Looks like the Fiesta's features took a back-seat to the host's. But isn't that how Viral Video works? Nothing to do with the product - is that a successful marketing campaign? Generating views is great and all, but where is the car?
Josh Arnold
· 2 months ago
yes
The Wandering Foodie
· 2 months ago
Instead of "Disclaimer" at the bottom, maybe "Full Disclosure" would be more appropriate?
adamhirsch
· 2 months ago
As a clarification, neither Ford nor the Ford Fiesta Movement nor the Ford Fiesta Agents have ever sponsored anything on Mashable... yet... (I do work in Sales you know ;) ). Our only involvement was working with the Ford Fiesta Agents who donated money directly to the Summer of Social Good Charitable Fund through our partner Global Giving.
Doubledown Tandino
· 2 months ago
Posting the ad on Mashable? Is this what you mean by "buzz"?
Charlio
· 2 months ago
and how does it feel to be "used" as a corporate shill?
defacebook
· 2 months ago
As members of a consumer society we all become corporate shills at one point or another. All it takes is one product recommendation in daily conversation and you're a shill.
Donovan
· 2 months ago
I was part of the market research for this movement. I test drove a Fiesta, which was all kinds of awesome. Then I filled out a marketing questionnaire about the experience, my impressions of Ford in the past, and my likelihood of looking at a Ford/Fiesta for my next car purchase. I never would've considered it based on my past experience with the Ford brand, but I LOVED this ride. Not gonna lie, it changed my perception 180 degrees.
RBLevin
· 2 months ago
The numbers are irrelevant. What matters is how many cars they sold/sell as a result of this campaign. There are lots of ads and campaigns that win awards for creativity, etc., and don't move the sales needle.
Peter
· 2 months ago
You gettin some payola to show this video Ben? Having said that, social media will be an increasingly important element of a total marketing/ad campaign. Duh. Will it completely replace traditional forms of advertising? Again, duh, no. The ones who use it first will benefit the most, al la this one with Ford. Different customer dems will require different channels to connect with and develop. This will be very fun to watch.
Chris Baskind
· 2 months ago
Effective or not, this is a sales campaign -- not a movement.
And this is not an accusation, but was this article a placement? I see the disclaimer, but does that imply a quid pro quo agreement of any kind which resulted in this article being published? Was Ford guaranteed coverage of their Fiesta "movement" in exchange for their sponsorship of the Summer of Social Good campaign?
If not, here's a great opportunity to assure us we've not just been propagandized.
scottmonty
· 2 months ago
There was no quid pro quo, no propaganda. Mashable has covered this innovative campaign a number of times previously, and we submitted a pitch to the editorial staff just like they request on their Twitter page. The numbers were enough to demonstrate its newsworthiness.
Mashable also has also reported on Gary Vaynerchuk's activities after WineLibrary.TV was a Summer of Social Good sponsor as well. It's interesting that there's no comment regarding propaganda in that case or others like it.
Good job Scott, it can take some huevos to publicly stand up for a marketing campaign. Cheers.
Not sure what the angst is all about - this is a site that reports on social media - I for one am glad they cover all aspects, and marketing programs that appear successful seem timely and relevant (to me at least - full disclosure: I'm in marketing). It's not like this article is accompanied by some full page blinking Flash takeover for Ford...
edh
· 2 months ago
Good post Ben.
Scott - Any indication on how sales have been for the 6 months since the campaign started? It would be interesting to see the financial impact of the campaign (ie cost savings from not using traditional media and sales), as well as the non financial ones detailed in the post. You could then demonstrate real ROI. Anyway, good work, keep it up!
scottmonty
· 2 months ago
The vehicle doesn't go on sale until Q2 of 2010. The effort has been largely about building buzz and awareness at this stage. Not only do we have a level of product awareness that surpasses that of vehicles that have been in the market for 2-3 years, but Ford Motor Company is seen as a more "with-it" company in terms of embracing social media.
Expect more information as we actually begin selling cars.
mashable
· 2 months ago
No, we never accept payment in exchange for coverage.
r0cketman22
· 4 weeks ago
I just want to add that I won a chance to eat dinner with Jake & Amir on their Fiesta Movement road trip!
It was awesome. After watching them for years, they just happen to be driving and having dinner in my city.
defacebook
· 2 months ago
In a consumer society that worships the almighty dollar, a sales campaign and a "movement" are both considered "just causes". Maybe that makes you queasy (it should).
This is the first time I've actually read what the #fiestamovement was about. I saw so many people using the hashtag, but no explanation. Due to my confusion, I found @pop17's constant tweets (with the hashtag) frustrating, and unfollowed for a bit.
I don't care much for Ford. If it was Subaru, then I might have want to be involved.
That said, nice try by Ford. At least they 'get it'. :)
playboypaul
· 2 months ago
it would probably work with a better car that the fiesta, impressive campaign nonetheless
defacebook
· 2 months ago
better than a fiesta? in whose opinion? based on what criteria?
playboypaul
· 2 months ago
well im sure anyone will agree that there's lots of cars better than a fiesta, i'd suggest using one of those. ford doesn't make the best looking cars, well u may think they do.
defacebook
· 2 months ago
"Looks" are too subjective a criteria. I've known people who loved the looks of the Pontiac Aztec and hated the looks of the Chrysler 300 and Crossfire. As for the Fiesta -- I find it neither beautiful or hideous -- merely acceptable for its segment. Better to judge cars based on measurable criteria: Things Gone Wrong, fuel economy, crash test ratings and let looks be the x factor that makes or breaks a purchase decision.
Pedro Laboy
· 2 months ago
sure, I guess when you pay others to post your "viral" content any social campaign can go a long way.
diannemlambo
· 2 months ago
I test drove a Fiesta, which was all kinds of awesome. Then I filled out a marketing questionnaire about the experience, my impressions of Ford in the past, and my likelihood of looking at a Ford/Fiesta for my next car purchase.
I had no idea this "movement" was happening....but I'll let the numbers decide.
Netta
· 2 months ago
social media is beboming a most...
cocreatr
· 2 months ago
I admire Ford for being so unafraid as to try new media and marketing models, all that in an industry known for its slow solid progress and organizational inertia. What really might sell a few cars more could be the social landscape you can build among the customers, fans, enthusiasts. Help the tribe to find each other, connect and collaborate. They are doing it already, and shifting to 2.0 gear will show how much speed gain and traction comes with it.
trinest
· 2 months ago
Social media can sell cars- but just not Fords.
tous les jeux
· 2 months ago
Saw this on twitter. Very interesting because it does begin to burst that purity bubble that the internet and social media are pure plays without a hidden agenda. But in reality, to survive, Corporations and institutions must find a way to control it, even if unofficially. We saw that in similar fashion with how Obama ussed social media to get his message out. Were his evangelists any different that these folks….they weren’t directly rewarded perhaps, hard to tell…. tickets to the inagural ball? :-)
Maria D and Brad S
· 2 months ago
Greetings everyone. My name is Maria and I'm one of the Ford Fiesta agents from Miami. I got involved in this not only because I wanted the fun and the opportunity to create great content for my blog, but also because I wanted to experience it from a professional angle. I'm also involved in social media and online community managing.
That video is not an ad; it's a video made by another Ford Fiesta agent. I'm not a "money" person and I have no idea if this will help Ford's bottom line in the end when it comes to selling cars, but I can tell you that from professional perspective that this has got to be one of the most brilliant campaigns ever. It fully engages us as ambassadors without us being hardcore sales people. We are not required to yap about the Fiesta constantly and we can pretty much say whatever we want. The only thing we're not allowed to do in our videos is shoot something stupid -- ie, driving without a seat belt, that sort of thing. Ford took a great risk in putting these cars in our hands.
And I'm not just saying all this because I'm part of it. The level of reward for the participants has been immense, even without any cash being involved. (We do not get paid. We only get some discretionary spending cash to help with our missions.) The whole process has been very organic, warm and fuzzy, and not at all pushy or forced. And from an administrative point of view, the people involved in this from Ford's end have been on the ball the whole time with us. It has also been a very well-organized process.
Because I've been blogging about our missions (some blog posts have won awards based on popularity), you bet your stick shift that the majority of my readers and Twitter followers in Miami and elsewhere are going to remember the brand. But here's the thing -- the stories involving the car really are never *about* the car. The car is secondary, and *that* is what is brilliant about it. I've been able to provide super rich content for my readers and followers, without "selling" a damn thing.
Ben, feel free to interview me if you want to get more into this. This is a great social media topic. Thanks for posting!
Free Wii Points
· 2 months ago
Interesting, Ford did a good job with this campaign.
totuck
· 2 months ago
Ben: you write that they've had "8 million+ eyeballs" I think what you meant is that they had 8 million+ viewers, which would translate to 16 million+ eyeballs (assuming most of their viewers aren't pirates).
defacebook
· 2 months ago
arrrghhh, matey. you make a good point, even if it did poke me in my one good eye.
Jeff Korhan
· 2 months ago
Only Ford can answer if this was a success. Only they know their goals, budgets, and future plans. If they feel they received value from it, then indeed it was a success.
