Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Report: Social Media + Email = More Power

A new report from eMarketer shows how combining the strengths of email and social media can lead to better results.

You'll recall around these parts the discussion of "Silent E." Now this report teases that out a little more. It's about how two complementary marketing practices can be used more wisely to engage customers in less of a disjointed way. This makes complete sense, as consumers need consistency in their interactions with brands and programs need to jump from one platform to the next almost seamlessly, while offering different benefits or levels of engagement on each.

Here are a few statistics on how social media and email will be integrated by marketers and why they think it's important.

Business Executives Worldwide Who Plan to Integrate Social Media into Their E-Mail Marketing Campaigns in 2010 (% of respondents)

You can find the full report, Maximizing the Email/Social Media Connection, on eMarketer's site.

As Reese's used to say, "two great tastes that taste great together."

Personally, I think it's about time. ow about you? Any plans within your organization to integrate social media & email?

Posted via web from The Full Monty

Labels: CRM, email, social networks, trends, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 11:30 AM

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Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Email - the Silent E

A rather unlikely suspect has been making the rounds lately. And while you may have come to know this blog for covering the cutting edge communications and marketing tools, it may seem odd that this suspect is rather old school.

That's right. Good old email is making a comeback. But it shouldn't be a total surprise - it's not like I didn't warn you.

Every indicator I've seen lately indicate that people still use email as a primary method of sharing interesting news, keeping in touch, and notification - not to mention that it's usually the price of entry for belonging to a social network. In short, for the masses, email still rules.

But aside from these observations, you probably would like some more empirical evidence (in addition to the ShareThis study referenced in the above link). Here are some of the recent developments that make me think that "Silent E" isn't going to be quite so silent any more.

Feel the love

Two weeks ago, eMarketer reported that Social Networkers Still Love Email. In fact as you can see, they love it more than non-social network users. It's partially because, according to the study by Merkle, they use the same email address to receive notifications from their social networks and opt-in email marketing campaigns. As Merkle stated in their press release: "we are seeing consistent social use of the email channel, as well as evidence to support the idea that social networking and email use are actually more related than previously thought."

That's good news: social network users' attention is on their inboxes at almost twice the rate of non-connected emailers.

Email Mash-up
But might there be too much of a good thing? Mashable recently let us know that Facebook is giving users the option get get app notifications in email. Facebook clearly wants to move away from an app-to-user arrangement to a direct-mail-to-user arrangement. On the one hand, users will have greater control over what they receive via email; but there's the potential of inbox overload. The good news is that the heavier users are probably well skilled in how to use a feature like Gmail filters.

Exactly what the doctor Co-ordered
The final bit of evidence in this trio of evidence toward email was the news today: CoTweet Acquired by ExactTarget. CoTweet, which describes itself as "how business does Twitter," (full disclosure: Ford Motor Company, my employer, uses CoTweet), has been making great strides in its service that allows companies to scale social media activities. And ExactTarget is a premier leader in email marketing, and their acquisition of CoTweet underscores how email and the social media space are converging. If ExactTarget is able to take its CRM capabilities and combine them with CoTweet's close relationship with the Twitter management, we could potentially see some wide-ranging implications for Twitter and email marketing alike.

And so we don't end on a completely heavy note, I'll leave you with this topical song by Tom Lehrer.

Photo credit: Leo Reynolds

Labels: CRM, email, social networks, trends, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 12:37 AM

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

When Crisis Attacks

It seems that crisis management has been a hot topic in the news lately. Sports celebrities and major automotive companies are suffering from major hits to their reputation every day in the news. And earlier today, a popular theme park made headlines: SeaWorld experienced a terrible accident when one of its killer whales from the Shamu show attacked and killed one of their most experienced trainers.

Full disclosure: I just visited the park last week and saw the show while I was on vacation, so I felt a personal twinge on hearing the news. In addition, in a when I was with a previous employer, I had an opportunity to go behind the scenes at SeaWorld and to hear about the inner operations of the park. I can understand the devastation that must be rippling across the park staff, as both the trainers and the animals are an integral part of a very unique family there. My thoughts and prayers go out to all involved.

