Part Two - Ford Focus Rally: America - The Opaque Time-Bomb

That being said I crafted the following message to the head of Ford Motor Company's social media efforts, the highly respected and sought-after Scott Monty:

Greetings Mr. Monty,

My name is Justice Mitchell and I'm the VP Interactive Creative Director (and social media head) for Starmark International. I was one of many people that has gone through casting for the Focus Rally America. However, today I approach you from one social media professional to another regarding the programming and strategic vision for the campaign.

Let me start be saying that I'm not a fly-by-night weekend web designer. I've worked as the ICD for campaigns such as Audi's "The Art of the Heist" (with McKinney), the design of the Chevy Time Square Glockenspiel and "Who is Benjamin Stove" for the 'Live Green Go Yellow' launch of E85 flex fuel (with Campbell Ewald) in all GM automobiles. That being said, and modest integrity intact, I hope I've still held your attention for the remainder of the message.

I'm concerned that the Focus Rally is starting off on the wrong foot. For the past month or so I decided that the best tactic (as I too have been playing for a team) is to take the position of 'owning the conversation.' Just as I would have done in an ARG, I would be able to nurture the engagement process, build buzz, dispel and create rumors actively, all the while being the constant creative and social conduit. Well I anticipated that the show would have also a modicum of transparency as I've been accustom to my previous playbooks . Nothing could be further from the truth and as with all human interaction that is competitive it's beginning to spoil. People are beginning to fain interest and turn on the idea behind the program.

Everyday I answer a standard set of questions:

• I've heard that teams have been chosen, is that true?
• I hear that teams are being cast from acting pools and not on the social clout.
• I've heard that teams are being told to boost their numbers by casting to look more appealing to Ford, is that true?
• I've heard that some people are being cut by email.

...and of course ~
• Do you work for Ford?

The last one, which of course is my favorite, as I'd very much like to work in your role. That being said I always say that "no, I do not work on behalf of Ford Motor Company - (with the caveat) I wish I did."

I additionally, have played out multiple channels of influence having setup the Focus Rally America Facebook "Page" as well, which acts as a lovely conduit for traffic into the group boards. I've done my best to keep that one very pro-product with minimal game chatter. That's not the area that concerns me, it is however your currently active fan base. You know as well as I do what 300 influencers can do. These folks need some type of conversation that will keep them obsessing over the program and ultimately deliver on good old fashion word-of-mouth and brand loyalty.

I too have been hoping to be selected, well knowing that regardless of outcome you will indeed make the largest social media advertising impact to date. Why wouldn't I want to be part of that history? But given what little that derived from the practices of your casting and programming, it seems that what you're going to have is the forgone conclusion of The Amazing Race on wheels ‚ I hope not. I really do.

I've resigned myself to carrying the torch for your brand and keeping morale alive until casting is complete but I'm wondering if this is all part of the plan? If you're unaware of what's going on? Or you simply know that it will be successful based on Amazing Race fans propensity to stay within this vertical. Either way, I hope you're right. I thought about reaching out before now but I truly believed that there would be more to share, more engagement, more social fabric to the start of this journey for these folks that hasn't seem to come.

I'm more than willing and able to help you right the ship if this message comes as a concern to you. I've reached out to Ms. Apploff (the casting director hired for this program) in hopes that she could give me a 'state of the union' to keep people social motivated but as of yet have heard nothing. Thank you for taking the time out in your busy schedule for this communication. I hope this email find you and yours well. All my best to you, now and in your future endeavors.

JusticeMitchell.com

Addendum:
I'm also willing to turn the administrative right of both accounts to your team, if and when you see fit.

...

Since that time I've not even received as much as a peep. Sad really because let's do the math:

Facebook has an average user-base of 130 friends, and that being said, at the time of this post there were 333 members on the Focus Rally America Group on Facebook.

That's 130 x 333 = 43,290 people that more than likely knew someone that was involved in this campaign and was awaiting some kind of news, positive or negative and got nothing. Let me not begin to say that I would speculate that 130 is exceptionally low for most of the people that would have signed onto a social media reality show. But I think it's safe to say that 50,000 people are wondering if their friends are going to be on a show or not and soon they will have an unpleasant friend (as is the case now) with the backlash of its silence.