What I would like to comment on is this "disclaimer" and "full disclosure" business that seems to surround these kind of events. Is it necessary? Just because those comments are made doesn't take us back to square one, as some bloggers involved in campaigns like this seem to believe. It only makes people more curious.
We know the game has changed whenever there is a value exchange. Human behavior is affected by any kind of "touch" - whether that be a tangible exchange, or even a simple gesture like a nod or a smile. We know that. Can't we just leave it at that and let the network decide?
In my mind, it would be better just to do it without any disclaimers or apologies. In my view, that's a purer form of marketing, and especially social media marketing.
bibowski
· 2 months ago
I saw the fiesta for 10 seconds in that video, followed by many minutes of annoying woman. I don't get it...
eDDi Hughes
· 2 months ago
damn, she's married. gtfo!
Peter Berger
· 2 months ago
A genius idea. Companies can brand a product with little costs. And they reach the younger audience. Perfect.
tdaloisio
· 2 months ago
This analysis of success is somewhat in a "vacuum" as there is no idea of the "cost" to pull this all together. You mention not a dollar spent on traditional media, but not how many dollars were spent on the movement at large.
I think these campaigns are important...but social media is currently getting a pass on the ROI metrics that traditional and other more standard online campaigns are held to because all parties involved "want" them to work. Not saying that's the case here...but there is an important data point missing on the input side of the equation.
One of the biggest advantages with Ford Fiesta is its brand visibility. Achieving a place in the "top-of-the-mind" recall of consumers is a very challenging task for any brand from any industry.
With such a huge percentage of interested potential customers, it is an achievement for Ford to make an impression on so many people at a cost that is small fraction of traditional advertising. I believe this is a good move by Ford as far as advertising cost-cuts is concerned. However, a competing brand that is able to integrate both offline and online media for promotional purposes could have an edge in the long-run.
Having said that, a lot depends on the quality of the product as well.
jonnybgood
· 2 months ago
I think it was a brave trial campaign given the situation in the auto industry and the fact that the Fiesta has been out of the US market for so long. The only thing is that they could have thught through the timings a bit better - the car won't be available for quite a while so they're going have to work hard to maintain the momentum. Fair play to them, though.
John LoFranco
· 2 months ago
Putting the fiesta through the social media car wash does not make it a winner. While social media may seem like the solution to every great what is the next big thing question, it has limitations. Just because a car company believes it will succeed because they have bridged into this new niche market, it doesn't mean they have consumers willing to buy. Following a Ford Fiesta is completely different than purchasing a Ford Fiesta. It make appear tempting to unleash social media upon perspective Ford customers, but it still is a long way away from proving it can actually sell cars.
defacebook
· 2 months ago
Well, yeah, the success of the Fiesta in terms of actual sales remains to be seen because it isn't on sale yet (in the U.S.), but the campaign is undoubtedly successful because people have taken notice and are writing about it. It's funny how people criticize a company when it tries to do something new or unique almost more than they criticize a company that does the same old thing or nothing at all. It's tired.
Name
· 2 months ago
Fared the recession, not faired the recession.
Rajashekhar Sharma
· 2 months ago
I think Ford's campaign will succeed very well, although nothing is for sure. I am planning on buying it. I have fallen in love with this very loveable car.
Kristen
· 2 months ago
I think it is pretty exciting for an "old corporate company" to step into a new arena for connecting with customers and building the Fiesta brand.
Tobias Merriman
· 2 months ago
Can't watch that video, she's just too fucking annoying. No fords for me.
me
· 2 months ago
Brilliant, that's using your head (you figure out which one).
There is no way to measure intent to buy in social media so while the "buzz" appears good; though, I've followed this campaign in detail and most of it is a circle jerk of Fiesta Agents commenting and sharing other Fiesta Agent content. Anyway, it's an interesting experiement but no one car has been sold on none of the metrics show intent to buy so your article's title is foolish.
Agent58
· 2 months ago
My content is all orginal buddy. I can't tell you the amount of facebook and twitter friends and followers I have just because they like the car. I'd like to think it's because of my good looks. http://fiestamovement.com/agents/view/58
pekayak
· 1 month ago
Go Ford! It's great to see them using new media to reach their audience. Fiesta is a car targeted at a younger audience. I hope the campagin works and shows great results for Ford. And, kudos to them for not needing to accept stimulus funds.
MJCR
· 4 weeks ago
'Corporate shill'? Jeez, get over it. Stop reading Naomi Klein and grow up.
The whole media relies almost 100% on advertising. No advertising = no favourite tv shows, movies, websites, blah blah blah.
Most people have enough grey matter to understand the concept of a commercial. Its how people sell stuff for goodness sakes. Thankfully sellers can't yet telepathically communicate with potential buyers. So we have advertising.
