Develop the fundamentals of strategic plans for the Ford Motor Company Essay

Develop the fundamentals of strategic plans for the Ford Motor Company and the Toyota Motor Corporation - Essay Example Two major competitors in the automobile industry are Toyota Motor Corporation and Ford Motor Company. This paper seeks to develop the fundamentals of strategic plans for the two competing companies including their SWOT analyses. Toyota Motor Corporation Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese based automobile company that sells its brands locally and in the international market. Having been established in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda, the company was the largest producer of motor vehicles in 2012. Based on its expansive market, and the high demand of its brands in the international market, the company whose headquarters are based in Toyota, Japan has employed large number of employees in all its departments. One of the major aspects that have made the company to attain a competitive edge in the market is the extensive marketing strategies that the company has adopted in all its market segments. For example, in the US market, the company has embarked on extensive promotion of its brands esp ecially in the North American region. Apart from sponsoring of sporting events, the company has maximized on the concept of ownership experience (Thomas, 1969). This has made it to come up with marketing slogans such as: You asked for it You got it. Oh what a feeling, Get the feeling and Lets go places among others. In the Japanese market, the company has established a dealerships which includes Toyota Store and Toyota diesel store that helps the company in its distribution strategies. Being a market leader in the automobile industry, Toyota has effectively enjoyed strong customer loyalty based on its luxurious as well as executives brands. Some of the notable brands the company manufacturers include Toyota Yaris, corolla, camry, Estima Sienna, Prado, FGortuner, RAV4, Venza, FJ Cruiser and full size Avalon among others. Based on the wide product portfolio, the company has effectively met the needs of its customers. Another aspect that has made the company achieve a competitive posit ion in the market is the use of Toyota Way strategy (Liker, 2004). This entails all the business methods and the managerial values as well as philosophies such as Just In Time (JIT) that greatly assist the company in its global operations. The five major principles that guides Toyota Corporation in its activities includes challenge, improvement, go and see, team work and respects within and outside the company premises. Ford Motor Corporation Ford Motor Corporation is an American based corporation whose headquarter is located in Michigan, US. Having been established by Henry Ford in 1903, Ford has a long history in the production of automobiles. Based on its production outputs, Ford is the fifth largest producers of automobiles. One of the key aspects that make Ford distribution system significant are the production facilities and plants located in 90 regions (Wilkins and Frank, 1964). Additionally, the large number of employees is key in ensuring that the company brands are effecti vely marketed and distributed in the various markets. The company organizational structure involves the executive management that includes board members who includes Stephen Butler, William Clay, Ellen Marram, Irvine