China Herald: Ford Motor Company

Shanghai-based branding guru Tom Doctoroff has been arguing since his book Twitter is Not a Strategy: Rediscovering the Art of Brand Marketing social media and traditional marketing strategies need to team up. In the Huffington Post he gives nine rules for effective online content, Here´s no.5 five, including Ford in China.

Tom Doctoroff:

5. Produce "Snackable" Content to Entice Deeper Engagement

Snackable content is (typically cheap) bite-sized chunks of information that an audience can quickly consume and that hopefully will lead to extended immersion in richer content Tablespoon.com, General Mills' online recipe portal, leverages short-form content to tempt Internet users to spend more time on the main site. Users find 30-second videos with simple recipes, with titles ranging from "Brown, Sticky or Jasmine? Pick the Right Rice!" to "How to Roll a Spring Roll" using General Mills' products as ingredients.

In China the Ford Motor Company made 24 short talk show episodes hosted by Cheng Cheng, a fictional character. Each was filmed inside a Ford Focus, now China's best-selling car, with the car's features incorporated in the program. For example, Cheng used its SYNC voice control to change radio stations, set off on long drives to emphasize the car's fuel efficiency, and brought along three beefy guests to highlight its backseat legroom. Ford distributed the content on Chinese Twitter-like social networks. Invitations to visit the permanent Focus site appeared only at the close of each episode.

Eight more rules at the Huffington Post.

Tom Doctoroff is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers´request form.

Are you interested in more internet experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.