The team at SeaWorld and its associated parks have a solid presence online; a huge portion of their ticket sales are from the web. But outside of a blogger outing through IZEAFest, I hadn't really heard much of their social media efforts. So today, when I saw "SeaWorld" and "Shamu" trending on Twitter, I knew there was probably some unfortunate news behind it.

I'd like to take a look at some of the good things that SeaWorld did in response and some areas that need attention.

The Need for Speed

When a brand is affected by a breaking crisis, the first thing I do is check Twitter. Not just for mentions of the issue, but to see how the company is responding or if it even has an account. And in this case, SeaWorld was covered, as they have an account: @SeaWorld_Parks. As of 11:30 p.m. on February 24, there are 814 followers.

You'll note that one of the most recent updates on their account is a clear statement and link to what they had to say about the crisis:

Within a few hours, the park had updated the blog with an entry "A Message from Jim Atchison, President and Chief Executive Officer, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment" that acknowledged the tragedy and put a human feel to the statement:

February 24, 2010
It is with great sadness that I report that one of our most experienced animal trainers drowned in an incident with one of our killer whales this afternoon, February 24, 2010 at our SeaWorld Orlando park.
We have initiated an investigation to determine, to the extent possible, what occurred. There are no other details to share at this point, but we will make our findings known in due course.
I must emphasize that this is an extraordinarily difficult time for the SeaWorld parks, and our team members.
Nothing is more important than the safety of our employees, guests and the animals entrusted to our care. All of our standard operating procedures will come under review as part of the investigation.
We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the trainer and will do everything possible to assist them in this difficult time.
We appreciate everyone’s understanding and will share more information as it becomes known and available.

Any time a crisis hits, it's a good idea for a company to have a hub where information can be posted quickly to address misinformation, provide clarity, and exhibit some semblance of control over the situation. In today's world, there's no time for weeks or even days of war gaming and message creation. Companies need to be prepared to act within a matter of hours, if not more quickly.

Fortunately, SeaWorld maintains a blog at SeaWorldParksBlog.com and has been actively blogging since September of 2009. So they've already established themselves in this space, rather than waiting for a crisis to hit to create a blog. By updating that blog with timely & relevant information, they were able to reassure the public, which is especially important at a time rumors and conflicting reports are floating around. And with an associated Twitter account, they can continue to share information.

In addition, SeaWorld has used its Facebook page to post the message from Mr. Atchison as well as to announce the incident:

But there's a little more going on here that deserves some consideration.

Not So Fast

While it's great that SeaWorld has a Twitter account and Facebook page (as well as a YouTube & Flickr account), there are a few things that are worth addressing. The first is that it's probably a good idea to get more interactive with the Twitter account (although I'll admit it may be too early yet, as information and relevant facts are still coming in). But clearly, with SeaWorld being a trending topic, there's a reason to at least acknowledge some of the concerns.

Next is the inevitability of animal rights activists who will come of of the woodwork to criticize SeaWorld for keeping animals in captivity. Based on my experience behind the scenes at the park, I know SeaWorld is very sensitive to such criticism and I can say that they're absolutely committed to caring for these animals and treating them humanely. Nothing could be more important to the staff there. However, when online activists really want to make a firestorm out of something, they certainly can. And the park staff should be prepared for that. As we can see, they already had to take action on Facebook:

Also, it's important to note that there's a second Twitter account associated with SeaWorld - in fact, it's actively promoted by the park on their home page: the @Shamu account. This was formerly the @RealShamu account, but they must have acquired the @Shamu name since the account was created. Here's a shot of their Twitter page:

It's not your typical account, as Shamu seems to have a bit of an attitude. One of his tweets from nearly a year ago reads:

Now, I get that they're trying to take on the persona of the whale, but seeing that you're dealing with an animal that is in close proximity to humans on a regular basis, I would think the team might want to take a little bit of the "killer" out of the killer whale.

