HORSESHOE BAY, Texas — Neglect the boring coaching movies and bulleted brochures.

To raised acquaint its retail community with the 2021 Bronco SUV, Ford Motor Co. ditched the usual informational supplies for a novel, hands-on boot camp within the mud and rocky crags of Texas Hill Nation.

The automaker invited representatives from every of its greater than 3,000 U.S. dealerships to return to the Bronco Off-Roadeo, a 360-acre driving college it created outdoors of Austin as a free perk for brand spanking new Bronco house owners. Sellers received the primary crack at traversing miles of curated trails earlier than the positioning opened to prospects so they may higher promote the brand new SUV and construct pleasure for a subbrand that Ford hopes will steal gross sales and market share from Jeep.

“Most of us aren’t skilled off- roaders,” stated Brian Farnsworth, a list supervisor at Marcotte Ford in Holyoke, Mass., who attended in Could with the shop’s president and basic supervisor. “If you discuss phrases like ‘strategy angle’ and ‘stabilizer bar disconnects,’ they actually confirmed us what these issues are and what they accomplish that we are able to discuss it extra intelligently.”

Supplier reps acquired technical briefings on the automobile’s varied elements, realized about voluntary facility upgrade opportunities and noticed most of the equipment they will promote alongside the two-door Bronco, four-door Bronco and Bronco Sport crossover. Skilled subject guides helped attendees navigate difficult trails earlier than they completed the day with a communal bonfire and meal at base camp.

“From the time you drive in underneath the large arches with the Bronco marquee, you acknowledge you are in a spot Ford has actually put some cash into and achieved proper,” stated Wes Studdard, vp of Bluebonnet Motors in New Braunfels, Texas. “I have been to totally different trainings we have achieved, however by no means have I been to a coaching facility like this.”

Ford constructed the college’s 5,500-square-foot lodge from scratch and included personalised touches, together with historic Bronco artifacts, exterior lighting fixtures which have the nameplate’s bucking horse emblem and benches made with tailgates from basic fashions.

There’s additionally a retailer stuffed with Bronco-branded mugs, hats, shirts and different attire.

The automaker declined to say how a lot it spent on the positioning, one among 4 Off-Roadeo faculties deliberate throughout the U.S. It additionally would not focus on the price of the seller coaching, which ran over six weeks. Ford invited journalists to see and drive the Bronco for the primary time right here in June earlier than opening the property to the primary Bronco house owners final week.

“It is a important funding, however we predict it is actually essential to coach the sellers and construct the model,” stated Mark Grueber, Ford’s U.S. shopper advertising supervisor. “The extra immersive you may get with the sellers to assist them perceive — not simply driving round a parking zone making an attempt to elucidate off-road functionality — the extra they get from it.”

Ford hasn’t supplied such hands-on experiences prior to now. Whereas the corporate has an Octane Academy driving college for its Ford Efficiency merchandise, it has never introduced out retailers en masse for devoted coaching classes resembling this.

The corporate supplied a free cross for one particular person from every dealership to attend the Off-Roadeo, although many shops paid additional to ship extra workers.

Studdard, who was among the many first sellers to attend, stated he despatched about 20 workers from his Ford retailer, which is an hour-and-a-half drive away.

“As quickly as I got here again, we registered as many gross sales consultants as we may rise up there,” Studdard stated. “We see the profit the place, in the event that they expertise it firsthand, they will be capable of talk it to the shopper far more successfully.”

Ford conceived of the concept for the Off-Roadeo early within the Bronco’s growth as a part of its plan to problem Jeep.

Jeep Jamborees have been standard for years, however this system is run by a non-public firm. Jeep final 12 months introduced the launch of what it calls an Adventure Academy, which is able to happen this 12 months and mirror a lot of what the Off-Roadeo presents.

Ford is also planning Off-Roadeo websites in Moab, Utah; outdoors Las Vegas; and at a yet-to-be-disclosed location within the Northeast after a Vermont ski resort pulled out in response to opposition from nearby residents.

Ford discovered the Texas location, which beforehand was a non-public ranch, by a consulting accomplice, Adventure ORX.

Dave Rivers, Ford’s SUV advertising supervisor for the U.S., stated the corporate heard from many potential Bronco house owners who need to go off-roading however weren’t acquainted with the specifics.

“We felt a accountability in that schooling,” Rivers stated. “A part of that’s wanting to show them the best way to do it the suitable manner, as a result of it may be intimidating. Our purpose is to permit that novice to really feel like an skilled.”

Bronco prospects, just like the sellers, should pay for their very own resort and journey prices however can have free entry to the positioning’s trails and guides for a multiple-day expertise. They prepare in a fleet of company-owned automobiles so there is no concern about dinging up their brand-new Broncos — and to allow them to attend even earlier than taking supply, as they anticipate Ford to work by its two-year backlog of orders.

Studdard, who has a four-door Bronco First Version on order, plans to do one other Off-Roadeo expertise as an proprietor, however subsequent time he needs to attempt the Moab location.

“It is a whole lot of enjoyable to be on the market and see how this factor can rock crawl and ford water,” he stated. “What they’ve laid out I would by no means do by myself, however with the trainers speaking you thru it, it is very easy to know.”