# FordDirect

> FordDirect is the joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its franchised dealers that supplies digital marketing, advertising, dealer technology and data integrations. Its Ford and Lincoln retail focus combines websites, CRM and lead handling with inventory merchandising and The Shop, a curated marketplace of third-party dealership solutions.

- **Founded:** 2000
- **Headquarters:** Dearborn, United States
- **Founders:** Ford Motor Company (Joint venture founding partner), Ford Division dealers (Joint venture founding partners), Leo Hillock (Originator of the joint venture proposal; founding management team member)
- **Products:** Dealer websites and social tools, Digital marketing and advertising, CRM and customer engagement, Digital retailing and chat, VINReal
- **Notable:** Expanded from 15 New Jersey dealers in December 2000 to more than 2,500 participating dealers and coverage in all 50 states by December 2001., Reported referral-attributed sales exceeding 9% of Ford Division sales in August 2005; a historical company claim, not a current market-share figure., Launched The Shop on January 16, 2024 with eight named vendors.

## Products & services

- **Dealer websites and social tools** — Mobile-friendly dealer websites, SEO, FordDirect integrations and social content and response management.
- **Digital marketing and advertising** — Search, display, social and video advertising with Ford data integrations; AdVantage works with approved advertising providers.
- **CRM and customer engagement** — Lead management, personalized communications, marketing automation and engagement analysis.
- **Digital retailing and chat** — Online deal structuring for payments, trade-ins and credit applications, plus shopper chat and after-hours support.
- **VINReal** — With eVN, generates VIN-specific computer-rendered new-vehicle imagery using Ford build data; video products also use dealer photography for used vehicles.
- **Vehicle Locator Plus** — Inventory and imagery distribution tool used with VINReal and dealer inventory integrations.
- **The Shop** — Curated marketplace of vetted vendors with pre-negotiated pricing for Ford and Lincoln dealers and eligible group stores.
- **Reputation and listings** — Review and reputation tools and accurate business listings across online platforms.
- **Certified Integrated Lead Management** — Canadian program routes Ford and Lincoln online leads directly to dealership CRM systems, with ConsumerLINK as backup.

## Achievements

- Expanded from 15 New Jersey dealers in December 2000 to more than 2,500 participating dealers and coverage in all 50 states by December 2001.
- Reported referral-attributed sales exceeding 9% of Ford Division sales in August 2005; a historical company claim, not a current market-share figure.
- Launched The Shop on January 16, 2024 with eight named vendors.

## Latest updates

- **2025-11** — Chris Thornton became CEO, succeeding Dean Stoneley, who moved to a global product-marketing role at Ford.
- **2026-01** — Tracy Noonan Fred appointed COO; announcement described a team of 300+.
- **2026-01** — FrogData joined The Shop with service-operations intelligence and hyperlocal service marketing.
- **2026-09** — The Shop newsletter featured Dealer Pay, WarrCloud, Worldwide BDC and FrogData resources.

## Links

- Website: https://www.forddirect.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/forddirect/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/forddirect
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShopByFordDirect
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FordDirect/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/forddirect
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-01