I have written often in this blog about what Ford has done with social media – especially since the government bailouts for the big 4 and Ford choosing not to take the money. With Scott Monty – touted as a social media leader especially via Twitter – Ford Fiesta is getting it right!

What has precipitated me writing this post - was a call out from my best friend Debra Oakland, in Laguna, CA. On her Facebook page she asked everyone to follow and support her friend Sebastian and his Ford Fiesta movement. Team Los Angeles. http://www.fiestamovement2.com/los-angeles/team-profile/team-los-angeles. Of course I went to go and see what this was about. I had written about phase one of this marketing plan for the 2011 Ford Fiesta - that has yet to be launched and sold in the US. See below as the 1st chapter is outlined on the Ford Fiesta Movement site. (If you want to read my earlier posts on this subject, type in our search box Ford and those posts will come up.)

“Last year the Fiesta Movement started with our 100 Chapter 1 agents. In the ultimate foreign exchange program, our 100 agents each spent six months behind the wheel of a European Fiesta. They shared their experiences and completed monthly missions to show you what the Ford Fiesta was all about (months and months before it would be available in the U.S.). Visit the Chapter 1 site to find out more about our original 100 agents and what they did on their missions.”

This year they have taken the movement to the next level by engaging the team’s friends and fans to participate. In essence they are asking the fans to do the marketing and advertising by celebrating local creativity and demonstrating - how each team can build a profile for this soon to be launched product. Below is an outline of this years addition to the product launch and campaign.

“For the next chapter of the Fiesta Movement – and in anticipation of Fiesta arriving in the U.S. – we’re letting our fans take a crack at the advertising. They’ll use their creativity to promote the new 2011 Fiesta. And you get to be the judge.” “The Fiesta Movement is bringing ideas and art to life in your backyard. Our teams of agents bring the passion. We bring the public spaces. Support one of the teams near you as they work with the best creative talent they can find in the area to promote the car, host local events and compete for the keys to their own Ford Fiesta. Agents participating in Chapter 2 will get to use a Ford Fiesta over the program period. We’ll pay for the gas. Team members will compete for prizes (of varying dollar amounts) and will have an equal chance to win a Ford Fiesta.

There are so many reasons to love this campaign. It allows the customers to use the product and SHARE their experiences on a daily basis  with their respected community- Facebook, Twitter, Flickr etc. This campaign combines both offline and online  marketing channels - so people can physically go to events, get involved directly and contribute to a team - while learning about a new product and see first hand how that product could add value to their life. The company in this case - Ford presents the product in a way that builds respect, trust and a real human touch to this soon to be launched product. WHY? Because the voice for the product is no longer a one way dialogue from the parent company - but rather a collective voice from all the customers, their friends and fans that can speak to real experiences -which can then be leveraged through various advertising and marketing channels - to help build the momentum and excitement.

It is fun for the teams, supports competition, creativity and passion and for the community  and allows the community be a part of and support a movement with their “tribe” of like -minded community members - while learning about the value of this new product and how it might enhance their lives. Absolutely brilliant.

Every company should be looking at this brilliant marketing and advertising campaign and creating their own versions for 2010 – 2011. It is a true collaboration between social media, the customer, the brand/corporation and the various marketing and advertising channels that can create brand evangelists. In turn corporations get to receive the dedication and passion of those customers who in turn spread the new product love! How easy can it be.

Best Nicole

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 21st, 2010 at 2:57 pm and is filed under Brand Evangelism. Tagged: DEBRA OAKLAND, EUROPEAN FIESTA, Facebook, FLICKR, FORD, FORD FIESTA, FORD FIESTA MOVEMENT, FOURSQUARE, NICOLE MCKINNEY, SCOTT MONTY, SEBASTIAN, SHARE, SOCIAL MEDIA, TEAM, TEAM LOST ANGELES, TWITTER, WWW.BCADGROUP.COM. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.