…a product launch is more about the messenger than the message. Need proof? Consider Ford’s groundbreaking Fiesta Movement.

More than nine months before the 2011 Ford Fiesta goes on sale in North America, the new small car can claim more than 50,000 potential customers, and 97 percent of them would be new to Ford.

That’s because Ford took a nontraditional approach with the Fiesta Movement initiative. It’s using a fraction of a typical marketing and advertising budget and relying on social media to drive the buzz. This means huge dividends for the brand – Fiesta awareness is running at the same level of a nameplate that has been on the market for two to three years.

The Fiesta Movement promotes Ford’s new small car through 100 socially vibrant “agents” who have been driving Euro-spec Fiestas and taking part in monthly themed “missions” such as volunteerism, adventure, and style and design. After each mission wraps, the agents relate their experiences through the realm of social media.

Social networking sites allow Ford to meet consumers it might not connect with through traditional advertising, making it easier to open dialogue with a whole new set of consumers. The Fiesta Movement also realizes that people trust people like themselves and that everyone has a car story, and has successfully leveraged this as a platform from which to promote a new car.

Fiesta Movement drives the discussion
Agents are taking advantage of their time in Ford Fiestas, accumulating more than 1 million miles total. And their Fiesta Movement-related content is gaining huge traction on the Internet, with:

• More than 4.3 million YouTube views


• More than 540,000 Flickr views


• More than 3 million Twitter impressions

Through the accompanying nationwide test drive program, more than 162,000 customers have interacted with the Fiesta through walk-arounds and social interactions and 35,000 have taken a test drive.

Fiesta Movement agents are also providing key product insights with Ford. Exterior styling, driving dynamics and unique color offerings top the list of their favorite attributes.

Follow the Fiesta Movement:

• YouTube: www.youtube.com/fiestamovement


• Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/fiestamovement


• Facebook: www.facebook.com/fiestamovement


• Twitter: www.twitter.com/fordfiesta

Quotes
“We didn't break the bank. We didn't use traditional media. We tried something different, and it is working. We're delighted with how Fiesta is gaining traction with consumers. It's a whole new way of introducing a car to market.”
– Connie Fontaine, Ford Brand and Content Alliances manager