It’s an understatement to say that the last 8 years have been a struggle for Ford Motor Co., as well as the majority of their competitors. The industry as a whole has suffered immensely, including restructuring, plant closings and massive job cuts. Somehow, Ford has managed to not only stay afloat, but to open doors to a world of new possibilities and a slew of new prospective buyers.

For Ford, 1st quarter 2010 marked the fourth straight quarter that the company has been in the black, and with a $2.1 billion net income at that. A combination of the 2-year creative marketing campaign (Ford. Drive One.), a steadily improving reputation in the market and the most positive buzz currently in the industry, Ford has established itself as the nation’s top auto brand, image-wise.

According to Matt VanDyke, Director of U.S. Marketing Communications for Ford, the company has discovered the power of social media over the last year, and has utilized the growing medium in several campaigns for various models, including the Fiesta, Super Duty Truck and the new Ford Mustang. Between YouTube videos, Twitter, Flickr and webisodes, Ford is currently averaging a 14% conversion rate with consumers, which smothers the typical rate of 1- 2%. With the newly found success of social media, combined with the traditional media flights, Ford is fully prepared to continue its momentum for the next 5 years.

While the success should continue to build, Ford must also continue to tackle the few consumer misconceptions that linger. Dave Sargent, VP of Global Research at J.D. Power states, “Producing vehicles with world-class quality is just part of the battle…Convincing consumers to believe in their quality is equally as important.”

Success and an ever-growing positive reputation should help overcome any obstacle, as long as Ford Motor Co. remembers to not take their eyes off of the ultimate prize and continue to keep new products coming.