Scott Monty

Twitter users publish more than half a billion tweets per day and Facebook is now integrated with more than 9 million apps and websites. With all of this online volume, it may seem like competing for your consumer’s attention is foolish. However, how much of that volume is from brands and people simply pushing out information without listening? Even though we are communicating with our consumers via a platform that takes away face-to-face communication, we need to be able to engage with them in a meaningful way.

That is exactly what Ford did with the second phase of its Random Acts of Fusion Campaign (or #backatyou).

Simple is better.

Through consumer feedback and program performance, we learned that our first phase of the Random Acts of Fusion program was too complex. With Ryan Seacrest, Joel McHale and Kate Micucci, we set out to surprise and delight fans with opportunities big and small. It included charitable aspects, vehicle giveaways and more, and we created a documentary around it.

However, most people did not discover this program until its completion. There was just too much noise online for us to make a different. In order to cut through all the noise online our message had to be concise and clear. We had to focus on relationships in addition to paid media and content.

People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Ford’s #backatyou campaign is taking consumer interaction to the next level. Instead of only rewarding select influencers, we are listening when people talk about Fusion and Ford Motor Company and engaging with our consumers directly instead of via a powerful gang of influencers and celebrities. When someone tweets a compliment, we tweet them back, offering a reward for their nice words.

What kind of reward? We’ve setup a multitude: gift cards, lunch dates with Ford engineers via online hangouts, date nights in a Ford Fusion, and we even hired Reggie Watts to remix certain comments about the Fusion.

We are using #backatyou to celebrate our fans and take the time to say “thank you” to the people who are taking the time to pay attention to us. Ford believes that because they’re taking the time to speak on our behalf they deserve to be rewarded. They are helping us break through the noise, and we are ever so grateful.

Disclosure: This post is from NMX sponsor Ford.

Ranked by Forbes as one of the top 10 influencers in social media, Ford Motor Company’s Scott Monty has been called “an unstoppable force of nature,” “the best corporate social media lead on the planet,” and “a visionary.” We had the pleasure of seeing Scott’s keynote today at NMX 2013. Here are some of the best quotes from his talk:

“We had the ultimate confidence in our product and we had to turn it over to them. And that’s how trust is built. […] If you have a good product let go of your fear and let others tell your story.”

It doesn’t matter how good your marketing is. If you don’t have a good product, you won’t make money. But once you have a good product, as Scott noted, you need to let your fans talk about it online. Word of mouth is still one of the best (if notthe best) forms of marketing out there.

“How do we know what they want and value if we don’t listen to them?”

Echoing something Amy Jo Martin said earlier in the day, Scott talked about how important it is to actually engage with your customer, not just broadcast your message. Poll your customers. Ask for their feedback. And above all else, show that you’re listening and that you care.

“People want to be part of something bigger than themselves.”

Encouraging your fans to be a part of a bigger community helps to break down those barriers between customer and brand and instead just be on a level playing field, where everyone is just talking about something they love (like cars, in Ford’s case). Scott talked about how important it is to add that element of fun into what you’re doing so you’re not just selling, but also entertaining.

Want to see Scott’s entire session? All of our keynotes are being live-streamed and archived. Head over to NMX University to see our keynotes and additional bonus content live from the show.

About Scott:

At Ford, Scott heads up the social media function and holds the title Global Digital &Multimedia Communications Manager. He is a strategic adviser on all social media activities across the company, from blogger relations to marketing support, customer service to internal communications and more, as social media is being integrated into many facets of Ford business. Prior to joining Ford in 2008, Scott served as Consigliere for crayon, a strategic marketing firm,and with PJA Advertising + Marketing, a boutique BtoB agency. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Scott is an active blogger and podcaster.

He writes about the intersection of advertising, marketing and PR at The Social Media Marketing Blog (www.scottmonty.com) and also writes The Baker Street Blog and I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, two literary undertakings. Scott has been featured in hundreds of news and business publications in print and on the web, in dozens of books, and on a variety of mainstream media, including NBC, NPR, CNN and The Wall Street Journal.

Scott is a recognized thought leader in the social media industry and frequently speaks at industry events. Scott received his Master’s in Medical Science from Boston University’s School of Medicine concurrently with his MBA from BU’s Graduate School of Management. He lives in Michigan with his wife and two young sons, golfs all too infrequently, and has a hidden talent for voiceover work.Oh, and one last little-known fact: Scott coined the Oxford Dictionary of English-accepted term “tweetup.”

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