Ford Has Facebook All Figured Out

Ford certainly captured the attention of the ad industry by choosing to forgo the Detroit Auto Show for the unveiling of their 2011 Explorer. Instead, Ford opted to become the first major car manufacturer to reveal a new model on a Facebook page, claiming that the car had been so dramatically reinvented that it deserved a completely new marketing strategy as well.

Ford obviously knew the PR value of taking this nontraditional route to reveal the Explorer, and frankly, this decision alone would be enough to break through the clutter generated by the auto show. But, while good PR is always nice to have, it’s probably not going to sell a ton of new Explorers. Ford needed to connect with their potential consumers, generating excitement about the new model and ensuring buyers were armed with in-depth knowledge about the vehicle. Fortunately, Ford tapped the full potential of Facebook in order to create a truly engaging and interactive conversation about the new Explorer, and their approach is worth breaking down for any brand considering a Facebook campaign of their own.

First, Ford was smart about the buildup. Rather than just counting on a PR push, they supported the campaign with engaging media buys that featured Facebook Like buttons on each ad. So, right from the start, they were bringing consumers into the (Facebook) conversation about the car by hooking them via these banner ads. To make things a bit more interesting, they also offered to giveaway one new Explorer to one of the people who had Liked the car on Facebook. But, putting a promotional twist on the Kickstarters and Groupons of the world, the giveaway would only occur if the brand managed to get 30,000 Likes before the big reveal (they’ve managed to get almost double that amount already). In addition, Liking the brand got you access to the reveal of the new model, providing the kind of exclusive content that helps drive the most successful social media campaigns.

But, the big reveal was only one component. Once Ford got users to head to their Facebook page, the brand delivered an enormous amount of content. And we’re not just talking about glamor shots of the Explorer bumping across desert scenes. The content was truly social and interactive, with videos, photos, and even live chats with various designers, engineers, and Ford executives. (You can see a screengrab of this enormous stream of content by clicking here.) The chats in particular offered the kind of useful, detailed information that saves consumers a ton of steps in the shopping and research process, and makes them feel far more connected to the car. Finally, the Facebook enthusiasm will be channeled in to a real-life tour to various destinations around the country.

Clearly, we think this campaign is a gigantic win all around. Starting from the premise that a Facebook reveal could be enjoyed by viewers across the country (as opposed to just those in Detroit), Ford went on to provide compelling incentives, exclusive information, and legitimately social and interactive content. The nearly 60,000 Facebook fans that they generated with this campaign are active participants in the conversation about the brand, and in the end, that’s probably going to sell a lot more cars than just a simple PR victory.