Ford, a legendary brand that is part of the fabric of American culture, is out in front on the race to embrace social media.
Last April, we brought Ford’s Fiesta Movement to your attention. Now USA TODAY is on the story.
In April, Ford tapped 100 top bloggers and gave them a Fiesta for six months. The catch: Once a month, they’re required to upload a video on YouTube about the car, and they’re encouraged to talk — no holds barred — about the Fiesta on their blogs, Facebook and Twitter.
“It’s extremely important to this company’s history,” says Scott Monty, whose job as head of social media at Ford was created about a year ago to take advantage of the growing social-networking wave. “It’s about culture change and adapting to this ongoing way of communicating. The bloggers are fully free to say what they want.”
It appears that Scott Monty and Ford means what it says. Take a look:
Viewed through the standard creative department lens, there’s not much in the video above to celebrate. But is that the best way to judge this type of work? Doesn’t consumer generated content for the social space demand a new standard for measuring not only quality, but success?
Here’s how I see it. From a “Ford has balls” perspective, it’s a big win. But like any effort to build a brand, social media marketing will ultimately be brought before the “Have you moved the needle for us?” council.
The vehicle will be available in the U.S. early next year. If a bunch of YouTube obsessed millennials bum rush their local Ford dealer at that time, Scott Monty will be a hero.
I’d like to see him and Ford succeed. How about you?