You’d expect a new car like the 2011 Ford Explorer to be launched at an international auto show, right?
It’s been a point of pride for car companies to show off new models on glossy stages with a few thousand people in attendance.
I have fond memories of passing through the doors to Cobo Hall in Detroit with my Dad to see all the new cars on display. Dad was always most excited when his lease was up and it was time to search for a new car from the GM lineup.
But nowadays people consume media on demand from the Internet. Think about how easy it is to see the newest Ford Explorer teaser photos. It’s not even launch time and there are sneak peeks all across the web. Responding to our “Always On” media consumption schedule, Ford is taking the radical step of sidestepping the auto shows in favor of a Facebook launch for the new Ford Explorer.
Welcome to the Brave New World
Marketing definitely plays a role in this decision. I mean, if no one’s sent up a new car on Facebook yet, why not be the first? It’s a smart move that Chrysler must be wishing they’d thought of for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
…And then there’s Scott Monty.
He’s the Director of Social Media for Ford and an avid blogger and techie. Word trickled down this afternoon that Ford may be pushing their dealer network to begin posting videos to YouTube and participating on Twitter and Facebook.
Scott pinged me via Twitter this afternoon in response to my question about such a requirement:
We never *require* anything of our dealers – state franchise laws prohibit it. We offer best practices & guidelines if they do.
Well, maybe require is too strong a word, but there’s plenty of ways to ‘encourage’ your business partners to use the social web, especially when the corporate parent is throwing down serious cash on the effort.
But back to the 2011 Ford Explorer. With margins squeezed compared to years past, decreased effectiveness of traditional media and the viral nature of social networks — are we seeing the end of traditions like auto shows?
Check out the new 2011 Ford Explorer: