strength is its strong consumer brand. The company is grabbing new opportunities by opening up industries like voice search and consolidating in industries like the cloud. As a weakness, its revenues primarily come from advertising. A primary threat is the quick change of search and potential intervention by regulators.

Read Next: SWOT Analysis, Personal SWOT Analysis.

Other case studies:

Other resources: