Introduction
Product adaptation entails altering a product to make it appropriate for different markets or consumers. The multinational companies utilize product adaptation strategy to ensure that their products meet both the needs of their local and overseas customers. Ford Motor Company is among the examples of the multinational corporations that apply this strategy. The company targets vehicle designs and models to the changing needs of its worldwide customers. For example, the cars they offer in the European market have smaller engines than the cars they offer in the United States. Canis (4) maintains that the company manufacturers a high fuel economy diesel engine for ECOnetic in Great Britain.
The design of the cars that Ford Company offer in the American market is different from the design of the cars that they offer in the European market. In the American market, the company sells cars that have high engine capacities while in the European market, it sells cars that have low engine capacities. In particular, they design large, automatic cars for the United States market. One of the examples of the cars that the company sells in this market is Ford F-Series (see figure 1).
However, the company does not sell large, automatic cars in the European market. Particularly, the cars that they sell in this market are more compact cars that have low engine capacities. One of the examples of the cars that the company sells in the European market is Ford Focus (see figure 2). Among the factors that cause this product adaptation are the differences in motor vehicle standards in the United States and the European Union. The differences in the consumer tastes and preferences also contribute to this product adaptation.
Ford F-Series Model sold in the American market
Figure 1: Ford F-Series Model. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. <https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/2010_Ford_F-150_Platinum_--_07-10-2010.jpg>.
Ford Focus Model sold in the European market
Figure 2: Ford Focus Model. Digital image. Ford. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. <http://www.ford.co.uk/Cars/Focus/Gallery>.
Works Cited
Canis, Bill. "Why Some Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Are Not Sold Domestically." report to congress, Congressional Research Service. 2012.
Ford Focus Model. Digital image. Ford. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. <http://www.ford.co.uk/Cars/Focus/Gallery>.
Ford F-Series Model. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. <https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/2010_Ford_F-150_Platinum_--_07-10-2010.jpg>.
