Social Media Helps Shape Ford Business

SYDNEY – November 30, 2010: TWITTER, Facebook and YouTube are changing the way Ford is doing business.

The Blue Oval is embracing emerging digital media, which includes web sites and social media to help build awareness of its products across many markets, including Australia.

Ford Australia Vice President Marketing, Sales and Service, Beth Donovan, said the company was on-board with the changing consumer landscape and sees social media working in conjunction with more traditional print and television marketing.

"We're seeing a real shift in attitudes among our buyers," she said.

Ford Australia's recent campaign 'Who's Most Likely' and the 'Feel the Difference' brand direction show that the company message has become more stylish, targeted and appealing to a wider audience, Donovan said.

"'Who's Most Likely', as a communications platform, worked well for us based on our three pillars - fuel economy, safety/quality and technology," she said.

"We're now seeing a huge spike in our website traffic when our ads are screened on TV."

Donovan said this audience was increasingly mobile and technologically driven.

"So we have to be where they are – and that's on web-based social media sites as well as print and television."

Ford has developed its message locally to reflect today's more technologically savvy customer, without forgetting its core enthusiasts or mature buyers.

The latest sophisticated television advertisements for Fiesta, Falcon and Territory are a sign of things to come.

Ford Australia General Manager Marketing, David Katic, said 2011 promised to be a big year with the arrival of the Territory diesel, next-generation Focus, Falcon EcoBoost four-cylinder and new Ranger utility.

"Two years ago we acknowledged that we would have to raise the level of consideration for the brand because we knew what was coming," Katic said.

"We knew that we'd have the 50th anniversary Falcon this year as well as the Fiesta and 2011 presents new opportunities.

"Fiesta has leadership, not just in design but quality and features. It's a car that you can purchase for less than $20,000 that has iPod and Bluetooth ®^ connectivity standard."

Specific social media strategies are also helping target Ford's message to a wider on-line audience. Ford currently has 7000 fans on its Falcon Turns 50 Facebook site and 5000 fans at the myFord Australia site.

Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo also have their own Facebook pages while a Territory owners group Facebook page continues to resonate with customers.

Ford has also come on board with bloggers too. Its Territory blog at www.kidspot.com.au was a big hit among families.

Several families were chosen to spend a month living with the Territory. They were asked to blog about their adventures as the "Ford Mummy bloggers" for the family oriented Kidspot website.

"Our Mummy bloggers talked about the positives of the Territory," Donovan said. The blog was also uncensored, which helped in giving real-world insights into what customers expected of their SUV.

Katic said today's customers were wary of companies purely using social or digital media as a "hard sell".

"We want people to consider us because we have smart technology, great fuel economy and high quality," he said.

"But people aren't going to believe that just because we say it. They have to see it in the embodiment of the product."

Ford's "Who's Most Likely" campaign was born of a product-driven renaissance that was starting to put more Fords on people's shopping lists.

The company has just launched the updated Fiesta, which comes in sedan, hatch and new six-speed Powershift automatic, as well as the refreshed Mondeo, with technologies often found in more expensive luxury sedans.

^Bluetooth is a trademark of Bluetooth SIG Inc., and is used under licence.