Ford Explorer 2011 to be Unveiled on Facebook First, Fan Numbers Skyrocket
Yesterday an article on the unveiling of the Ford Explorer 2011 model came out on Inside Facebook, a site tracking the uses and changes to Facebook for marketers and developers. In the article, the author discusses the logistics of the campaign, what Ford is doing well, and what is lacking. He sites the number of fans for the Explorer-specific page at just over 3,000.
Checking in with the page this morning, that number has soared to nearly 4,000. Good news for Ford, and for marketers who want to use Facebook as a platform for disseminating information. The lesson here: If you build it, they won’t come. If you use it (with interesting content, of course) it has enormous potential.
So what is Ford doing right? First off, they’re starting with their core group of supporters. By unveiling this information exclusively to those who are engaged with the brand on Facebook, they’re recognizing and expressing the importance of this group. This maneuver will also bring in those who were previously fans of the brand, but not participating on the Facebook page. Their attraction to this information will drive their desire to be a part of this community.
Ford is one of the brands at the forefront of social media brand integration. From the Inside Facebook article:
While some say that revealing the new Explorer on Facebook rather than at an auto show is risky, Ford has had a lot of success with its social media endeavors in the past. The launch of the new Ford Fiesta has received a lot of buzz, with much of the online chatter generated by the Fiesta Movement, which Ford launched last year almost exclusively through a number of social networks. Ford also used Facebook and other networks to generate interest in their Fusion Hybrid with last year’s Fusion 41 challenge, and benefited from leaked information about the 2011 Mustang late last year.
We’ll have to keep tabs on the growth from here, but this example is shaping up to be a very interesting case study for both new product introduction and auto industry corporate communications.
Excellent read, thanks. Always searching out for unusual and wonderful things to read