Ford Motors Is Conquering Social Media In A Big Way
by Marieke Hensel+ on June 27, 2012
Social media is currently one of the most effective ways to launch a new product and build a company’s image. Ford Motor is at the forefront when it comes to innovative social media campaigns and participating with prospective customers through sites like Facebook and Twitter. Let’s take a look at how the company is utilizing social media to further their brand.
Social Media Enables Companies To Be Proactive
Most companies monitor social media sites in order to gauge public opinion and address concerns. However, Ford has a team of employees who focus primarily on addressing any issues with the brand or its products on popular sites such as Twitter and Facebook. The goal is to respond back to any concerns in less than 4 hours. The difference between Ford’s method versus that of other companies is that the auto maker is being proactive and actively seeking out individuals with questions instead of the other way around. Social media has allows them to reach out to consumers; the company estimates that they respond to around two thousand individuals every week.
Social Media Over Traditional Advertising
Superbowl season is generally known as prime time advertising time with 30 second ad spots costing in the millions of dollars. Ford has not run any commercials during the Superbowl during the past few years. Instead they have focused on social media campaigns which are generally more affordable and it looks like these campaigns are paying off in a big way.
Advertising Through A Reality Competition Show
Ford is promoting the Focus Electric car through an internet reality show which will air on Yahoo called “Plugged In”. Competitors have to follow clues in the hopes of winning a brand new Ford Focus electric car. This marketing campaign is a bit different from Ford’s previous campaigns since the brand is showcasing their product through a reality show. It’s definitely a novel concept and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Ford’s Explosive Fiesta Launch On Facebook
One of Ford’s most well received campaigns was the “Fiesta Movement”; the launch of the Ford Fiesta car in the U.S. Ford invited one hundred popular bloggers to test out the Fiesta and write about their experience on their blogs. The campaign was started well in advance before the Fiesta was even launched and resulted in immense buzz and excitement.
All in all, Ford shows that innovation and creative thinking are key when it comes to promoting ones brand and products. One of the main advantages of social media is the ability to get people to tell others about your product and it will continue to be an important medium when it comes to advertising.
About the Author:
Written by Jezabell Lee – Companies such as Enterprise Car Sales can reach a large market by utilizing social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