Similarly, notice this back and forth between @Shamu and a follower, as recently as 5 days ago:

With over 9,800 followers on the @Shamu account - more than 10 times the amount on @SeaWorld_Parks, one would think that this would be the place for updates to be taking place. However, SeaWorld has kind of painted themselves into a corner here. Because they've used a persona and because the physical manifestation of that persona (the actual whale) was involved in the incident, one of the most popular social media channels of the park is unable to be activated.

At the very least, if I were managing the account, I would consider going back and remove any references to violence in the stream, out of respect for the victim. While that may violate the tenet of keeping conversations whole on the social web, it does show a sensitivity to this very regrettable circumstance.

In short, it's important to have a crisis preparedness plan and a rapid response strategy in place, using the tools that effectively allow a company to get messages in place and respond where the conversations are happening. And as channels are being created, it's important to understand the implications of potential negative stories and how those channels might be affected. In a crisis, a popular channel that needs to be silenced is of no use to anyone.

UPDATE: Please be sure to check the comments below. They include a great back-and-forth discussion between readers, as well as a post from someone at SeaWorld's digital marketing staff that includes information on how they're handling things.

Labels: corporate blogging, crisis, enterprise, facebook, strategy, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 11:49 PM

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

What's in a Name?

The iPad. Unless you were in a coma, you probably heard about the launch of Apple's new tablet. A larger version of the iPhone, at 0.5 inches thick, 1.5 pounds, $499 (base model) + a $29.99 unlimited data plan, it's pretty impressive. You can read all about the reveal and product specs over on Engadget, who covered it live.

There's an interesting subplot going on here, though. The hype around the event was palpable - even the Wall Street Journal noted "Last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments written on it." Indeed, everyone was speculating about the name of the new netbook from Apple - from the iTablet to iSlate. When it was revealed, it looked like nothing more than an oversize iPhone, but as the presentation went on, the functionality became more apparent.

Without a doubt, the tech community - which always gets in a tizzy whenever Apple releases a new product (or if Steve Jobs sneezes) - was so prolific in its buzz that it locked up Twitter for a bit. There's really something to be said about the power of the geeky masses, as words related to the presentation (including Amazon's Kindle, which was mentioned in Job's announcement) accounted for 8 of the 10 trending topics on Twitter at one point.

You've got to wonder about the naming decision on this product. It's certainly in line with the "iP" naming convention of the other two wildly successful product lines, the iPod and iPhone. So from a brand extension, it makes sense. But my first inclination was that "iPad" was too close to "iPod." Surely iTablet or iSlate would have worked from a descriptive standpoint. It led me to wonder if there was something more going on here...

Look carefully at the trending topics for a clue - in addition to phrases like Apple, iBooks, Steve Jobs, Kindle, iPhone, iWork and iSlate, there was as single outlier: iTampon. Check that again - iPad doesn't even show up on the trending topics!

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet."

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Did Apple anticipate such a viral phenomenon that they intentionally named the product as they did? Or were they completely naive about the implications? Either way, it's lighting up the web as we speak. And it didn't take long for someone to photoshop it, either:

What do you think? Marketing savvy, stunt or stupidity?

UPDATE: @brennanMKE sent me this video - an old iPad commercial:

Photo credits: Engadget, @Katmanalac

Labels: Apple, trends, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 3:34 PM

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Monday, November 16, 2009

Enough Is Enough

The spam and other unsolicited DMs I've been getting on Twitter have finally gotten to me. And I'm going to be taking action.

A Bit of Background

You know the kind of direct messages I'm talking about, all with spammy links in them:

"Is this you on here?"

"I just gave you a High Five! Check it out"

"Hey, I got some free ringtones from here"

"Hey, can you take this quiz thingy?"

"I found out my IQ. You should too."

"I lost a bunch of weight doing this."

And many, many more.

Lots of the direct messages I get are of the automated sort when people first start following me. Having been someone who used to do that - mainly to let people know how I preferred to communicate - I can understand the need to do that. But what I've been seeing lately is out of control. It's gotten to the point where these disruptive DMs have crippled my ability to monitor and respond to legitimate direct messages. I'm spending more time deleting or ignoring messages, at the risk of missing messages from people I want to hear from.

