Auto Industry News Briefs: March 2012 Highlights
Chrysler Expands "Halftime in America" Campaign With New Ads
Following the success of their Clint Eastwood-narrated Super Bowl commercial, Chrysler released four new 60-second spots continuing the inspirational "hope and encouragement" theme. Each advertisement specifically targets one of Chrysler's brands:
--FIRST CAR LIST HERE--
Campaign Details:
- Four new 60-second commercials produced alongside the Super Bowl spot
- Same motivational tone as the acclaimed "Halftime in America" ad
- Scheduled to air during high-profile events including:
- NCAA semifinals
- American Country Music Awards
- AMC's "Mad Men"
The coordinated campaign represents Chrysler's ongoing effort to rebuild its brand image following its 2009 bankruptcy and subsequent government bailout.
--TOP ADVERTISEMENT HERE--
Ford Increases CEO Compensation to $29.5 Million
Ford Motor Company raised CEO Alan Mulally's total compensation package to $29.5 million for 2011, an 11% increase over 2010 levels. The compensation breakdown includes
Compensation Components:
- Base salary: $2 million
- Bonuses: $5.46 million
- Stock awards: $15.4 million (vesting over three years)
- Options: $5.9 million
- Other compensation: $740,000
The compensation increase follows Ford's most profitable year since 1999, with $8.8 billion in operating profits. The company also distributed $6,200 profit-sharing checks to its hourly union workers, reflecting the strong financial performance.
--SECOND CAR LIST HERE--
Mercedes-Benz Streamlines Production Process
Mercedes-Benz announced significant changes to its global production strategy, aiming to dramatically reduce assembly time per vehicle while increasing model variety:
Production Optimization Plan:
- Platform reduction: Cutting vehicle architectures by 50%
- Model expansion: Doubling production to 30 different vehicles
- Efficiency goal: Reducing assembly time from 45 hours (2008) to 30 hours by 2015
- Global restructuring: Optimizing manufacturing network across plants
- --FIRST CONTENT ADVERTISEMENT HERE--
This strategic shift represents Mercedes' response to increasing competition in the luxury segment and the need for greater production flexibility to meet diverse market demands.
