Ford to revive Fiesta movement campaign

[TonyV]

Posted: March 1, 2010
Ford to revive Fiesta Movement campaign
By BRENT SNAVELY
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Ford is bringing the Fiesta Movement back.




Last year, Ford provided 100 people with a European version of the Ford Fiesta essentially for free, encouraging them to blog about it online across various social networking sites in an effort to build awareness of the subcompact car, which goes on sale early this summer.
The Fiesta Movement campaign was so successful that Ford -- which is best known for its trucks but trying to boost its image as a maker of fuel-efficient cars -- has decided to launch a second phase.
This time, Ford has enlisted 40 agents, or 20 teams of two, who live in large metro area. Ford will provide them with Fiestas through June, said Connie Fontaine, Fords’ brand content manger.
The teams will start off with European versions of the Fiesta and will later receive U.S. production versions of the Fiesta.
Fontaine said Ford picked people who are friends or business partners from 1,000 applicants. Ford was looking for people who are active and well known in their communities and the automaker will encourage the teams to hold events to help build awareness of the car.
The first Fiesta Movement generated more than 6 million YouTube views, nearly 740,000 Flickr views and more than 3.7 million Twitter impressions.
“The first time, the objective was to create awareness,” Fontaine said. “Now we have a nameplate that is already top of mind, so the objective is more specific. Now we want people to consider buying one.”
The Fiesta is scheduled to go on sale by early summer.

[TonyV]

New Set of Agents Team Up to Bring Ford Fiesta Local with Fiesta Movement Chapter 2
DEARBORN, Mich., March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

•Fiesta Movement Chapter 2 kicks off with 20 teams of two agents each bringing the new 2011 Fiesta to life through missions inspired by Ford's new small car


•Missions will be centered around where the teams live, with agents tapping into their local communities to help execute and promote missions


•The 2011 Ford Fiesta goes on sale this summer offering projected best-in-class highway fuel economy of 40 mpg, 15 class-exclusive technologies and personalization, all in a small car package


Ford's Fiesta Movement, a social media initiative designed to create excitement about the new Fiesta, put the new small car on the minds of thousands of people nationwide. It is now moving to its second chapter, this time enlisting 40 people to tell the story of Ford's newest car in 16 cities across the country.

Culled from more than 1,000 applications, Fiesta Movement Chapter 2 consists of 20 teams comprised of two agents each. Their mission will be to redefine the way Fiesta is brought to market by interacting with consumers online and offline, while bringing Fiesta to their communities.

"This was a natural progression from the first phase of the Fiesta Movement," said Connie Fontaine, Ford Brand Content and Alliances manager. "Chapter 2 will still be rooted in social media, but this time the content will also live offline and find its way into new mediums. Fiesta needs to clearly be the star now as the agents share their work within their communities and beyond."

The first Fiesta Movement generated more than 6.2 million YouTube views, more than 750,000 Flickr views and nearly 4 million Twitter impressions. The Fiesta Movement also set a Guinness World Record for the most attendees at a tweetup during the Fiesta Movement Awards Celebration in West Hollywood in December. This unprecedented event brought together 1,149 Fiesta Movement agents and Twitter friends.

Telling the story, locally

Agents will complete a series of missions, where they will compete in challenges locally that leverage the best of their communities, allowing them to open the discussion about Fiesta through social media and beyond.

After completing a challenge, agents will produce and place the creative content online at www.fiestamovement.com, where followers also can keep up with their favorite agents. The best content will be recognized based on online consumer interaction and consumers' opinions about the agents' work, and will be amplified in local media and events as well as through a variety of national mediums.

One of the missions is called "Show the World UR Personality," where agents will design their Fiesta wrap, working with designers to create a wrap that fits their team's personality. Their personalized Fiesta will be delivered to the agent team, and the best wrap, as voted on by the fans on www.fiestamovement.com, will later be available to consumers. Additionally, the winning wrap will be integrated into a future national Fiesta display.

Followers of Fiesta Movement Chapter 2 will play a pivotal role in this adventure, by checking in with their favorite agent team, snapping a picture of the content they saw on the streets or commenting on what the agents post to social media sites.

"Essentially, the agents will be introducing Fiesta to their communities, with local culture driving the content they create," said Fontaine. "There will be unique opportunities for consumers to actively engage and follow along with the agent teams in their area."

Agents were selected based on entrepreneurial spirit, strong, continued local connections, social vibrancy and creative vision. The agent teams are located in major markets, including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, Denver, San Diego, Dallas, Houston, Seattle, Orlando, Phoenix, Atlanta and Miami.

Fiesta has it all – and more

Going on sale this summer, the all-new Ford Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, sharp reflexes, and a global track record that will redefine U.S. small car customers' expectations. With 15 class-exclusive technologies and a projected best-in-class highway fuel economy of 40 mpg, Fiesta brings efficiency and convenience together in one package.

Fiesta is designed to be versatile, personal and adaptable. In fact, Fiesta is expected to deliver best-in-class convenience and connectivity with Ford's segment-exclusive SYNC® voice-activated communications system, as well as an expressive color palette and available graphics.

Already more than 6,000 consumers have made reservations for the Ford Fiesta – half of them from non-Ford customers – and more than 100,000 handraisers are showing an interest in the new fuel-efficient car. Customers can place their order for the new Fiesta today through their local Ford dealer.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company ( F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 198,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.


SOURCE Ford Motor Company