Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
Automotive Consumer
AUTOS: Young ‘Agents’ Tapped for New Fiesta
One-hundred Millennials to drive, spread the word about 2010 Ford subcompact
Bob Golfen  |  Posted March 02, 2009   Dearborn, Mich.
Ford put 100 new Fiestas in the hands of Millennial drivers so they could tell their friends. (Photo: Ford)
Ford is enlisting 100 young “agents” to spread the word about the upcoming subcompact Fiesta among their friends in the online universe.

The Fiesta Movement, as Ford calls its campaign, will put new Fiestas in the hands of “socially vibrant” agents who will describe their experiences through social-media sites such as Facebook and FlickR.

Fiesta was introduced to European drivers in August, and more than 89,000 of them have been sold, according to Ford. The car will launch in North America in early 2010.

Beginning in late spring, each young driver will be given monthly “missions” that will take them to fun places in their Fiestas. They in turn will capture their experiences in words and pictures and share them with their online friends.

The unusual campaign targets Millennials, born between 1979 and 1995, and just coming of age as a new generation of drivers, which Ford says will total 70 million new drivers in 2010. This group of consumers is heavily engaged in electronic media, sharing and receiving much of their information though blogs, networking sites and other first-person online contact.

“The Millennials are an emerging market force, with 11,000 reaching driving age every day,” said Sam De La Garza, Ford’s small car marketing manager. “It’s the most important demographic trend since the Baby Boomers, and it represents one of the greatest opportunities for Ford.”

The designated drivers also will provide feedback to Ford regarding the new Fiesta prior to launch. More than 1,500 prospective agents have applied with Ford for the Fiesta Movement, which has an application deadline of March 13.

To apply to be an agent, see FiestaMovement.com

The Fiestas being used for the program are European-spec cars built in Cologne, Germany, that have been updated for U.S. use, including such things as changing the speedometer to miles from kilometers. Fiestas sold in the United States will be made in the Ford plant at Cuautitlan, Mexico.

“Socially vibrant campaigns are so important because of their power in delivering authentic and genuine messages across a broad spectrum of media, which only will help us deliver a more positive consumer experience when the car launches in the U.S. next year,” De La Garza said.
bob_golfen's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Golfen

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.