games

banggood 18% OFF Magic Cabin Hat Country LLC HearthSong 15% Off Your First Purchase! Code: WELCOME15 Stacy Adams

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Ford creates Facebook app that takes people on a virtual trip in the Focus ... - Detroit Free Press

facebook - Google News
Google News
Ford creates Facebook app that takes people on a virtual trip in the Focus ... - Detroit Free Press
Apr 12th 2012, 18:44

Ford has created a Facebook app that allows people to take a virtual trip in the Focus Electric.

"Plug N Play in Electric City with the 2012 Focus Electric" is the latest social media promotion by Ford to stir interest in new vehicles.

Jim Farley, head of global marketing, sales and service, sees Ford's reliance on social media as a "subtle difference between us and many other car companies."

The Facebook game will augment another initiative announced earlier this week where Ford and Yahoo joined forces to launch a reality show with teams competing in a scavenger hunt in their Focus Electrics. The show will be streamed on Yahoo in May.

The Focus Electric went into production in December, but dealers sold only 12 in March as the $40,000 vehicle slowly rolls out to dealers. Farley said advertising has been focused on electric vehicle buyers and areas of the country where these buyers are concentrated.

Farley has been a driving force behind Ford's embrace of social media. Ford used Facebook to unveil the current Explorer rather than a traditional auto and social media created a buzz for the Fiesta long before it went on sale in the U.S.

Another precedent is the creation of a network television show called "Escape Routes" where the utility vehicle is the star in a reality show contest.

These initiatives increasingly are becoming Ford's avenue of choice to promote vehicles and brands – as opposed to a heavy emphasis on television and other traditional outlets where as much as 15% of the cost is in production.

"If a Ken Block video works better to promote the company, spending $10,000, than a $3 million Super Bowl ad, I'm much more proud of that Ken Block video online," Farley said in an interview.

"I take particular pride in the fact that last year we were the only car company that wasn't on the Super Bowl," he said.

Digital advertising also allows consumers a forum to engage with Ford and its products.

"If I'm going to invest billions of dollars in marketing, I'm also responsible for the sales on Monday morning. I care about efficiency and impact," Farley said.

Contact Alisa Priddle: 313-222-5394 or apriddle@freepress.com

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

No comments:

Post a Comment