50,000 Supporters

I will say this it's a shame too that the means and methods by which the casting has been managed thus far could easily derail the momentum trail before it reaches the first station of what could be many.  Your audience for this level of event could be huge and, as I mentioned earlier, I know more educated people in the 30-40 range that are interested in this vehicle than those in the 20-30 demographic.  These are professional people who expect professional project delivery and do not have the patience to spend hours simply trying to find out what is going on and the current status of the program.  People are interested in buying an American car that gets great gas mileage and will augment their personal fleet of vehicles, which often already includes an SUV.  It is possible to succeed after stumbling out of the blocks but so far, I am not sure you realize the stumble has occurred.  Therein lies the largest problem.  The idea is stellar and could be an enormous success, but right now there is far too much confusion and very little transparency.  The beauty of this campaign is the sheer volume of work that participants will generate for free.  Where else can you say this is the case in the realm of advertising? It also seems that simply because you're a big brand and you’re tying yourself with an equally respected entertainment brand doesn't guarantee success. Don't preach "earned media" and do nothing to acquire it. In the constantly evolving world of social media one can never assume‚ we make it, they will come‚ this is 2010, not 1975.

In the end it will probably be successful, people won't care how it all started but there are other brands out there that will read this and not make the same mistakes.

But wait there's more!

And just when I thought this post was ready for prime time something happened that I didn't expect. Scott Monty the head of Ford's social media efforts popped up on the grid.

When I first read his Facebook post I was pleased to see that they were beginning to communicate. Later I found out that he had made another statement on a page that I had created and in effect calling the page and its content on this "non-Ford approved or administered page" Facebook page. This took a while to sink in. It took a while to realize that Ford didn't see that I've spent months creating brand awareness for them. That all of us had created a sense of place for the fans of the show where there wasn't one.

That we had done what ANYONE in this social industry would have done that wanted to be proactive and participate would do:
• I created conversation.
• I supported the brand.
• I educated the consumer on the product and its offerings.
• I built anticipation for the show.

You cannot invite a 300 farmers into a fertile field, tell them nothing and expect them not to grow something.
When we launched the Audi A3 campaign called "The Art Of The Heist," one of many ways that we measured success was the communities, conversations and content that was developed external to the actual campaign production. THIS IS EARNED MEDIA!!! THIS IS FREE obsession, free conversation, and free social media! Did I mention we did all this before there was twitter and on a fraction of the budget I can guarantee you.

In the end I've opted out of the Ford Focus Rally America. I'm sure not to Ford's dismay. I've given Scott Monty both properties as I had promised - I hope the Ford Motor Company takes the feelings and opinions of 50,000 people seriously. I know I did. All they ever wanted to do is be communicated to. All they ever wanted was a brand to feed their passion. Too bad it has not happened to date. And I can imagine what we've all invested in sweat equity, if you tallied my day rate I can assure you, that group page has earned that 2012 Ford Focus ST - ten fold.

Lastly, I will send a message to all the brands in the future thinking that something like Ford's "Focus Rally: America" is right for them. In concept it's a smart masterful idea. Wrapping entertainment around the social media; it's the future of all advertising as we know it. What's most important in this equation is YOU MUST be 100% authentic, you must communicate with everyone from the top executive to the beginner that doesn't know where to post their photos. You cannot simply preach from your own bible and people believe it so.

One last thing, it's poor form in my humble opinion to refer to your fans and supporters as "Spam" and threaten them with exclusion. Or am I simply being petty?

Part One - Ford Focus Rally: America - A Social Failure?

I will start by saying that I look for the good in most things and rarely do I give constructive criticism without request. This being said, I've been involved in more than a cursory way with the advertising campaign the "Focus Rally: America" and this campaign really stumbled out of the gate. The following post is not simply a constructive criticism of the current campaign, but a tale of a large brand lead by representation that doesn't [really] understand the "social" in social media.

Is this for real?

A great many weeks ago I was approached by a casting producer to try out for a "Social Media" based reality program.  The program was solely designed for updating their approach to, and expanding the audience of, the Ford Motor Company's Focus brand and release of the 2012 model. Ford Motor Company and the producers from "The Amazing Race" have conceived a road rally contest called the "Focus Rally: America"  - In a nutshell the "Focus Rally: America is a five-week program beginning on February 1, 2011. It follows six two-person teams as they drive cross-country and complete a series of challenges partially designed by Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri, the creators of The Amazing Race. It will air long-form episodes and short-form videos five times a week on Hulu."

I asked a myriad of questions before even going to the initial casting to see if it was truly legit and every response told me, in no uncertain terms, that they were "looking for people that had large followings on their social media channels" to participate in the program. That they wanted people that live day-to-day within these technologies and could use them to communicate with a broad base audience. Those are my words and I'm probably already giving them more credit than they are due but I digress.

