Time 11:30

Let them built it and they will come is an appropriate phrase for the Ford Fiesta Movement – This will go down as a text book study of incorporating real time information about a new product into that product’s final production, and social media as a communications ecosystem for the product.

Scott Monty, head of social media for Ford Motor Company,and I had a fun conversation several weeks back about how Ford was taking a new approach to building and launching the Ford Fiesta into the US market. This week is Monty’s first year anniversary at Ford,and a fitting time for this podcast, congratulations Scott. Monty is one of the Goodfellas of social media.

Situation: Ford Fiesta exists in Europe, need to incorporate unique needs for US market and rollout it out here.

Plan: Tap 100 personalities (now called agents) active in social media and with hundreds of people in their respective networks. Not A listers which I think is so special about this program. It is not taking old mentality and placing over a new, and much different medium. Follow the agents on twitter with the #FiestaMovement hashtag

Rationale: They will actively stimulate conversations about the car, get feedback, document their experience online over a period of time. Some of the ideas will be incorporated into a US version of the model and the product will be introduced in the US with great consumer conversations and input in the spring of 2010.

BRILLIANT!

This is a truly transparent marketing (no let’s call it something else) product program. The Feista Movement site has live feeds of the 100 agents who have received the car to drive around for six months which ends in November. This is not an example for companies that fear product improvements or believe the world is the same as it was in the last century. Anyone else can take a page from this experience.

Marketing Edge Reports from Ford Fiestavil (I made that up)

The weekend of July 17 – 19, the Fiesta Movement will be in my neighborhood Highland Park in St. Paul, MN during what’s called Highland Fest. Albert Maruggi, (I dislike talking about myself in the first person) will be there interviewing agents and others who are trying out the car, stay tuned to the Marketing Edge podcast, this blog and the Utterli widget for more over the next couple of days. Have any questions I should ask? pop them in the comment box below.

Schedule of Ford Fiesta Movement Test Drive Events

MARKETING EDGE PODCAST BOOK DRAWING

The Marketing Edge book drawing is Trust Agents from Chris Brogan and Julien Smith – send me an email MarketingEdge AT providentpartners dot Net and we will get your name in the drawing.

Time 19:32

Social media continues to work its way around the innovative companies in the Fortune 500. It pays when you have products that can inspire an emotional commitment, oh say like a ‘65 Mustang.

Ford is laying out a great social media plan for the introduction of the 2010 Mustang model. The Marketing Edge guest in this episode is Scott Monty, the Global Digital and Multimedia Communications Manager for Ford Motor Company. Monty also authors the Social Media Marketing blog. The added bonus of this podcast is Monty in search of an experienced social media practitioner to join his team at Ford. He describes the high level job of Global Digital Communications Manager within the communications team at Ford and where you can apply.

Monty is a thoughtful person with a flair for the creative. In this interview he highlights how an older company is quickly wrapping its arms and heads around social media. When you listen to the scope of where social media plays in a large corporation, you realize how, over time, it can help shape a corporate culture.
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PARENT BLOGGERS

This month we’d like to give parent bloggers of young childern a first look at a new social network. Two qualities that make this parenting social network different is the long-term goal, to help improve America’s education system, and the ability to track a child’s development using new research and charts from one of the leading pediatric centers in the country. If you are a parent blogger, and would like to review the beta site, send me an email at Marketing Edge at ProvidentPartners dot Net with the word Parent in the subject line.

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Marketing Edge Contest

This month’s contest is a membership to Minnpost.com, the new online journal with outstanding writers, editors, and columnists. If you’d like to support journalism at its highest levels that provide local and national coverage, send me an email at MarketingEdge at ProvidentPartners dot Net with MinnPost in the subject line. We will draw a winner in mid November.

Photo Credit: Flickr twincitycustoms20s