As part of Ford's turnaround efforts, the automaker plans to increase its marketing outlays in 2007 - as well as mix up the media mix.

Ford Motor Co. will spend "heavily" on marketing, "placing more bets on emerging technology," John Felice, general marketing manager on the Ford brand, is quoted by MediaPost as saying Tuesday at a Bank of America auto conference. Felice did not say how much Ford would up spending in 2007, but he did say that marketing increases in 2006 and 2007 are key to Ford Motor's "Way Forward" revitalization plan.

In 2005, Ford Motor was the country's sixth-largest advertiser, spending $2.4 billion, according to Ad Age. But TV won't be getting as much as it once did, though "it's still a very important element of your marketing mix," Felice said - nevertheless pointing out that "the days of running a 30-second commercial on three major networks are over."

Now "it's much more broad, much more deep, much more integrated and experiential," he said, mentioning media options such as VOD, cell phones and gaming, as well as user-generated content and YouTube, in the context of Ford's largest digital spending commitment to date - for the launch of the crossover Edge.