Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) is stepping into the consumer-created advertising content kingdom. It announced today that it will run a national ad featuring a short film that recently won an online competition. This is the secret that many companies are just now learning: your customers are your best advertising asset. When it comes to something as passionate about talking about the 2010 Ford Mustang, you definitely want to get out of your customer's way, right?
This reminds me of Tide's "Talking Stain" ad during the last Super Bowl. The ad was more than a pitch for the product; it also sent viewers to Tide's website where they could send in their own "Talking Stain" video entries. Prizes were available and everything. The commercial was fairly low-budget, but the message and the strategy were brilliant. Perhaps Ford is trying to latch onto some of that effort. It's about time.
The advertising industry's "same old, same old" tack on strategic consumer messaging is tired, no matter how innovative the ad glitz is. Engaging consumers by encouraging a two-way line of communication is where it's at for a whole new crop of consumers.
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