Ford is the first car manufacturer to unveil a new model via Facebook instead of at an automotive show.
The company unveiled the Explorer to US users of the social
network and will support the online activity with events in cities
across the country.
Leading up to the launch, Ford had been
promoting the site through a competition in which a randomly selected
fan of the Explorer page would win a car. At the time of writing, the
page has 53,376 fans.
The car was unveiled yesterday through a series of videos and interviews on the page.
According to reports, Ford’s global marketing chief Jim Farley said the marketing
campaign for the Ford Fiesta model, which was mainly online, encouraged
the company to launch the Explorer exclusively on Facebook.
Ford has included social media in its marketing strategy for a long time. Its
head of social media Scott Monty, who represents the company on
Twitter, has more than 42,300 followers.
The car manufacturer hasn’t said whether it will replicate the campaign for UK launches.
Source: New Media Age
Author: Charlotte McEleny
Date: 27/07/2010