The Blue Oval is back. When its credit ratings were upgraded in May of this year, Ford, the storied multinational automaker, reclaimed collateral used to qualify for loans back in 2006. Among the assets recovered: Ford’s revered Blue Oval logo. Its return instilled emotional pride throughout Ford’s global workforce and proved that the company was delivering both on “One Ford” (its vision for a unified global brand) and “Go Further” (its global brand promise). Ford Fusion is yet another example of how the “One Ford” vision and “Go Further” promise are being realized. This high-tech model is the result of a global team coming together to develop a mid-size vehicle with ground-breaking design, solid fuel economy, and technologies that make customers better drivers. In addition to its renewed focus on design and quality, Ford remains an industry leader when it comes to engaging with customers through social media platforms. Ford responds to an average of 2,000 customers weekly via social media and has even begun to fly bloggers and online influencers to key events. Despite its laudable progress, Ford still faces certain challenges — challenges that illustrate how difficult it is for a brand to regain its footing and stay in top form. Ford is working to alleviate consumer frustrations surrounding MyTouch, its market-leading in-car communications and entertainment system. While building on its three years of market share growth in the US, Ford continues to play catch-up in the world’s biggest auto market — China. And just like so many other global brands, Ford is working hard to improve performance in Europe. Ford is doing its part — the Blue Oval is back and the turnaround is complete. Now, if only global economic conditions would cooperate.