All Comments
And this is not an accusation, but was this article a placement? I see the disclaimer, but does that imply a quid pro quo agreement of any kind which resulted in this article being published? Was Ford guaranteed coverage of their Fiesta "movement" in exchange for their sponsorship of the Summer of Social Good campaign?
If not, here's a great opportunity to assure us we've not just been propagandized.
Mashable also has also reported on Gary Vaynerchuk's activities after WineLibrary.TV was a Summer of Social Good sponsor as well. It's interesting that there's no comment regarding propaganda in that case or others like it.
Scott Monty
Global Digital Communications
Ford Motor Company
@ScottMonty
Not sure what the angst is all about - this is a site that reports on social media - I for one am glad they cover all aspects, and marketing programs that appear successful seem timely and relevant (to me at least - full disclosure: I'm in marketing). It's not like this article is accompanied by some full page blinking Flash takeover for Ford...
Scott - Any indication on how sales have been for the 6 months since the campaign started? It would be interesting to see the financial impact of the campaign (ie cost savings from not using traditional media and sales), as well as the non financial ones detailed in the post. You could then demonstrate real ROI. Anyway, good work, keep it up!
Expect more information as we actually begin selling cars.
It was awesome. After watching them for years, they just happen to be driving and having dinner in my city.
See spanish version in http://tecnologiaenmarketing.blogspot.com/2009/...
I don't care much for Ford. If it was Subaru, then I might have want to be involved.
That said, nice try by Ford. At least they 'get it'. :)
fiesta, i'd suggest using one of those. ford doesn't make the best looking
cars, well u may think they do.
objectifs
That video is not an ad; it's a video made by another Ford Fiesta agent. I'm not a "money" person and I have no idea if this will help Ford's bottom line in the end when it comes to selling cars, but I can tell you that from professional perspective that this has got to be one of the most brilliant campaigns ever. It fully engages us as ambassadors without us being hardcore sales people. We are not required to yap about the Fiesta constantly and we can pretty much say whatever we want. The only thing we're not allowed to do in our videos is shoot something stupid -- ie, driving without a seat belt, that sort of thing. Ford took a great risk in putting these cars in our hands.
And I'm not just saying all this because I'm part of it. The level of reward for the participants has been immense, even without any cash being involved. (We do not get paid. We only get some discretionary spending cash to help with our missions.) The whole process has been very organic, warm and fuzzy, and not at all pushy or forced. And from an administrative point of view, the people involved in this from Ford's end have been on the ball the whole time with us. It has also been a very well-organized process.
Because I've been blogging about our missions (some blog posts have won awards based on popularity), you bet your stick shift that the majority of my readers and Twitter followers in Miami and elsewhere are going to remember the brand. But here's the thing -- the stories involving the car really are never *about* the car. The car is secondary, and *that* is what is brilliant about it. I've been able to provide super rich content for my readers and followers, without "selling" a damn thing.
Ben, feel free to interview me if you want to get more into this. This is a great social media topic. Thanks for posting!
What I would like to comment on is this "disclaimer" and "full disclosure" business that seems to surround these kind of events. Is it necessary? Just because those comments are made doesn't take us back to square one, as some bloggers involved in campaigns like this seem to believe. It only makes people more curious.
We know the game has changed whenever there is a value exchange. Human behavior is affected by any kind of "touch" - whether that be a tangible exchange, or even a simple gesture like a nod or a smile. We know that. Can't we just leave it at that and let the network decide?
In my mind, it would be better just to do it without any disclaimers or apologies. In my view, that's a purer form of marketing, and especially social media marketing.
I think these campaigns are important...but social media is currently getting a pass on the ROI metrics that traditional and other more standard online campaigns are held to because all parties involved "want" them to work. Not saying that's the case here...but there is an important data point missing on the input side of the equation.
http://www.seodoom.info/2009/09/what-is-meant-b...
With such a huge percentage of interested potential customers, it is an achievement for Ford to make an impression on so many people at a cost that is small fraction of traditional advertising. I believe this is a good move by Ford as far as advertising cost-cuts is concerned. However, a competing brand that is able to integrate both offline and online media for promotional purposes could have an edge in the long-run.
Having said that, a lot depends on the quality of the product as well.
http://fiestamovement.com/agents/view/58
http://fiestamovement.com/agents/view/58
The whole media relies almost 100% on advertising. No advertising = no favourite tv shows, movies, websites, blah blah blah.
Most people have enough grey matter to understand the concept of a commercial. Its how people sell stuff for goodness sakes. Thankfully sellers can't yet telepathically communicate with potential buyers. So we have advertising.
Its just a car. We need them to get from A to B.
Ford is not the Stasi.