Earnings Call: Ford’s Favorability Remains Steady, But They Have Work To Do

Ford Motor Co. earnings are due Wednesday, and the street isn’t exactly enamored with the company. A lot of the blame falls on the delay of getting the new Explorer SUVs to market.

Analysts expect earnings of 26 cents a share, down from 29 cents year over year, with revenue down to $34.3 billion from $34.7 billion.

Not great news for one of America’s top automakers.

But despite the misstep, Ford has maintained its brand relevance in the eyes of American consumers. According to a CivicScience study, the company’s favorability rating has remained steady over the last two years, with 48% of Americans having a favorable view of Ford. 

Right off the bat, there’s an interesting takeaway: The age group with the highest favorable view of Ford is Generation Z, coming in at 51%.

Worth noting, however, is even among the driving-age cohort of Generation Z, their view of Ford has dipped in the last year and is clearly trending in the wrong direction.

Here’s another not-great look at Ford’s current situation: Only 39% of Americans who have a favorable view of Ford plan on buying their next car new. That’s compared to 41%  by the public at large.

Rural Americans are much more fond of Ford – 12% more fond, to be exact – compared to suburban and city residents.

One area where there is a real split is gender. Men have a 20% higher view of Ford than women. And while that is notable, what might be more notable is the fact men and women disapprove of Ford at nearly the same rate, and women are neutral on the company by a 21% higher margin. Clearly, room for growth there.

Income matters a bit, with higher income Americans having a marginally higher view of Ford than lower income Americans.

As with so much in America these days, political tribalism is alive and well when it comes to what cars people like. In Ford’s case, Republicans like Ford at a remarkable 30% higher clip than Democrats.

Ford has cars in NASCAR, and fans of the sport – be they casual or more hardcore – have a 30% higher favorability rating of the company than Americans who don’t follow the sport.

Lastly – and interestingly – 54% of people who play board games on rainy days have a favorable view of Ford. Perhaps a Monopoly tie-in is in the works?

Ford has been up, down, and all-around over the last few decades. The company, despite it’s century-plus in business, clearly has room to grow – especially among women – and CivicScience will be watching this closely over the next few years.