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Ford’s Social Business Model, Seeks Multi-Directional Expressive Capability!

by johntwohig on April 24th, 2012
16 Comments



Scott Monty, the Head of Social Media at Ford Motor Company must be very happy with how the company embraced the Social Business Strategy he and his digital team introduced. Along with Coca-Cola, Ford are blazing a trail for others to follow, in the online marketing space. Ford have launched a new Reality TV programme which is being broadcast on NBC TV, they have moved from car maker to original content producer, to Reality TV programme producers, why?

This is another progression in the Social Business Model.

We are currently living in the Digital Age, we are still only exploring the surface of where Social can take us. Never in the history of mankind have we had such access to publication, instant self-publication.


  • Clay Shirky said in a Ted talk some years ago the digital age creates the “largest increase in expressive capability in human history”.
  • Mankind has made some dramatic leaps in expressive capability in the past, the Printing Press being the first, Radio, TV and blogging on the world wide web. Social platforms change this expressive capability totally as the expression on Social is not just one way, it’s multi-directional.
  • In human history multi-directional expressive capability has only being able to take place when a number of people gathered physically in one place. Now all you have to do is log-on to Facebook, Google+ or Twitter.

Multi-Directional Expressive Capability

This Multi-Directional Expression Capability (MDEC) is spooking business and traditional marketers, they feel they have no control over the conversations direction after they put their message out onto to the web.

It is this very MDEC feature that gives Social it’s power. Originally the marketing message direction was one way, what is referred to as broadcasting, ie. a TV adverts tells you about a companies product/service, ie. a one way conversation. Now, thanks to Social Platforms the messages are:

  1. Business 2 Consumer(B2C),
  2. Consumer 2 Business(C2B)
  3. and now most worryingly for companies, Consumer 2 Consumer about Business(C2CaB).

They feel they can not control the C2CaB aspect of the conversation. In the C2CaB aspect of the conversation, consumers can and will discuss/review your product/service, in an honest open discussion.

MDEC is what Coca-Cola, Ford and Burberry have figured out and they realise that MDEC is intrinsic to the Social Business Model. In my post, “Expressions not Impressions” I explain how Coca-Cola measure these expressions to gauge the success of their online campaigns.

Related: Starbucks: An Inspired Use Of Modern Technology

Why Fords move into Reality TV is the next step in MDEC development.

Ford have being using Social successfully for a while now.

  • Their first serious campaign was their Fiesta Movement in 2009, where they gave 100 new Fiestas to people who had an online community.
  • They allowed participants to drive the cars and comment on social platforms, discuss the merits or de-merits of the Fiesta with-out trying to control the conversation.
  • They did however gather all the feedback (Coca-Cola refer to this type of data as the new fertile soil), both to refine the Fiesta but also used it for the future design of new models and developing strategies for online engagement with consumers.

This led to the creation of last years Focus Rally America Campaign which revolved around six teams of two taking part in a rally in Ford Focus cars competing to win $100,000. Monty brought in co-creators, The Amazing Race team and this was broadcast by Hulu.com as a 5 part reality TV show. The parings had to complete various challenges along the way. The rally started on 1st Feb 2011, consumers could take part via Facebook and help their chosen teams complete their given tasks. The tasks always revolved around the new technology fitted as standard in the new Focus model.

Related: The Multi-Device Digital Omnivore: The Online Future In Focus

Escape Routes

On Saturday 2nd April 2012 Ford launched it’s new reality TV programme on NBC called “Escape Routes“. Complete with a bunch of really good looking “Millennials” and Ford products. What are Millennials? They are good looking members the Y generation.

  • The show is generating impressive figures on Twitter, 16 million impressions for the first episode.
  • The filming takes place weekly to make sure that the social engagement is current, this is vital for the  show. The participating Millennials are in the studio, watching the show live as it goes out on air, this is carried on escaperoutes.com website.
  • So our multi-device digital omnivore can view the show on TV, engage on twitter via mobile technology and observe the contestants reaction on the web, while the show is airing.

Add to this the rich data the command post that Ford will have set up to harvest it and you have Multi-Directional Expressive Capability in operation. Mind blowing really.

Related: Five Potential Digital Futures

Social Business and MDEC

As I stated earlier MDEC is the magic gold dust that makes Social Business work. The collaboration, internal and external between people in a MDEC conversation is what allows the consumer to build the TRUST which is necessary for the consumer to become an advocate and eventually an evangelist.

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Image: “Social Network concept/Shutterstock“



Category: Marketing Strategy, social business

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The Author:

Co-Founder at the Ahain Group. The first blogger to name the MDEC Model. A social business enthusiast and looking to learn something new every day. Which is not difficult to find online. Keen golfer and Munster Rugby supporter. http://www.ahaingroup.com

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Add Your Comment

  • warrenrutherford

    John – spot on.  I was thinking of the feedback loop on MDEC as a data source for consumer perspective as you wrote of it. What impresses me is how the companies you note are moving with the flow, and modifying as they go in order to fit changing consumer interest – all while engaging consumers in future product development and brand allegiance.  I’ll send this post along to my son who is working for Mobilize.org, the millennials will benefit from your insight.  Thanks.

