Extreme Marketing: Ford Goes For It
While the Big 3 car companies all play brinkmanship with insolvency, a new ad model may have been invented out of the chaos. Let’s call it "Reality Advertising." It’s a name just coined by Centric’s Jason Stoddard but implemented by, none other than, stodgy old Ford Co. Yes, that Ford.
Here’s the deal and I stand back in awe. As reported in today’s Washington Post, Ford is handing over the marketing campaign of its Fiesta brand to 100 social media participants with no advertising experience to drive the Fiesta, post YouTube videos about the experience, friend and share their thoughts with their thousands of followers on Twitter, MySpace, Facebook and their personnal blogs. They will be no interference whatsoever, we’re told.
These 100 were reportedly chosen by their "social vibrancy," among other criteria. They are taking all this very seriously and understand the power handed to them. Dangerous, you bet. But, as a spokesperson for Ford pointed out, "We’re starting from zero."
Indeed they are.
Can your brand take this challenge?
