At a motor show as big as the IAA (or the International Car Show for the uninformed) it can be very difficult for car companies to stand out from other car manufacturers. Some see it as a ‘bigger is better’ competition, some go for simplicity and keep it all about the cars, this year though Ford stepped outside of the box and got Snack Media on board to implement a new side to their motor show – the Social Media Team.
Pre-show
It didn’t all begin in Frankfurt, nor did it end there. Our two live blogs (one in English and one in German) started posting out material and creating a buzz around the Ford stand before the live event began. Through competitions on Twitter and the launch at the IFA – we amplified the conversation about Ford at the IAA before the fun really began…
The Hash Tags
A huge focus for the team was pushing #FordIAA amongst other Ford related key words on twitter, whether this be through pictures, videos or just talking to people and explaining what this ‘social media stuff’ was all about. Hash tags are designed to get people talking and at the Ford stand there was a lot to talk about! Here’s a small selection:
#Vignale [vin-yar-lee] was the luxurious concept that Ford unveiled at the IAA. Now, social media does not exactly scream luxury, but simply by putting #vignale on twitter you got to skip an increasingly growing Nespresso queue for a free coffee and to book a free massage.
#UCL
The Ford stand was not all about the cars, as Vignale showed, embraced the 20 year sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League with the inclusion of a football section. Not only did this corner include two Fussball tables, but the official replica of the Champions League trophy…yes there is more than one! #UCL with a picture of yourself with the trophy and win tickets to a Champions League game…who wouldn’t want to get involved with that?
#EcoBoost – Ford had the equivalent of a wind machine which demonstrated the ecoboost engine technology which you could have your photo taken in front of. Brilliant photo opportunity and then share, #, have a chance to win tickets!
Real Time Live Blog
Twitter was an important part of our campaign at the IAA, but it was not the only aspect of social media we were using. Our blogs were an important part of showcasing our content, and promoting Ford’s work at the IAA to a much wider audience, than just the attendees. The Snack Media Team streamed a constant live feed of action from the show by not only using brilliant content from our other social media channels, but live blogging any news as it happened. The effect of this wasit meant that bloggers, journalists or car fanatics that could not make the show, or who were visiting other parts of the IAA could still keep up with what was going on with Ford.
Social Listening
Social listening was a huge part of the motor show for Ford and it drew a lot of attention to the Ford stand not only from visitors to the show but competitors. What Ford was doing at the show, in terms of social media, was completely different and innovative and made them stand out from everyone else. Social listening allowed our social media team to target their content to enhance what others were already talking about at the show. It also showcased for others what people were talking about on 42” screens, who the key influences were, where they were in the world, and what was popular at the IAA and Ford stand in particular.
What we achieved?
At a motor show dominated by well established German car brands the primary objective was always to help Ford achieve a competitive share of voice in a tough marketplace. Through a sound Social Media strategy, both online and on-stand, we achieved well above our target and showed how effective SM can be when implemented correctly. It was innovative and it was different, and in a car show of mainly German manufacturers, Ford was managing to stand out.
They wanted to punch above their weight and we allowed them to do it!
For more information on this case study contact sarah@snack-media.com