Now before you skip the remainder of this article and write it off as sour grapes, please give the devil (in this case me) his due. Not to mention this is a scenario (as I mentioned prior) that I fear might also plague large brands in the future that try to pull off similar programs of its kind. With that seed firmly planted in your skull allow me to elucidate the issues as I see them.

From this point everything seemed to me as though it had the potential to be the largest social media advertisement to date. As a social media professional who also has an insatiable infatuation with automobiles, why wouldn't I want to be involved? So I did what anyone would do in my position, I strove hell-bent, to "own the conversation" and the public personality of the campaign from the get go.

I was told to select "two or three friends" as potential teammates to come to a closed casting session. Shortly thereafter, the primary website listed an extensive list of dates to hold live casting sessions in highly visible areas of major metropolitan areas. This made total sense to me as I watched the "pre-tease" campaign unfold and I said "that's how I would have done it!" This creates more than just localized interest into the show and starts buzz, it also allows press sources locally to report on something that they feel they have the inside scoop on. That being said, my teammates and I went down to the live event to do our due diligence and get a little user-generated content for a newly created Facebook group page at the same time. The event was as I had thought, mildly populated within the context of the show and the local 'to be seen' restaurant whores right before any Orlando Magic game. So foot traffic was at its peak for the area; this means the media group either did their research or got lucky.  As you will see, I think the latter may be the case based upon decisions made following the live open casting event in Orlando, Florida.

My initial concern over the management of this campaign was born from the understanding that since I'd been cast by phone and given a closed casting date, what was the point of the open casting call other than to generate buzz? Was actual casting going to be had at these events? These "live casting" participants were not told to bring teammates for a potential team. Additionally, I made several attempts to reach out to the casting contact but to no avail regarding the impact of this session. Though the event did not seemingly affect my partners and myself. Days later, I took my two friends Neil Klaproth and Millo Aldea to the casting session. It was regrettably to be the last call of the day and was told after being briefly video taped with Millo (whom I'd chosen to go first with me) that they no longer needed anyone else, sorry. A major strike against you. I get that it's Friday and you want to go party with your girlfriends, but now you're just wasting my time and not acting very professionally. You need to follow through with the requests that you beset prior to the casting.

Pushing on -

Frustration firmly in play, Millo and I reached out to the casting company and asked 'should we' stir up the social pot or just stay put. Can you hear the crickets? That being said, Millo and I pushed on to increase our chances guided by the question ‚ÄúWhat would be the best way to fulfill the desired goal from  the perspective of a social media professional’s? The first step would be to create and deploy influence, buzz and conversation among our desired demographic, and what is that demographic?‚  For the new Ford Focus, this is not an easy question to answer.  Based upon the price point, fuel economy and fun factor, this vehicle is not only for younger folks, but there are many people who have been rethinking their approach to automobile purchasing.  Socially conscious 30 and 40 something’s  are looking to buy American cars with gadgets and great mileage.  The same approach that was taken in launching the Fiesta Movement — expressing the needs of more value to reach this savvier and broader demographic. It made sense to be the center of the attention.

Covering your bases -

Much to my surprise Ford had none of their bases covered. I managed to create @fordfocusrally on Twitter, the Focus Rally Community and the "Group" page at will, with nothing covering the landscape. This would have been social media 101 given that I would have created a campaign of any size. But to think that Ford would leave them socially unprotected was shocking. Fortunately for me it was a Godsend to "own the conversation" and see what could really be done preemptively. With this I created a real home for people that were hungry for information, wanted to talk about the excitement of the cast and what they thought of the potential program. Here was a place where all the teams could talk about who they were, why this was important to them and share in one another's enthusiasm. To think Ford didn't want to be in the center of this as a brand evangelist was mind bending.

Muscle Memory -

Having worked as the creative director for the interactive portion of Audi's "Art Of The Heist" campaign (very pre-social-media) I knew for a fact had we not already put all the elements (pre-seeding, URL's, back-history, etc.) in place to be part of the conversation the campaign would have been a miserable failure. Did I mention that it was a virtual reality game played out in real time? With the car as the hero? Audience participation was so crucial that they literally changed the outcome of the game from what we had planned Sound familiar? So when I saw that the door was open I did a double-take and thought "is this what they want? It makes sense that they [might] be waiting for the audience to create their own world. Or is this a terrible oversight?" Either way as my high school JROTC drill instructor once told me "do you go into battle without your rifle ready son?" - and indeed I would not. The lesson here is planning is everything and you cannot convince me that Ford‚ plan was NOT to do something. I personally feel that this was Ford's ego coming off the success of the "Fiesta Movement" and simply not planning anything, thinking that because they'll put it on TV it will simply create its own buzz.

