Last week I and my GSU Social Media Marketing students were lucky enough to be invited to a Tweet Up for the TV reality show “Escape Routes,” its cast members, host and YouTube/virtual host.

Ford has received attention for years for its notable social media approaches. Years ago it freely gave Fiestas to prominent bloggers to promote and blog about. Next it created a short TV reality show and social communities surrounding the Focus. This year it has carried this forward for the Escape. Socially intensive tactics this go-around include live-streaming videos about the contestants’ exploits, one-week cycles between actual recorded events and TV broadcast, individual contestant Tweeting and Facebook posting, and an exclusive virtual host on the website, YouTube and other social channels. As if not enough – one of the contestant teams – “Team YouTube” – were already stars in that channel and continue their social communications and engagements throughout the show’s duration.

The social media objective here is to get consumers to follow and help each contestant team – for the chance to win an Escape of his/her own. Of course in the process, fans help promote the car itself and publicize the show to their own social networking followers. All of this does well to spread and mitigate the risk of viral marketing efforts – as a company can never predict the results of a truly viral marketing, advertising or YouTube campaign.

All of this gives the Ford Escape multiple touch points to reach consumers for awareness – and multiple promoters spreading the message. While a TV show and virtual host may seem large expenses, the poignant question is how many avid, virtual “net promoters” or raving brand fans Ford is achieving for their spend? If, per the old rule, the best marketing is word-of-mouth, Ford is certainly achieving that through this buzz.

So – here’s where I’d really like to see the numbers: Ford is obviously casting a wide net broadcasting a TV show and multiple social channels and communications. It’s casting a much smaller net obtaining raving fans to follow, promote and personally help the contestant teams. There’s no hard sell here for the Ford Escape – which is good – hard selling doesn’t work in social media communities. So it grows brand awareness, but I wonder – what happens to the middle of the funnel? What happens to all those consumers who may watch the show but don’t feel attached enough to any of the teams to actively claim and promote them in social media? And should there be any projected relationship between the show/social communities and visible access to the vehicle or local dealers?

Either way, Ford is doing a good job of spreading its message across channels – and escalating such programs and promotions over time (presumably based on some kind of success metrics). I’ll be looking forward to its future experiments.

 

 

What do you think? Respond and comment below!

 

Jake Aull | Zen Fires | Websites, SEO, SocialMedia & Design 
email | 404.259.5550 | @jakeaull | Facebook.com/ZenFires