Ford relaunches Fiesta Movement social media marketing campaign

By Stephen Edelstein February 20, 2013

Almost five years ago, Ford gave the keys to its new Fiesta subcompact to a handful of social media barons, in the hope that they’d extoll the car’s virtues to their many followers. You might have noticed that the streets aren’t exactly full of Fiestas, but Ford is still giving its Fiesta Movement marketing campaign a second try.

At New York’s Social Media Week, Ford said it is looking for 100 influential people to “convey the unique personality and attributes of the new 2014 Ford Fiesta in an entirely different way.”

Actually, Ford seems to be doing things the same way as Fiesta Movement 1.0. As with the first campaign, the 100 participants, or “agents,” in Fordspeak, will get to do whatever they want with their Fiestas, and document their experiences on the full spectrum of social media sites.

Since Ford wants to sell Fiestas to young, tech-savvy buyers, the benefits of Fiesta Movement are obvious. In return, the agents get additional exposure from their association with Ford, and a free car to drive around for six months.

Like the original Fiesta Movement, Ford will augment the social media content with more traditional advertising, as well as promotional events tied to American Idol, Bonaroo, and the X Games.

Despite doing well with young buyers, the Fiesta’s sales have been slipping. They were down 17 percent last year, even as the rest of the car industry continued to recover from the Great Recession.

The 2014 Fiesta does include a few upgrades that are worth tweeting about. It’s new front fascia matches the larger Fusion’s, and inside is Ford’s MyFord Touch infotainment system (which, admittedly, has gotten mixed reviews) and improved Sync voice recognition.

Ford will also equip the Fiesta with a fuel-sipping 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine. A sporty ST model with 180 horsepower is also a possibility.

If you consider yourself a social media influencer, or just want a free car, Ford is accepting applications at FiestaMovement.com.

Editors' Recommendations

Ford issues safety recalls for three vehicle models in North America

Topics

Social Media

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations

The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Cars

Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more

Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Cars

Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs

Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.