With our fledgling community in place, the next few weeks contained nothing more than rumor and innuendo. This is standard in the industry, people talk about what they heard, how they interpreted what they heard or simply about what they wish they heard. I felt it was my responsibility, due to my interest in the project, to expand my conversational ownership to provide a forum for myself and others to talk, debate, console and engage people through the process. New teams come online and start meeting other teams. Fans come in and want basic information, and then you even have teams seeding data to be spread. Whether they were smart enough to have planned it or not it typically festers in this fertile conversational Petri dish.

Rumors that where spread during that time were (but not limited to):

• That casting had been determined long before all the live events were complete.
• The casting company is pulling in their friends to the show.
• The producers and casting company are helping select teams with information (such as telling teams to buy followers) to increase the chances with approval from Ford.
• Casting was done from professional casting calls from acting and modeling studios.
• Direct contradictions from requests for information about program content, casting selections and scheduling.
• Telling contestants to add, edit and delete posts and communications.
• This is solely based on social media clout.
• That some selected teams are being reprimanded for telling items above.^

The result of this is rumor and innuendo, which  can act in one of two things for a campaign‚ cancer or viral. In the social spectrum a 'cancer' is simply uncontrollable negative viral messaging. Of course a viral message is often the same but if done correctly you can manage the expectation of it. The problem is one of transparency. Ford Focus Rally America failed before it began because it is still thinking that it needs to play the contest card of twenty years ago. Everything's a secret, pay not attention to those men behind the curtain.  This foolish sensibility runs contrary to the goal of running a successful social media campaign. What they don't understand is that social media, the conversation, updates, chatter and authentic engagement is the fuel by which these people, socially connected influencers, are driven. Given them unreliable information is simply pulling the plug on interest and results on the community moving on to the next innovation.  This is not how to run a highly successful ad campaign, by alienating your greatest asset.

...stay tuned this show's not over yet...

Ralph Lauren Trumps Mickey Mouse

I found it almost shocking that a brand with as traditional 'look and feel' as Ralph Lauren would have been this progressive in its execution. The Ralph Lauren 4D Experience, was just that.

Ralph Lauren has architecturally mapped the foundation and contours of its stores on Madison Avenue and New Bond Street, respectively, and will use light to make the buildings look as if they are being rotated, squeezed, disassembled block by block and so forth. From the spaces will emerge 3D replicas of some of the brand’s most iconic images — such as galloping polo players and four-story tall models walking invisible runways — and accessories, such as bags, belts and ties, from the current collection.

When I first saw this I kept thinking that there's no way that this is not computer generated after the fact, but it's all done with a brilliant projection system and marriage between the architecture and design. Simply beautiful!

New York

London

How long before this is commonplace at theme parks worldwide? I can't imagine it's not on laall the tips of their tounges. Disney has something called "streetmosphere" that is made up of ligthing, actors and music that engage audiences within the environment. This take the environment to the next level.

IKEA Kicks Down The Doors Of Mediocrity

While the idea is not revolutionary I do think it's a bit groundbreaking – The ability to customize your furniture design quality. IKEA is no doubt on the forefront of harnessing design talent. They or known for gathering up the best of the best industrial designers and interior designers, beating all the good ideas out of them and releasing them out to the world where they undoubtedly be jaded and bitter.

That being said the idea around This Is My KEA is pushing the boundaries on personalization. The website gives you the ability to pick from dozens of top designers work and then have that work put on a preselected number of furniture pieces. What's more industrious of them is their willingness to extend the offering to all designers. Much like threadless does for their social design aggregate. Will they do as threadless has done and allow voting of top designs or for an upcharge allow one offs? That remains to be seen. I'm sure if the monetary model makes sense they'll do just about anything. Clever little Dutch pixies.

The Simpsons Keep It Too Real

Give it up to a franchise like "The Simpsons" for not only have the confidence to look introspectively, the merchandising industry but simultaniously jamming their thumb in the eye of capitalism all at once. This would in most circles be thought of as brand suicide but I guess that's just another day for Matt Groening.