One of the big questions out there for many marketers is—what kind of advertising and marketing could be and should be leveraged from social media sites? How are our customers using these sites and how does it relate to our brand? I have spoken before about the maven circle we all have in our lives. I do believe that social media really allows brands the opportunity to reach those mavens and use them to tout their experiences to their perspective circles. We all have those “go to” people that we seek out for specific things in our lives. Now that circle is beginning to expand with blogs, twitter and Facebook all providing opportunities for people to talk about the products and services they like—or dislike.
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Ford is leading the pack when it comes to finding ways to engage their consumer. They have just created a campaign where they are selecting customers to be given a Ford Fiesta car and in return, have them blog about their experiences with the car. It is this kind of creativity, brand building and viral marketing plan that allows the customers to not only engage—but actually become the brand evangelist and brand ambassador for the company. They now have the opportunity to direct the messaging in a way that empowers them.
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