Another Win for the 2011 Ford Fiesta

How and Why "Gimme the Gig" Came into Being

It was an amazing summer for Flash Point -- as well as me, personally. Got to fulfill a dream. Lots of them, really. But one of our most recent adventures was developing and launching a campaign for the folks at Ford.

Gimme The Gig is an integrated campaign, led by one of our Ford clients, Tom Grill. He had a vision. And that was to reach out to bands across the Western United States and see if we could encourage them to submit their music. At stake? A chance to get produced by the legendary Don Was.



But he didn't want to do an ordinary music submission contest. He challenged us to come up with more.

...and I think we did.

The campaign consisted first of a basic music submission website called "Gimme the Gig", which we developed. Over 900 bands submitted their music in about 90 days.



Next, we developed a Facebook page, which supports the entire Western United States. This is proving invaluable to get the word out, talk directly with local bands, support all the dealers that make up the groups and even get really good feedback from the fans of bands.



Integrating with local events throughout the US, we brought (and are bringing) the campaing to life with local bands, input from local folks and pictures and video from music fans throughout the Western United States.

But there's no question that one of my favorite pieces is the complementary video. You see, along with Don Was, we got some help from extreme athletes and some amazing Dancers. Help from Kaba Modern (America's Best Dance Crew), pro surfer Erica Hosseini and pro skateboarder Sergie Ventura, lifted the campaign to a whole new level.

Here's the video we just wrapped a couple weeks ago. And if you're viewing this in early September of 2010, you can consider it an advance screening. The goal was to highlight some of the coolest features of Fiesta, working with folks that didn't talk about the car...but showed it off. We gave them free reign on what they wanted to do. And I think they absolutely delivered. It was fresh, fun...and the first weekend live it's generated over 500 views--which means we're probably off to a good start. Here it is. Enjoy your ride. It's what the cool kids are driving this summer. :)

Top 10 Social Media No-No's

So you're getting more active with your Facebook and Twitter Accounts. Well done, Racer X. But before you go off and start tweeting and Facebooking like a madperson, here's a few things you may want to avoid. A few of them we're afraid, we learned first hand.

1. Don’t just talk about yourself: Social media is a cocktail party, not a one-way conversation.
   
   


2. Don’t set up automated messaging: The power of social media lies in its humanness, and users can detect a bot from a mile away. Automated messaging can quickly turn your content from personal and engaging to robotic and overly promotional.
   
   Here's a quick and painful example: Here at Flash Point we built and tested out an "app" we called “TweetStream” where our social media accounts would automatically re-tweet selected Twitter accounts. The result was that our Twitter accounts became more like “shouting accounts” which blindly re-tweeted messages, and in one case even angered a consumer. Sorry again @jarrettmoffatt
   
   


3. Don’t sidestep/ignore negative feedback: People will talk negatively about your brand whether you are on social media or not; so use social media to listen and address consumer concerns. People who complain usually just want you to own up to it and/or promise to address the problem. Use social media as a vessel to show consumers that you really are listening and that you take their concerns seriously.
   
   Example thank heavens we had nothing to do with: The infamous Taco Bell rats video. A video of rats running around a Taco Bell in NYC was posted to YouTube. Soon after, duplicates and versions started multiplying, and to date these videos have been viewed around 1.2 million times. As a result, Yum Brands' stock sank, customers started doubting Taco Bell's cleanliness, and other franchisees were harmed from the bad PR.
   
   A CEO apology was issued but consumers could only find this by digging around the corporate website. Meanwhile the bad news was broadcast from hundreds of media outlets and thousands of blogs. If Taco Bell had been more active in social media, their response to the crisis would have been more visible and thus they could have been in a better position to combat this negative press.
   
   


4. Don’t leave air in the conversation: When you’re having an online conversation, don’t wait a day or two between messages. Users will want a reply within a few hours. If you wait longer, it’s possible for them to have forgotten what you were talking about (especially on Twitter).
   
   


5. Don’t engage in social climbing: Don’t only connect with people who have a lot of “followers” and “fans.” It’s kind of like high school—if you only hang out with the popular people, you’ll definitely miss out on some interesting characters (and potential costumers)!
   
   


6. Don’t message too much: if you’re constantly messaging 24/7, consider that you may be shouting at your fans/followers rather than having a conversation with them. No one likes to have their entire Twitter home screen full of messages from one person.
   
   


7. Don’t use poor grammar or spelling: the way you talk reflects your company and brand.
   
   


8. Don’t get too personal: Think of your role as a brand ambassador--keep your conversations warm but professional.
   
   


9. Don’t forget to keep your profile and content updated: Freshness is the essence of social media. This applies to the “bio” of your page, as well as the content.
   
