Why does Ford not promote the Ranger more?

[Ron Quixote]

So I’m watching football this weekend and I keep seeing Ford ads and not a Ranger in sight. Plenty of Broncos and F150s, and a few Mustangs. But never, ever a Ranger.

I wonder why? The current iteration of the Ranger is a terrific product. Even the XL gets a brawny Ecoboost from the Mustang. And the RR is best in class.

What gives, Ford?

Sponsored

 

[TurboDog]

Having spent 30 years working in corporate marketing, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the reason is something called "cannibalization". They don't want to trade anyone down from an F150 (a highly profitable vehicle) to a Ranger (a less profitable vehicle), which would involve "cannibalizing" F150 sales to drive Ranger sales, there by reducing overall corporate profit. The F150 has been the top selling pickup for decades, and no one on Ford's marketing team wants to be the one that brought that to an end by trading down a large number of F150 buyers to become Ranger buyers.

 

[DutchRanger]

Pretty dumb marketing people. If someone is in the market for a Ranger they won't get an f150, they might get a Taco or whatever. Ford is basically just missing out on extra money.

 

[purdyd]

pretty short sighted. And Toyota sells a lot of tacos.




“Sony worried about cannibalization. If it built a music player and service that made it easy for people to share digital songs, that might hurt sales of its record division. One of Jobs’s business rules was to never be afraid of cannibalizing yourself. ‘If you don’t cannibalize yourself, someone else will,’ [Steve Jobs] said. So even though an iPhone might cannibalize sales of an iPod, or an iPad might cannibalize sales of a laptop, that did not deter him.”

So the lesson is to not design a company where it would be difficult for one division to be innovative at the expense of another division. Also, another lesson is to not be afraid of developing a product in fear that it will take sales from another department.

 

[stemplar]

So I’m watching football this weekend and I keep seeing Ford ads and not a Ranger in sight. Plenty of Broncos and F150s, and a few Mustangs. But never, ever a Ranger.

I wonder why? The current iteration of the Ranger is a terrific product. Even the XL gets a brawny Ecoboost from the Mustang. And the RR is best in class.

What gives, Ford?

I’ve mentioned this before where Ford advertises everything *but* the Ranger, and in the shots where they show the lineup of shiny vehicles in front of a big Ford dealership the Ranger was suspiciously missing. But fwiw the commercial I’m seeing lately actually starts out showing a beige Ranger, so maybe progress is being made?

 

[RichD]

I watched a Ford commercial yesterday and the Ranger was featured as a for lease vehicle, right after the F150. Yes, it’s the first time for me seeing a Ranger in a commercial, but it did happen.

 

[danmoochie]

Having spent 30 years working in corporate marketing, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the reason is something called "cannibalization". They don't want to trade anyone down from an F150 (a highly profitable vehicle) to a Ranger (a less profitable vehicle), which would involve "cannibalizing" F150 sales to drive Ranger sales, there by reducing overall corporate profit. The F150 has been the top selling pickup for decades, and no one on Ford's marketing team wants to be the one that brought that to an end by trading down a large number of F150 buyers to become Ranger buyers.

100%, great explanation. However, all Ford had to do is market the Ranger as an F-series truck, like a F-50, since the best selling includes F-series, not just the F-150, thus adding to the overall numbers!!

 

[Ron Quixote]

100%, great explanation. However, all Ford had to do is market the Ranger as an F-series truck, like a F-50, since the best selling includes F-series, not just the F-150, thus adding to the overall numbers!!

It’s time for the F100 nameplate to make a comeback!

I actually love the Ranger name, but you make a good point for marketing purposes.

 

[danmoochie]

It’s time for the F100 nameplate to make a comeback!

I actually love the Ranger name, but you make a good point for marketing purposes.

Well since Ford bumps by 100 and ends in 50, I think the F-50 makes sense, and all they needed to do is put the F-50 on the fender badge but still call it a ranger. Creative marketing.

 

[Ron Quixote]

I’ve mentioned this before where Ford advertises everything *but* the Ranger, and in the shots where they show the lineup of shiny vehicles in front of a big Ford dealership the Ranger was suspiciously missing. But fwiw the commercial I’m seeing lately actually starts out showing a beige Ranger, so maybe progress is being made?

How dare you call it beige. The name of the color, which I happen to own, is Desert Sand, sir.

NARRATOR: It’s beige.

 

[rwillwilson]

We old-timers remember when Ranger was a trim package on the F series trucks and original Bronco! It was then upgraded to vehicle status. Same with the Explorer name being an F series trim package before becoming a Bronco II replacement.

 

[JDCV67]

The Ford Ranger is the best mid-size truck in the market in 2025. I research them all this year Chevy/GMC, Toyota, Nissan, & the Ranger. I looked into detail engine build reliability, recalls, and features, and the Ranger came out on top. GM, Toyota & Nissan all had engine design flaws and recalls. The new 2.3L Ranger engine in my opinion is the most reliable bullet proof Ranger engine because of its design over the 2.7L, and I had no need for a 3.0L Raptor.

 

[danmoochie]

The Ford Ranger is the best mid-size truck in the market in 2025. I research them all this year Chevy/GMC, Toyota, Nissan, & the Ranger. I looked into detail engine build reliability, recalls, and features, and the Ranger came out on top. GM, Toyota & Nissan all had engine design flaws and recalls. The new 2.3L Ranger engine in my opinion is the most reliable bullet proof Ranger engine because of its design over the 2.7L, and I had no need for a 3.0L Raptor.

2.3 design over the 2.7? Agree to disagree. One is a truck motor one is not. Yes, the 2.3 is a solid motor, but the 2.7 design (mush like a diesel) was designed to be a truck motor. You don't put a 2.7 into the number one selling truck and not consider it to be a reliable truck motor. Just my .02 and research.

 

[JDCV67]

The 2.7L uses a wet belt for the oil pump, and it uses a plastic oil pan, with a plastic drain plug. Those are shortcuts that have caused documented issues in the 2.7L. The 2.3L has plenty of power for the Ranger.

 

[hotmojoe]

Having spent 30 years working in corporate marketing, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the reason is something called "cannibalization". They don't want to trade anyone down from an F150 (a highly profitable vehicle) to a Ranger (a less profitable vehicle), which would involve "cannibalizing" F150 sales to drive Ranger sales, there by reducing overall corporate profit. The F150 has been the top selling pickup for decades, and no one on Ford's marketing team wants to be the one that brought that to an end by trading down a large number of F150 buyers to become Ranger buyers.

What’s hilarious is that my local dealer wanted to do a buyback when I went for a service. Not to sell me a new Ranger to get rid of stock, but to get me into an F150. The sales manager was genuinely surprised when I said if I’m trading I want another Ranger.

Sponsored