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Building on the groundbreaking social engagement program that launched the Ford Fiesta in the U.S. in 2009, Ford now plans to introduce its new 2014 Fiesta through an innovative ad campaign created entirely by consumers.
To tell the new car’s story, Ford announced today that it is seeking 100 social influencers, who – through a mix of paid media, social media and experiential events – will convey the unique personality and attributes of the new 2014 Ford Fiesta in an entirely different way. Ford made the announcement at the Social Media Week convention in New York.
“Fiesta was designed to reflect the individuality of the customer, so we feel the marketing efforts should give the reins to the people who will be driving it,” says Jim Farley, Ford Motor Company executive vice president of Global Marketing, Sales and Service and Lincoln. “We have a fuel-efficient, tech-savvy and stylish car that doesn’t sacrifice on performance – it truly has its own personality. That personality will come through in the stories and experiences of real people.”
Ford will partner with nationally prominent television, entertainment and sports events including American Idol and X Games, legendary music festival Bonnaroo, and other media and entertainment hubs where agents will be at the center of the action.
Ford was the first automaker to truly introduce vehicles through social media and now, the evolution of the Fiesta Movement takes the use of social channels for reveal to an entirely new level. Building on the success of the initial launch, Ford will give the agents a new Fiesta, then step back and let them do what they do best: Entertain their followers. As a result, the voice of this exciting new car will come straight from the people – making this the Blue Oval’s first completely user-generated campaign.
Fiesta attracts more Millennials than any Ford vehicle, and that means telling its story in a way that is different from other models. Unlike other campaigns, Ford will use content created only by selected influencers – “agents” – then reveal it through multiple media channels and partners.
Social Media Week provides an ideal backdrop for Fiesta Movement: A Social Remix. This worldwide event is designed to explore the social, cultural and economic impact of social media. Since its inception five years ago, the event has become a major forum for some of the biggest, most significant news in the world of social media.
The new Fiesta Movement will bring together alumni from the highly acclaimed original Fiesta Movement. The campaign will include celebrities, current Fiesta owners and new agents – all carrying out a series of exciting missions with the 2014 Fiesta. Ford will provide agents with gas, insurance coverage, cameras and other tools they need to create content.
The missions – which will span the country throughout the year – are expected to be seen on TV shows, social media sites and paid advertisements, and engage millions of people. Over the course of the original Fiesta Movement, agents traveled more than 1 million miles in Fiestas, created more than 50,000 pieces of content, and generated nearly 30 million views through social media.
The next Fiesta Movement content will live on www.fiestamovement.com; Ford will promote the content across multiple channels.
“Consumers – Millennials in particular – like being a part of the brands they feel represent them,” says Keith Koeppen, Ford advertising and media manager. “This demographic is accustomed to creating content about their lives, so it just makes sense to give their creativity a bigger platform with greater scale.
“It’s all part of the democratization of media,” he adds.
Ford will kick off the campaign by recruiting agents – influencers as expressive as the new car – who inspire their friends both online and off. Agents will be selected based on their story and social prominence, among other attributes, and through their voices they will help to shape the story of the new 2014 Ford Fiesta.
Agents will debut the content they create on their own social pages, and then, as it gains popularity, Ford will feature it on www.fiestamovement.com and amplify the best of the best across digital, print, broadcast and outdoor advertising. Any and all content can become part of the living, breathing story of the new Ford Fiesta.
“We are giving agents the unprecedented chance to launch a car through the content they create,” says Koeppen. “The possibilities are limitless. For example, if there’s a video we really like, we can turn it into a TV commercial, if there’s a photo we think is really eye-catching, we can incorporate it into a print campaign.”
Unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show this past November, Ford’s new Fiesta redefines the segment with an available 1.0-liter EcoBoost® engine, projected 40 mpg-plus fuel economy, an exciting new look, and class-exclusive technology and special features that make it the most fun-to-drive car of its size.
Additionally, a new high-output variant of the award-winning 1.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine propels the performance-minded Fiesta ST with an estimated 197 horsepower and 214 lb.-ft. of torque.Courtesy of media.ford.com