   


10. Don’t be afraid to post the same content more than once: Some people think it’s an unwritten social media rule not to post the same thing more than once. But, if you’ve just launched a cool video or have a great deal going on at your dealership, why not post it more than once to make sure all your followers know about it? You can always re-word it and present it a different way, like: “If you missed it last week, here’s latest newest Webisode for your viewing pleasure…”
    
    
    
    Sources:
    http://mashable.com/2010/04/27/twitter-brand-dos-and-donts/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29
    
    http://mashable.com/2009/02/27/social-media-for-business-2/
    
    http://www.searchenginejournal.com/do%E2%80%99s-don%E2%80%99ts-of-social-media-marketing/18292/
    
    http://www.socialmediatoday.com/SMC/37982

Should Dealers or Ad Groups Wait until the Perfect Moment to Jump in on Social Media?

Gary Hayes at @GaryPHayes Personalize Media, created this killer Flash App to show how quickly Social Media is advancing.

If you're a Dealer or Ad Group and still think Social Media is a temporary phase, you might want to reconsider your stance. Numbers like these will get anyone thinking.

Out of the Box

Interested to see an fascinating and effective marketing campaign OUTSIDE the automotive space? Here you go... click the banner and check it out. And no, you don't have to vote for me...and in fact, I'd prefer you didn't. :)

Flash Point Named Ford Motor Company's Preferred Social Media Vendor

We couldn't be more excited! After more than 10 years of working with FLM Dealers from around the country, we recently received word that we were Ford's Preferred Social Media Vendor.

But with all the excitement, there's also a lot of questions. Why is Social Media Important? How are Dealers or Dealer Ad Groups using it? And why Flash Point Communications?

Why Social Media for Ad Groups?
As you already know, according to most studies, roughly 80%-90% of car shoppers turn to the internet prior to visiting a showroom. So the question is: when they DO search online, will they find your store? Getting found is where Social Media can help. Why? In a word: “visibility”. By publishing information about your Ad Group or Store via Social Media (Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Flickr, etc.), you’re populating the internet with useful information about your store, about your vehicles, about your great customer service, and even how wonderfully you stack up against your competition. And if they can’t find you, they’re less likely to buy from you.

Even better? Consider testimonials from customers about a new purchase or a great service experience. Which do you think is more persuasive? Your latest ad? Or an authentic testimonial from a happy customer?

How are Dealers or Dealer Ad Groups Using Social Media?
Everything from online retention, conquesting and reputation management, Dealers and Ad Groups can benefit from social media. Want an example? Go to Youtube and search the term “Ford Customer Service”. Know the first organic search you’ll find? Yup. The video we did for the NW Ford Dealers, “Showroom Rap” about the Ford Focus. Now Google “Camry vs Mercury Milan Hybrid”. You’ll find the videos we did for the New England LM Dealers in the top position. So if it’s retention or conquesting, Social Media can play a huge role.

Like to see a few examples?
We built an entire platform (Flickr, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter) for the Northwest Ford Dealers. Click Here.
Interested in following along on a Road Trip through the Desert with the AZ/NV Ford Dealers? Click Here
Interested to see how the SW Lincoln Mercury Dealers are making life better for their residents via charitable endeavors? Click here.

So, Why Flash Point?
Maybe it’s our 10 years of digital marketing for Dealer Ad Groups. Maybe it’s our proprietary Facebook tools like our Dealer Inventory, Locator or Offer feeds. Or maybe that it's we're driven to innovate, push the envelope and over-deliver for our Dealers.



The bottom line: if you’d like a full presentation on how Social Media can benefit you, all you need to do is drop us a line or give us a call. We’d love to talk to you. But one way or another…get started today.

How to Sell with Social Media?

How do you use Social Media to sell? Can you use it to sell?

This quick post is in response to that very question.

We've had phenomenal success on behalf of our clients with our social media efforts lately. And the key for us and our clients has been to create a unique and compelling opportunity for people to engage in a deep and meaningful way with our client brands. So, whether it's their love of California ,
or desire to contribute to their community , or just a plain old itch to roadtrip to Vegas...while getting a chance to drift Mustangs and race F150's, we've found success in the simple idea of creating unique content, relevant to the group who we intend to attract and engage, always hold our client's brand in high esteem and creatively and thoughtfully integrate interesting and useful product knowledge. It's hard work...but if you check out the pages, you'll also see how much fun it can be.