Reciprocity

For a long time, I've believed that when someone follows me on Twitter, it's common courtesy to follow them back. What I have to say shouldn't be any more important than what anyone else has to say - that's one of the great features of social networks: true democracy at work. I realize that this isn't everyone's style, but it's been something I consciously chose to do.

A tool I've used pretty successfully to manage this (rather than eat up my time manually following people back) has been SocialOomph, which was previously known as TweetLater. It allows you to automatically follow (and unfollow) people back, among other nifty features.

But lately, my Twitter stream as well as my direct message inbox has been polluted with spammy posts. The recent addition of Twitter lists, which have allowed me to begin to categorize some of the people I follow, has been helpful - you can check mine out here - but I'm finding it's not enough.

No More

I've decided that from now on, I can no longer afford to follow people back automatically, so I'm suspending that feature from my SocialOomph account. If you wish to be followed by me, you'll have to request it and I'll have to ensure that what you're saying provides value to me.

In addition, I'm going to be unfollowing anyone who spams me with these Facebook-like apps that send automated direct messages or anyone who DMs or @s me their latest money-making schemes.

I haven't gotten to the point where I'm purging and rebuilding my Twitter followers, nor do I feel like I need to go that extreme thanks to the addition of lists, but if this level of spammy behavior keeps up, I may have to revisit that decision.

I suppose this is a natural extension of a service or platform going mainstream. But for those who use Twitter for more meaningful connections and communications, it's frustrating. I hope that Twitter management has a plan to try to minimize this.

Update: reader Andy Michaels notes that SocialOomph has an opt-out service that takes care of automated DMs.

Image credit: Chris Pirillo (Flickr)

Labels: news, trends, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 9:07 AM

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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

When Worlds Collide

Well, it's finally here. Twitter and LinkedIn have decided to combine forces. This is pretty significant, and I know that it'll make it easier to share job opportunities and other more networking opportunities that are more professional in nature.

I won't bore you with all of the details, but you can now update your LinkedIn status via Twitter, and your Twitter status from LinkedIn. If you'd like to see how to go about it, check out the post on the LinkedIn blog.

One of the features I like best is how you can select which updates you want posted to LinkedIn - everything or just those posts tagged with #in.

In December of 2008, I predicted that Twitter would attain legitimacy in 2009. Aside from it being used by pretty much every major media outlet, not to mention a good number of celebrities, I think we're there. The fact that a site as grounded in the business world as LinkedIn would choose to align with Twitter is a huge nod to the 140 character service.

Of course, two things need to be considered as these seemingly different worlds come together:

1. If LinkedIn is the business meeting and Twitter is the cocktail party, we need to be very careful with the alcohol intake at work, so to speak. ;-)

2. Twitter has its own language - some of which can be very confusing to outsiders. As our updates cross into new territory, we need to be mindful of how our networks understand us. This tweet from Mandi Engram says it all:

So there you have it. Twitter. LinkedIn. Two great tastes that taste great together. Or something like that.

What do you think? Will you use this service?

Image credit: K e v i n (Flickr)

Labels: LinkedIn, news, social networks, trends, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 11:04 PM

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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

I've Been on a Calendar, But I've Rarely Been On Time

#hotmen And to prove it, I'm late with this blog post.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the never predictable, always thoughtful Dave Delaney with a scheme that I can only describe as ~~hairbrained~~ inspired. I've known Dave to go to bat for individuals before, raising money for good causes. Many were local businesses or colleagues, but Dave's passion always rang true and led him to success.

So that's where the latest idea came in. Dave decided to plant his tongue firmly in his cheek and ask a number of us (18, to be exact), to pose for the Hottest Men on Twitter Calendar. No lie.

But if it were all about just seeing (cough) hot guys, we wouldn't sell a single copy. Well, that's not entirely true - Jason Falls would buy one so he could hang Mr. April in his office.

