August 24th, 2010
The Ford Fiesta Movement has attracted noteworthy attention this summer as it’s swept through social media channels. Viral video marketing created by selected agents and events organized by street teams are proving to be effective, in some ways more so than traditional advertising.
What’s making so many eyes take notice?
It’s the novel approach The Ford Fiesta Movement takes in marketing a compact vehicle. Each piece of the puzzle is dedicated to selling the Fiesta as an experience. From YouTube videos featuring auto-tuned robots describing engine specs to a zombie survival guide crafted to highlight keyless entry and push-button engine start, the Fiesta speaks to a generation immune to the usual gimmicks crafted to sell a product.
The process doesn’t end with the advertising. With 4.3 million YouTube views, and over three million Twitter impressions the campaign has generated, Ford announced that over 50,000 “hand-raisers” have retained interest in the vehicle, and plans to continue the campaign with an “unpackaging” process that follows the consumer. A picture of the new Fiesta owner and vehicle is snapped at the dealership at the moment of purchase and a USB drive packed with information about the model comes standard. When plugged into a home computer, the drive includes a download for a community application that keeps the owner connected to Ford, the dealership and fellow Fiesta owners.
What makes the Fiesta Movement is more than a mere branding and advertising campaign. It’s the integrated approach taken from the Fiesta’s launch that follows the customer perspective all the way through the showroom and continues with the buyer out the door. Not only is the Fiesta branded as fun, exciting and affordable, but it’s also the car with a connected community of users and lifestyle statement that may inspire buyer loyalty for years to come.
Tags: 2011 Ford Fiesta
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August 7th, 2010
The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid was honored with the title of being the most fuel efficient luxury sedan in America, promising 41 MPG when it hits the city streets in the fall of 2010. The recognition comes with great engineering and in a market that is extremely competitive when it comes to saving gas in a luxury vehicle.
Many of the most fuel efficient vehicles are not desirable to the luxury buying segment because of their size and focus on being more economic than comfortable, and are usually not what one would consider luxury.
The Lincoln brand has been widely known as a high end luxury vehicle that has always been about comfort and style. Even back in the days of the Mark VII’s they were in a class of their own with the roomy leather interior and functionality that most cars wouldn’t dream of having.
The Lincoln MKZ is a culmination of years in the making and it seems appropriate that this vehicle should earn such a title due to the extreme reliability and focus on providing not only a comforting driving experience, but one that is technological in almost every regard.
Lincoln has always been ahead of the rest it seems from their interactive dash board and more interior controls and features than one could ever learn about. The engineers were truly passionate about this brand and the merging of great technology, innovation, and luxury.
In addition, the automakers are becoming more competitive in trying to win over lifetime customers who are loyal to the brand so expect that if you become a Lincoln owner, you’ll have a hard time finding something as luxurious and affordable at a suggested MSRP of $34225.
Tags: 2011 Lincoln MKZ
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August 2nd, 2010
Whether you’re a painting contractor, landscaping company or residential electrician – Buying a pickup truck that will be suitable for your needs should meet a few basic requirements. These needs might include carrying sheets of plywood to the jobsite, so what does a truck need to have to allow you to do your work?
V6 or V8
It’s obvious that a V6 is going to be more wallet friendly when it comes time to fill the tank, but will it do? If you’ve been in a situation where you’re driving to the job and carrying a lot of materials you may have felt disappointed when you hit the gas to merge onto the freeway driving a V6. If that causes you grief then just go with a V8 and don’t think twice. Any savings in gas will not be worth the aggravation one can have with a lack of power.
Stop and Go Traffic
Let’s consider the previously mentioned situation wasn’t an experience you’ve encountered. In that case, consider how often you spend your time traveling – percent of time driving on city streets versus highway. If you’re on the highway often then a V8 would be the better choice to solve the merging problem, but if you do more inner city street driving, a V6 would likely be the winner. Stop and go traffic can be a killer of gas consumption and efficiency, so think about where you are driving the most and decide accordingly.
A V6 doesn’t have the power that one needs in a work truck usually, work trucks are often loaded down with tools and other materials making them quite difficult to get up to speed when needed. Even if you’re not on the highway, areas that have a lot of hills may also vindicate buying a V8.
Conclusion
Ask yourself how you need to travel for work, what types of roads do you spend the majority of your time on? City streets and stop and go traffic – get a V6, anything else get the V8.
Tags: Ford Trucks, V6, V8
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July 29th, 2010
Take a look inside the 2011 Ford Fusion and you’ll see clever backlit lighting on the gauges, circular lighting around the cup holders, and even the ability to change the color to your liking.
The new technology combined with a luxury leather interior makes the Ford Fusion really glow. But besides the lighting, the leather seats, entertainment system, it’s the ability to mold all of these components together into a very satisfying experience that has my attention. It really does have a solid integration with SYNC, and pairing a Bluetooth mobile phone takes only minutes to do.
The lighting and the seats quickly comfort you and give a sense of excitement and personality. For instance, my daughter loves the purple color, her second choice to pink. This subtle customization component albeit a simple one quickly gives the driver a close bond with the vehicle.
It’s wonderful to drive a vehicle made by a company that is embracing change, promoting technology, a truly satisfying the needs of its owners. If Ford were a computer company, Apple might see some interesting competition.
Ford answers this call to action and is developing an open source platform that will seek true innovation in a direction that will benefit the world as electric vehicles begin to emerge.
The support of Ford with the SYNC platform makes it a complete system designed for the tech geeks to the average joe who wants it all integrated and accessible. Staying connected with the applications one needs can be the difference between making an important business meeting or coordinating a group of people through the various networking tools that people use these days.
Tags: Ford Fusion
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June 13th, 2010
I’ve been to Europe, and I’ve often thought to say the following – “what small cars you people drive”, now it seems that concept is becoming more regular here in the States – as they call us.
Its possible that the reaction could be taken a bit on the offensive side, so I’d probably refrain from saying that and simply try to find out for myself what leads to these vehicles being so popular. I often thought it was the size of the inner city streets, with Paris in particular being no place for an SUV to navigate.
Beginning in early 2010, Ford has gone to a global design concept making their vehicles more and more familiar looking no matter where you are. This helps from a cost perspective but even more significant it helps from the brand perspective as you can always expect the same quality in a Ford Focus wherever it’s sold. The European version seemed to have been getting regular enhancements while the US version didn’t evolve much.
The 2012 Focus certainly looks remarkable, particularly in 5-door form. The designers and engineers felt they were capable of making the Focus sportier by lowering the seats and the overall height of the vehicle to give it a more slick appeal. In contrast to today’s version of the Ford Focus in the US, the new version is 0.5 inch lower and a 1.3-inch extended wheelbase. The 2012 Ford Focus’s proportions are close to the present Euro car apart from a wider stance and lower height.
A high steel strength has been used for 55% of the body. Rigidity has shot up to 25% more that the present Focus. The Ford Focus will get 2.0L, direct injection 4 cylinder with variable intake and exhaust valve timing. It has been said from Ford that the engine will have 155hp and 145 ft-lbs of torque. They will also have an Ecoboost engine in the new Focus along with 2 transmission options. Electric power steering with torque vectoring will be a new feature. The interior appearance is that of a champion with options like rear view camera, a keyless ignition, a GPS system, blind spot warning system and an upgraded SYNC Infotainment System.
Tags: 2012 Ford Focus
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