For more information on "The Best of California" check out: http://bit.ly/BestofCA
For more information on "We Love our Southwest Community" check out: http://www.facebook.com/southwestlm
For more information on "Desert Adventure" check out: http://www.facebook.com/yourlocalforddealers

Prodding from a Friend

Friend and car dealer, Chris Lemley just gave me a friendly nudge and reminder to get my tail in gear regarding my blog. Truth is, I didn't forget about it so much as I just got swamped with other things.

Well, now the truth is, I'm just as swamped but I've got a few things to say.

New things like...new hires at Flash Point. Still a secret. New clients New services (BunkBedTM New challenges (if you know me, or follow me on twitter, you know what they are, new opportunities and even a new baby.



Still amazes me how much has transpired in the last 7 months. Hmmm...Is it me or has sooooo much changed in the last 7 months?

I look forward to catching up with everyone again. :)

Our New Youtube Channel

Introducing our new Youtube Channel. Lot's of stuff to talk about. I think we're going to have lots to talk about.

Exponential Growth in...Everything?

Worth watching. Mind blowing.

California Lincoln Mercury Dealer Group Website

Here it is! It's now live. Yet another beautiful dealer group website. I think this makes 15? As I mentioned before, Search Engine Optimized, Clean Layout, Tools for the Agency to update...very excited. Take a look.

Next Gen Websites Are Live for Ford Lincoln & Mercury

We couldn't be more excited. We've launched our next generation websites for the Dealer Groups across the country for Ford Lincoln Mercury Dealer Groups. Cutting edge stuff. And it's just the start. Optimized for search, editable by the agencies, 360's of vehicles, lead generation, dynamic content, vehicle inventory (new and used), dealer locators. Very cool stuff. We couldn't be happier. All at a fraction of the price of our competition--which is ironically the manufacturer itself. But that's another story.

One Car Dealer that gets it

You've heard of "The Ford Story"? Well here's something like that, but at a Dealer level. It seems more and more dealers are grabbing their video camera, shooting their story, and putting it online. And who would have ever guessed that something like this can be done in less than a week. How do I know? Me and my buddy did it. Powerful. Very powerful. Gratuitous plug. For more info, visit us online at http://www.flashpointcommunications.com

Attn: car dealers who do local events. new way from Flash Point to capture and deliver leads. http://ping.fm/b2zC9

Flash Point Bonfire: The first episode. Dan and I talking about our new dealer tools (flash leads): http://ping.fm/eV9dA

Takes serious guts

Don't know what this has to do with marketing your car dealership...except, both takes nerves of steel. Holy Sh**.

Our Goofy Holiday Promo

Got a few emails to post this here, too. Looks like our holiday promo with Katie Cleary and of course Dan Ferrara was a hit. He was a very good sport.

Katie Cleary our new spokesperson

How cool is this? You may have seen her on Deal or No Deal or America's Next Top Model, but now we've got her. Katie Cleary is our new spokesmodel/spokesperson. Even better? We ran a sweepstakes with all of our Ford Lincoln Mercury Dealer Clients. Katie has agreed to fly out to one of our Dealer clients to shake hands, meet customers.

Next Generation Website for Dealer Groups

Yes! Next Gen sites are finally here for Lincoln Mercury. We couldn't be more excited about the regional automotive sites we're launching around the country--I think about 30 in all. Here's a look at one of the latest sites we launched for the Atlanta Lincoln Mercury Dealer Group. HTML on home page, customizable by the Agency. Deep site, with plenty of content. Online visibility will be good and only get better as we add content. Average length of time on site good and getting better. Lead gen strong and getting better. We're really, really stoked. And the Dealer feedback has been even better.

How is Ford reacting? Pretty good it seems...several Dealer Groups have popped up asking us to do the same for them. Really good stuff.

Best part...individual car dealers can now begin picking up the platform now...killer dealer site at 1/10 the cost.

Research Study Shows that Automotive Display Ads Lift Dealer Results from Paid and Organic Search by 144%

Across multiple industries, online display ads lift paid and organic search engine marketing results by an average of 155%... The presence of display advertising significantly affects click-through and search style across paid and organic searches and such ads can lift both types of search an average of 155%, according to a study by Specific Media that was reviewed, validated and published by MarketingVox.

Video Marketing

Here in NYC was great to see some friends--Wayne LM, Martin Retail and of course Y&R. Some great marketers. I think, for me, the most fun was helping Wayne LM get set up with a Youtube channel and launch their digital marketing efforts. Marketing for car dealers is some of the fastest moving marketing ever. They make decisions lightning fast and are always trying new things. They're LOVING the idea of video marketing. And I think it's going to pay off. In less than 15 minutes (ok, maybe 20), they were up and running with a youtube channel, made their first video and launched to the world. take a look.



Convinced we're going to see a ton more in the car dealership space--using video.