But there had to be a hook. Dave's angle: 40% of the proceeds of the calendar (the net after production costs) will go to DonorsChoose.org, where teachers post projects and how much they cost, and you can choose what to fund. It's a great cause.

So, if you're in the market for 18 months worth of photos, including a hot & sweaty new media consultant, a buff and bronzed mobile marketer, a fearless community leader, a voice-over guy like no other, a humorist extraordinaire, a woodcrafter-cum-social media marketer, a podcaster across borders, and possibly the bravest geek I know - then this is the purchase for you. Even the Village Voice is taking notice. Oh. Wait.

"But I have absolutely no interest in this kind of thing," I hear you saying. Fine. Don't make me pull a National Lampoon. Do it for the children, for I believe the children are our future. Here's what you can do:

1. Please purchase the calendar by clicking here.

2. And share the link around, using the hashtag: #hotmen.

And just for fun, vote for your favorite "hot" man on Twitter. I haven't got any favorites, but I hear there's an October surprise. (Not-so-subtle hint: I'll reward you with many fine blog posts).

Thanks for joining in the fun here. Let's work together so we can help raise enough money to give these deserving teachers and children some resources they need.

Labels: fun, social media, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 7:59 AM

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Have You Got a Boss or a Leader?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of collaborating with Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Company (my employer) on Twitter. He was so excited about the opportunity to connect directly with the public again (you may recall his first exchange on Twitter).

The thing that I was looking forward to the most was just seeing Alan in action. With our CEO, what you see is what you get - he's the real deal. He takes the time to listen to people and he responds thoughtfully and genuinely. He gets social media, whether or not he knows what blogs, Twitter, Facebook or Plurk are - he knows that it takes an investment of time and truly caring about customers to make it work. And to me, that's the critical difference between success and failure as a communicator.

I don't know how many Fortune 500 executives are like that, but I think it's a strategic asset at Ford to have an executive who can not only lead with laser-like focus and strategy, but who can inspire through simply being a decent human being. To me, it's the difference between being a boss and being a leader. And Alan exudes that. See what I mean in this short video of Alan:

Here's the transcript of what was said on the @Ford account for the 30 minutes that Alan was on. We answered 37 questions and we have about 40 more that Alan will respond to shortly. The hashtag we used for the day was #FordCEO and all of the tweets from Alan were signed ^Alan. As he states in one of the responses, Alan loves customers. I don't think anyone can doubt that.

irasocol: #FordCEO when will Sync work with all Blackberries?

ford: @irasocol SYNC works with most bluetooth devices. Scott says to check www.syncmyride.com for more info ^Alan #FordCEO

irasocol: #FordCEO, why not give the Ka to US Mercury dealers, and create buzz. Same car as the FIAT 500 which is supposed to 'save' Chrysler.

ford: @irasocol Re the Ka: we're trying to understand the U.S. market needs for it right now. It's a REALLY neat car! ^Alan #FordCEO

BradConley: @Ford What part will the Lincoln brand play in the resurgence of FMC?

ford: @BradConley Lincoln is a key luxury brand for us, we have a completely new family of Lincolns now. ^Alan #FordCEO

drivingsales: @Ford if GM & Chrysler get big UAW concessions through BK protection, how will that affect Ford's agreements? #FordCEO

ford: @drivingsales We continue to work with all of our stakeholders on our plan and we will not be distadvantaged. ^Alan #FordCEO

j_navarra: @Ford are there plans to replace the NA Focus line with the Euro Focus line, or the Fiesta replacing the NA Focus's place in the lineup?

ford: @j_navarra Yes. Over time, the products will come together around the world on our wonderful platforms. ^Alan #FordCEO

