Parasocial engagement and starting a corporate family in ford times, 1908 to 1917

This article tells the birth story of Ford Times, a company magazine created by the Ford Motor Company from 1908 to 1917 for dealers and consumers. The magazine detailed more than new models for sale: it combined narratives about automobile use, food, farming, rural life, nationhood, and family with the Ford brand in order to build a reader community, inspire bonds with corporate stakeholders, and strengthen loyalty to a brand that secured the automobile’s place in American culture. Using the concept of parasocial engagement, this research examines how narratives circulated in Ford Times fostered connections with the company, fellow readers, and brand.