Kommunikationsstrategie in Zeiten von Web 2.0 – am Beispiel der Ford Werke Deutschland GmbH

Abstract

By establishing the Europe-wide claim “Feel the difference” Ford has been facing current challenges and thereby amended its communication strategy. Since 2004, Ford Germany is cooperating closely with the University of Applied Sciences Cologne in the field of online communications. Extensive Internet research has been done to analyze the online occurrence of Ford as a brand and to take steps on the Web. A number of questions have been answered like: “What are the three biggest autonomous Internet forums regarding Ford?” “How many domains have been registered so far using Ford in their URL?” “How many reviews are being posted on a review portal per month?” In order to answer these questions, an analysis model and a valuation method have been developed and a number of chosen forums on specific topics have been observed.

There are numerous examples of companies that failed with a basically good idea. Variables that have to be considered in online measures are the purpose of a message, status of the author in the community, the public perception of the company, the state of the market regarding the brand, etc. The FanAward was first to be launched in 2006 by Ford Motor Company Germany. The best Ford fan website was elected. By rewarding the fans, the FanAward creates a high customer loyalty by establishing an emotional link and making the customers feel appreciated. The FanAward is a project led by Ford's corporate communications department in close cooperation with the marketing department. Most activities regarding the Internet are being accomplished in direct coordination with corporate communications and marketing. When it comes to a successful online marketing process, marketing has already realized that online advertisement only is not enough. At the same time, public relations have realized that the integration of online journalists into a mailing list is also not enough. The internet offers new possibilities, yet also demands new ways of approaching the company's objectives. The experiences and the concept of Ford Motor Company and the FanAward are the key subjects of this work.