  • http://www.mynotetakingnerd.com/blog Lewis LaLanne aka Nerd #2

    Very cool how Ford is letting people come to them as opposed to push onto them as goes with traditional advertising. I wonder how well they’re going about deploying what I’ve heard called Edu-tainment – Educating your prospect about what you have to offer and entertaining them while doing so. Be interesting to see how this experiment works out for them.

  • http://twitter.com/Arrow_Digital Brendan Dunne

    A number of years ago Ford did a study and found out that the Ford brand didn’t have any real values associated With it, 
    Ford set about changing the brand values by communicating more efficiently with their target market, the process they started then has held them in good stead especially with the emergence of the online communities where Facebook alone has over 900 million accounts worldwide.What Ford has done in shown the belief they have in their own products, by putting themselves on the line to be critiqued by the general public they are sending a clear message to their public.

    “We have so much faith in our cars that we are going to let your friends tell you about them”

    A brilliant strategy for any business operating in today’s market place.

  • ElliStGeorgeGodfrey

    John,

    The various ways that companies are connecting with and trusting their customers to spread the word is mind-boggling. I’ve been watching Ford for some time now and marveling how they’ve engaged with their customer. They are an iconic brand and yet they keep finding ways to stay fresh and aware of what their customers want.

  • John Twohig

    Hi Elli and thanks for the comment.

    I agree with you on what Ford have done. The risk taking is incredible, they deserve the results.

  • John Twohig

    HI Brendan and thanks for the comment.

    It is social business in action and they are trusting their community to help them promote Fords products. A brilliant strategy, very inventive and full of potential pitfalls. Leveraging social platforms is breaking new territory for many companies. Ford have cracked the code.

  • John Twohig

    Hi Lewis and thanks for the comment.

    Broadcasting on social is counter-productive, it alienates the online community. Multi-Directional Expressions Capability(MDEC) is what the knowledgeable companies are seeking, Ford are achieving this in spades.  

  • John Twohig

    Hey Warren, thanks for the share, I hope you son and his millennial friends enjoy the post.

    You are right, it is amazing that these companies have cracked the MDEC code and other large companies do not see what social business is or it’s potential.

  • http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

    John,
    I love Ford’s strategy, I was unaware of the new TV show. I was a bit put off by the title of this post though when I saw it floating by on twitter – it sounded head-wreckingly complicated to me :) I am pleased that I read your post now, well written, insighful and interesting as always!
    ~ Helen

  • John Twohig

    I suppose I am trying to high-light how MDEC relates to the successful companies who have engaged totally on social. The title was a bit convoluted due to that. I am glad you took the time to read the post despite this and that you enjoyed it’s contents.

  • http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

    Moving with the flow… Warren and John, and interesting concept, as I am baffled as to exactly what the “flow” is. It never ceases to amaze me, which comes first – the provision or the need/want.
    Sometimes we supply what the customer wants, others we launch and they take it in with open arms (or reject it vehemently) A very interesting debate at some point :)
    Having re-read Warrens comment, perhaps the answer is in the “engaging consumers in future product development” this sounds like a collaboration, which is healthy :)

  • http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

    Similar to Helen below, the title frightened me a bit, but your post is very well written.
    It made me think of B2C and C2B. It seems to me both can work. I always imagine a company like Apple producing beautiful products and the masses amassing to buy them (very much B2C). I call this refine and launch. On the other side, Microsoft for example, launch a mediocre product and rely on consumer feedback for improvement. I call this launch and refine.
    Both seem to work in the space they are in, and I appreciate now with the onslaught of consumer social, companies (like Ford have) need to get involved in the conversation, as it will take place with or with out them.
    Most impressive for me is the power the consumer can have, and it is so right that we get to talk openly and honestly about what we spend our money on (including customer service). Where many companies are afraid of social, Ford have proved that you can control the conversation to some degree, and keep your consumer on side.
    Great post John, thanks!

  • Torihawthorne

    Most excellent post John.. I read it last night, and just again there… It excites me greatly… In my sales training, back in the dinosaur age ;)  I was made hyper aware that customers talk to other customers about business/service, C2CaB.. And that was way before Twitter, FB Google+ and so on..
    As I read this last night another Tweeter was Tweeting the fact his broadband provider wasn’t on Twitter. To see the success of the companies that have engaged highlights the lack of foresight of those who have not.

    My Post of the Year John ;)
    Tori

  • John Twohig

    Yeah, the title knocked a few people back. The general re-action to the post is positive, which is great. Like Tori’s story above I do not believe that social has not re-invented the wheel. What it has done is re-invented conversations which use to take place over the wall with your neighbour, now that conversation is on a global scale. These are what Coca-Cola is referring to as expressions. He-ho who am I to argue.

    Social Business makes the customer central, not a lot companies know this or like it.

    Thanks for the comment Elaine.

  • John Twohig

    Thanks again for your kind words Tori.

    They will fall inline over time, it’s our job to educate them.

  • John Twohig

    Moving with the flow, is not a term I would use but I understand where Warren is coming from. The “flow” being the online digital/social explosion in recent years, I think!

    Steve Jobs said it’s not the customers job to know what they want, it’s ours. Innovative companies operate to this model, the cloners do not. The level of collaboration in the Ford example, Coke and Burberry is ground breaking. Other companies have a model to study and build their strategy and tailor it to their available resources.

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