In even more “companies using Facebook to do things differently – and better” news, Ford has driven itself away from the auto-show and parked its redesigned 2011 Explorer on Facebook.
Today, the company is revealing the new vehicle through the web, and Facebook in particular. To gear up for this unprecedented event, Ford created a Facebook page dedicated to the Explorer with the promise of giving away a set of wheels to a lucky “liker” should the page reach 30,000 fans (a number they reached, and surpassed, to currently boast a community almost 50,000 strong).
Here are the Top 5 Most Noteworthy Elements of this innovative campaign:
1) A full-day reveal event. The reveal isn’t just a quick pull of a sheet to see the shiny car and then call it a day. Instead, Ford has called in Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe to take part in the action. Starting at 12:01 EDT, Rowe and the Ford team (including CEO Alan Mullaly) joined up for some pre-reveal footage in New York City. The day continues with live coverage of the reveal, a tour of the vehicle and a series of key topics discussed with the Ford execs (including engineering, design and the “green” elements of the cars). See for yourself in the Reveal tab on their page and check out their YouTube channel for all the video footage they’re capturing.
2) Live chat. Ford has completely embraced social media with this campaign; recognizing that conversation needs to go two ways. Users are encouraged to post their questions via the wall for answers from high-level execs about a variety of topics. This is not only an amazing experience and opportunity for the community – getting their questions answered in real-time by the folks who know best, but it’s also great for Ford. They can hear first-hand what their biggest supporters (and biggest critics) have to say about their latest creation. With reveals happening in cities across the United States, Ford is effectively putting itself in several places at one time.
3) Build your own Explorer – and share your creation with your Facebook community. Talk about engagement and virality! With some cool technology, users can create a dream car. First, they choose their model. Then the fun starts, adding in features like family entertainment, Sirius radio and more to complete their custom creation. A running tally at the bottom of the page tells you how much your car will cost you. Once complete, you can request more information from Ford and share your Explorer with your Facebook friends.
4) Sweepstakes. Ford is not only giving away a 2011 Explorer to a lucky winner, but they’re also tacking on a $2,000 gift card for a shopping spree to ensure the new owner has all the gear he or she needs to get started on their adventure. And if that’s not enough, Ford is also giving away 21 $50 gift cards each week. Nice.
5) The All Access Tour. So this one doesn’t exactly take place within Facebook, but it’s just as important to get your community engaged offline as it is to get them engaged online. Now that the reveal has taken place, Ford is doing what its vehicles do best – hitting the road. The new Explorer will be on a cross-country tour making introductions in cities coast-to-coast. The tour runs from late August through November 2010. Check out where it’s stopping here – and if you don’t see your city on the list, don’t worry. They’ll be running another contest to bring the tour to your town.
Has Ford’s Facebook reveal increased your interest in the 2011 Explorer? Let us know what you think about their campaign in the comments!