DRients: @Ford Alan, I would like to know what you think the strongest car/truck is in Ford's fleet? And Why? Thanks! #FordCEO

ford: @DRients Stong cars: the Ka, Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, Mustang and Taurus. ^Alan #FordCEO

ford: @DRients Strong utilities: Escape, Edge. Flex, Explorer & Expedition. ^Alan #FordCEO

ford: @DRients Strongest trucks/vans: Ranger, F-series, E-series and the NEW Transits ^Alan #FordCEO

ford: @DRients Oh yeah, one more: strongest new way cool van: Transit Connect Family One ^Alan #FordCEO http://bit.ly/IGXd

lombertop: @Ford what made u think so far ahead re. the obtaining of funds in case of an economic downturn?

ford: @lombertop We are so excited about our products, transformation - we wanted to ensure we had sufficient $ to complete it http://bit.ly/IGXd

lombertop: @Ford What do u think of the Fiesta Movement campaign so far?

ford: @lombertop "Moving" along really well. SO exciting & useful to gather customer input/feedback ^Alan #FordCEO

ford: @lombertop The Movement is the future for creating vehicles we all really want. ^Alan #FordCEO

radiomantodd: @Ford What role does a grassroots motorsports racer, such as a#SpecFocus team, have in building up a brand such as Ford? #FordCEO

ford: @radiomantodd "Race on Sunday, sell on Monday." Go Ford, go!! ^Alan#FordCEO

AtaruSVTF: @Ford If the Fiesta Movement is a success after it ends, is this the type of marketing you would consider doing again in the future?

ford: @AtaruSVTF RE Fiesta Movement - YES. More than marketing, we're creating our new products we all want together. ^Alan #FordCEO

azulejost: @Ford #FordCEO With the IIHS crash tests released yesterday, how confident are you that the Fiesta will outperform the Fit, Yaris, etc.?

ford: @azulejost That IS the plan. ^Alan #FordCEO

paul_db_weber: @Ford Is Econetic coming to US?

ford: @paul_dB_weber We're going to deliver the best fuel mileage forever. That's the plan. ^Alan #FordCEO

leeanthro: @Ford We are Ford family looking to replace Taurus wagon. We buy 1-2yo vehicles to save. What wld we gain buying NEW this summer? #FordCEO

ford: @Leeanthro Great design, better fuel efficiency and safety improvements...and great value ^Alan #FordCEO

povertyjetset: @Ford happy about Fiesta's fuel efficiency. More small cars from Ford in the works? #fiestamovement

ford: @povertyjetset Yes. Ford will provide a complete family of small, medium & large cars, utilities & trucks going forward. ^Alan #FordCEO

DaveBenjamin: @ford: #fordceo- Do you anticipate suppliers will survive much longer without substantial government financing? How does this effect Ford?

ford: @DaveBenjamin Yes. They'll continue to consolidate & align with successful companies. Like Ford. :-) ^Alan #FordCEO

byronpope: @ford Would a GM/Chrysler bankruptcy negatively impact Ford?

ford: @byronpope We are so pleased that customers are preferring Ford.(Hi, Bryon!) ^Alan #FordCEO

DonStugots: @Ford when can we expect a hybrid "edge" model? if not, then why? #FordCEO

ford: @DonStugots We're reviewing it now. ^Alan #FordCEO

azulejost: @Ford #FordCEO Mr. Mulally, congratulations on attaining 10% of Europe's market share last month! You're doing a great job.

ford: @azulejost Thank you! The customer decides, and we're SO pleased. ^Alan#FordCEO

Turbochacha: @Ford #FordCEO Is there any thought to bringing back iconic namplates like Thurderbird or Bronco since Taurus has been well received?

ford: @Turbochacha We continue to consider this, but our focus is consistency of purpose/continuous improvement with what we have. ^Alan #FordCEO

@Mooncricket: @Ford Alan where do you see Ford full size trucks in the next 5 years. Gas, hybrid, electric, power, same size or smaller?

ford: @Mooncricket Yes. ^Alan #FordCEO

DRients: @Ford..Alan, what are some of your talent acquisition and retention strategies in these tough times?

ford: @DRients Compelling vision for Ford, wonderful creative work, talented people working TOGETHER, making fabulous products ^Alan #FordCEO

ursch1311: @Ford Alan, you are doing an amazing job...can u give me hope for an ecoboost Fusion, and maybe how long I'll have to wait?

