Ford’s Internet Marketing

By Matthew Garcia

Goals

• To attract new consumers.• To maintain consumers that

have already been attained.Projected Percentage of Marketing Budget

to be Spent by Ford in 2012

Traditional MarketingInternet Market -ing

37%63%

Percentage of Marketing Budget Spent by Ford in 2010

Traditional MarketingInternet Market -ing

25%

75%

Techniques

• Buzz Campaigns • Social Marketing• Contests• Mobile Advertising• Partnerships• Ford Social

Ford Fiesta Movement

• Ford Fiesta Movement campaign involved social media.• 100 media-aware Individuals drove the Fiesta pre-

release.• Blogged about experience on Twitter, Facebook,

YouTube, and Flickr.• Word of mouth proved effective, people are growing

less trusting of corporations.• 11 million Social Networking impressions, 5 million

interactions on social networks, 11,000 videos posted, 15,000 tweets, 13,000 photos, 50,000 hand raisers.

Focus Doug Campaign

• Focus Doug campaign also involved social media.

• Online-only videos on Facebook that promoted Ford Focus.

• Videos featured orange, witty, hand puppet, Doug.

• Videos created buzz, 61 percent increase of Focus consideration.

Partnering with Pointroll and Tremor

• Ford partnered with PointRoll and Tremor, two video ad companies.

• Pointroll powers majority of media rich ads, Tremor can reach 90% of Internet users.

• Delivered locally-targeted ads for Ford vehicles.

• Partnership was effective, as shown by a 15% increase in overall metrics.

Working with Pandora

• Ford also partnered with Pandora, a radio leader.• Aim was to integrate Ford into Pandora’s

medium.• Instead of interrupting a user’s experience,

campaign aimed to complement it.• Users able to listen to John Legend or Jewel, Ford

donated to artists charity when shared song• 21% of listeners said they were more likely to

purchase a Ford vehicle after the broadcast.

Getting together with Amazing Race

• Ford used social media as well as a partnership with producer of the Amazing Race to create a TV show.

• Show featured Ford Focus vehicles being driven across the country.

• Show was advertised on Facebook.• Casting call was put on Facebook to separate the teams

for the race.• Served as a way for consumers to interact with Ford.• Internet Marketing served as key component in show’s

success.

Ford and Mobile Posse

• Campaign involved mobile marketing and a partnership with Mobile Posse.

• Featured Mobile idle-screen advertising.• Aimed to increase awareness of the new Ford Taurus.• Used eye catching ads and included “click-to-mobile-

web” option. • This drove users to the Taurus website.• Reached 1 million mobile users, and generated a 20

percent click through rate.

Mobile Goes International

• Ford created mobile sites targeting those who only have internet access through smart phones.

• Targeted Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea.• Attempted to increase Ford awareness, build

sales, and create traffic at dealerships.• Nigeria has 95 million subscribers, and Saudi

Arabia and Korea have 50 million each.• This is the most effective way to reach those

without Internet access via computer.

Contests

• Contest was named the Focus ST challenge.• Allowed potential consumers to simulate their

driving skills at auto shows.• Competed for the best lap times, chance of

winning a trip to the ESPN Summer X Games.• Displayed results on Facebook.• Involved social media, as well as created

consumer interaction.

Ford Social • Digital forum, which aims to

create interaction and gain consumer insight.

• Users can read articles about Ford vehicles, and leave comments.

• Users can submit stories about their experiences with Ford vehicles.

• Users can also contribute ideas about improving Ford vehicles.

• Ford can use this criticism, and this allows consumers to voice their opinions.

Perform

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Convenien

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Personali

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Safety

Infotainmen

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200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

Number of Consumer Ideas on Ford Social

Badges

• Ford Social’s key feature.• 54 different badges, for Ford Social visitors to

attain.• One example is 100k badge, which users who

have driven a Ford 100,000 miles are able to attain and show off.

• Allows Ford to utilize consumer base, energize them, and encourage them to spread the word about Ford.

Conclusion

• Marketing has become a two-way conversation.• Voice of consumer has become more powerful.• Ford is engaging consumers through Internet

marketing.• Ford is deepening their relationship with

consumers, maintaining consumers they’ve attained and attracting new ones.

Works Cited• (2012). Ford Social. Retrieved from Ford Social: http://social.ford.com/your-ideas/technologies/• Bullas, Jeff. The 7 secrets to Ford's social media marketing success. Jeff Bullas. Retrieved from Jeff Bullas:

http://www.jeffbullas.com/2010/02/18/the-7-secrets-to-fords-social-media-marketing-success/• Buss, Dale. (2011, Nov. 3) Social media keys Ford’s marketing renaissance. Auto Observer. Retrieved from

Auto Observer: http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/11/social-media-keys-fords-marketing-renaissance.html

• Ford mobile ads reach 1m consumers, achieve 20percent ctr. Mobile Posse. Retrieved from Mobile Posse: http://mobileposse.com/news-events/news/ford-mobile-ads-reach-1mm-consumers-achieve-20-percent-ctr

• Ford evolves digital marketing with launch of Pandora campaign featuring Jewel, John Legend. Ford. Retrieved from Ford: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=33310

• Griffith, Erin. Ford drives traffic to dealerships with local video ads. AdWeek. Retrieved from AdWeek: http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/ford-drives-traffic-dealerships-local-video-ads-134640

• Mobile marketing campaign targets smartphone users in E&G markets. (2012, Mar. 26). Ford. Retrieved from Ford: http://www.at.ford.com/news/cn/Pages/Mobile%20Marketing%20Campaign%20Targets%20Smart%20Phone%20Users%20in%20EG%20Markets.aspx

• Nilsson, Joakim. (2011, Dec. 7) How Ford social energized their core customer base with badges. Joakim Nilsson. Retrieved from Joakim Nilsson: http://www.joakimnilsson.com/case-studies/how-ford-social-energized-their-core-customer-base-with-badges/