ford: @ursch1311 Yes. Soon. Such a neat drive with the additional torque at lower rpms. Yahoo!! ^Alan #FordCEO

joelandmandy: @Ford #FordCEO -- looking at the new Transit for our business. Could a 6' person stand up in the back?

ford: @joelandmandy Not quite. Scott showed me your video, btw - you rock! ^Alan #FordCEO

WirelessLife: @ford MS SYNC project is great. When does Ford plan on taking the next step in making the vehicle a connectivity hub? Media via mobile INET?

ford: @WirelessLife More capability in connectivity each year. Seamless connection, information will be ubiquitous as we drive Ford ^Alan #FordCEO

phenom1984: @Ford What are you driving these days?

ford: @phenom1984 I drive a different vehicle each day, including the competition. Last night = Ford Fusion hybrid 41 mpg ^Alan #FordCEO

mpgomatic: @Ford Any chance I could borrow a Fiesta ECOnetic to set a new 48-state fuel economy record for Guinness? #FordCEO

ford: @mpgomatic Need your help changing the regulations to make the dynamite new diesel to be more affordable ^Alan #FordCEO

mpgomatic: @Ford Sure thing, Alan! I can start by setting high MPG numbers on roundtrips to DC. :) 4/30 too early to start? #FordCEO

ford: @mpgomatic Go for it! Call me along the way. ^Alan #FordCEO

JamieGeek: @Ford any plans for a Hybrid truck (F150/F250/F350)?

ford: @JamieGeek EcoBoost is the next dramatic step in capability & fuel efficiency in our trucks. ^Alan #FordCEO

brittanitaylor: @Ford My family are Ford drivers, but to others who are not familiar with your brand,what would you like them to know about your company?

ford: @brittanitaylor Ford cares and has *great* choices. Please drive one, and feel the difference. ^Alan #FordCEO

raywert: @ford Alan, Ford Fiesta. Which comes stateside first, sedan or hatch?also, will mustang get ecoboost?

ford: @raywert We'll be announcing that soon (Fiesta). Can't get enough models around the world. ^Alan #FordCEO

BrentSnavely: @Ford Is Ford Advantage working? #FordCEO

ford: @BrentSnavely Yes! ^Alan #FordCEO

mlaspina: @ford #fordceo Thx for the oppty Alan. Do you expect to merge any current brands?

ford: @mlaspina No. We are laser-focused on our complete Ford family of vehicles. ^Alan #FordCEO

DaveMora: @Ford still has the "Fix Or Repair Daily" reputation. i 4 1 dont believe it but is Ford conscius about it and working on it on the PR front?

ford: @DaveMora Yes we are - the data says every new Ford vehicle is best in class worldwide. We have a great story to tell. ^Alan #FordCEO

mcritz : Why is @Ford producing the 2010 Fusion+Hybrid in Mexico?

ford: @mcritz We produce our vehicles all around the world. The vast majority of U.S. vehicles are made in the U.S. ^Alan #FordCEO

poptent: @Ford love that you guys are using Twitter for marketing + community - have you fallen in love with social media yet? #FordCEO

ford: @poptent We love customers, and can't get enough of 'em. ^Alan #FordCEO

Jeb_Hoge: @Ford Can enthusiasts expect SHO or RS versions of Focus, Fiesta, or Fusion?

ford: @Jeb_Hoge Yes. Over time. ^Alan #FordCEO

BRGT350: @ford Alan, I wanted to thank you for everything you have done for Ford. You are one of my hero's of American buisness.

ford: @BRGT350 Thank you. It is an *honor* to serve an American and global icon. ^Alan #FordCEO

Expect to see more of this kind of interaction from Alan and other executives at Ford. We believe that social media is an ongoing way of doing business rather than a marketing effort or ploy - it's not about one-way messaging or advertising. To us, social media is not a campaign, it's a commitment. And we're committed to listening.

Labels: corporate blogging, Ford, social media, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 9:55 PM

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