Ford, seeking BFFs, picks up bloggers' tabs
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DETROIT -- You wouldn't expect a run-of-the-mill auto review from a blog named sexliesandbacon.com. And Melysa Schmitt doesn't give you one. Her headline:
"Why I Want to make Sweet Sweet Love to You Inside the 2013 Ford Fusion." Schmitt's cheeky blog is geared to single moms and promises "humor & inspiration ... with a side of cleavage."
She was one of 150 "bloggers and influencers" -- up from 100 last year -- that Ford Motor Co. brought to the Detroit auto show this month in an effort to reach consumers by going beyond the traditional automotive media.
Ford, which paid for transportation, lodging and meals, says the effort helped the company dominate coverage in the blogosphere on the day the 2013 Fusion was unveiled.
"We were absolutely blown away by the enthusiasm and content from the bloggers we invited in," says Scott Monty, Ford manager of digital and media communications. "On the first day alone there were over 2,200 tweets about the show from our assembled guests, reaching over 7 million people online and commanding a 40 percent share of voice for Ford that day."
Ford brought in bloggers from such sites as averagejoesblog.com, dadlabs.com, thegarageblog.com, naturemoms.com, anotherworld.com, greenmamaspad.com, as well as thattechchick.com. And it may have paid off.
Visible Intelligence, an online tool that measures social media activity, says that in the last 30 days Ford topped all brands, and Fusion led all vehicles, in online posts related to the Detroit auto show.
Some of the bloggers disclosed in their posts that Ford had paid their way. Some closely echoed Ford press releases in their posts or were as fawning as one might expect of a site labeled coolfords.com.
Sexliesandbacon.com used language not found in even the most glowing corporate press releases. Schmitt advised her readers: "Hold on to your panties, ladies, because the Ford Fusion Hybrid is going to give you 47 mpg in city driving and 44 mpg on the highway."
Others were less impressed. In a post headlined "Will I Ever Drive an American Car?" from the Detroit show, the kittenagogo.com blogger described herself as "a Honda girl" who "went to Detroit to spend some time with the folks from Ford."
She visited the Honda stand and reported: "They have a plugin too. And it is also really pretty. AND it's a Honda. So, Fusion, I like you. I think you are awesome. I don't know if we will ever date, but I think I could set you up with friends."
Rob Malda wrote on his technology blog, cmdrtaco.net, that he was not going to praise Ford just because the company paid his way to the Detroit show. "We weren't here to regurgitate press releases. There was ZERO requirements placed on us."
He added, "The real measure of success will be revealed in how Ford acts next year: Will they invite back someone who thinks the Fusion sucks?"
Malda wrote that he didn't have "a useful opinion" on the Fusion because his family needs either a minivan-sized vehicle or a smaller commuter car. But he gave Ford credit for its experiment: "150 people and 2 days is crazy ambitious."
He added: "They took a huge risk and at great expense they gave a lot of people access to places others wouldn't have," including the show on media days and Ford design facilities, he wrote, "and told us in no uncertain terms to write whatever we wanted."
| Ford Unveils the 2013 Ford Fusion at NAIAS | NAIAS & Ford's Innovation and Design Fantasy Camp Part 2 | |
| That Tech Chick, Jessica Benton - January 10, 2012 | Underworld Magazines, Julio Rivera - January 17, 2012 | |
| http://thattechchick.com/ford-unveils-the-2013-ford-fusion-at-naias/ | http://www.underworldmagazines.com/naias-fords-innovation-and-design-fantasy-camp-part-2/ | |
| NAIAS Detroit Michigan 2012 - YouTube Video | Ford Canada and the North American Auto Show Part 2 | |
| Mom-E-Centric, Jerri-Ann Reason - January 11, 2012 | Chick Flick, Joallore Alon - January 17, 2012 | |
| http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XawZve4bqXQ#! | http://clickflickca.blogspot.com/2012/01/ford-canada-and-north-american-auto_17.html | |
| The NAIAS with Ford Motor Company | Telling Time | |
| Nature Moms, Tiffany Washko - January 11, 2012 | How To Be A Dad, Charlie Capen - January 17, 2012 | |
| http://naturemoms.com/blog/2012/01/11/the-naias-with-ford-motor-company/ | http://www.howtobeadad.com/2012/8111/telling-time | |
| 2012 NAIAS Part I: The Bloggers Descend Upon Dearborn | NAIAS and Ford's Innovation & Design Fantasy Camp | |
| The Garage Blog, Tom Williams - January 11, 2012 | Kitten A Go-Go, Danielle Liss - January 5, 2012 | |
| http://thegarageblog.com/garage/2012-naias-part-i-the-bloggers-descend-upon-dearborn/ | http://www.kittenagogo.com/2012/01/naias-and-fords-innovation-design-fantasy-camp.html | |
| What I Saw in Detroit #NAIAS | NAIAS & Ford?s Innovation and Design Fantasy Camp Part 1 | |
| I'm Charming You, Valerie Stachurski - January 11, 2012 | Underworld Magazines, Julio Rivera - January 5, 2012 | |
| http://www.imcharmingyou.com/2012/01/what-i-saw-in-detroit-naias/ | http://www.underworldmagazines.com/naias-fords-innovation-and-design-fantasy-camp-part-1/ | |
| The 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit | SINGLE MOM DRIVES: A FORD NAIAS ADVENTURE | |
| Daddy Details, Bill Sweeney - January 11, 2012 | Late Night Parents, Melysa Schmitt - January 5, 2012 | |
| http://daddydetails.com/2012/01/the-2012-north-american-international-auto-show-naias-in-detroit/ | http://latenightparents.com/2012/01/05/single-mom-drives-ford-naias/ | |
| The North American International Auto Show 2012 | Heading to #NAIAS in Detroit with Ford Canada | |
| Thomas Hawk's Digital Connection, Thomas Hawk - January 11, 2012 | Big Daddy Kreativ, Craig Silva - January 8, 2012 | |
| http://thomashawk.com/2012/01/the-north-american-international-auto-show-2012.html | http://www.bigdaddykreativ.ca/detroitnaias_ford_canada_2012/ | |
| Why I want to make sweet love to you inside the 2013 Ford Fusion | I'm going to Detroit, The D, Motown, The Motor City! | |
| Sex, Lies, and Bacon, Melysa Schmitt - January 11, 2012 | Juan of Words, Juan Alanis - January 4, 2012 | |
| http://sexliesandbacon.com/why-i-want-to-make-sweet-sweet-love-to-you-inside-the-2013-ford-fusion/ | http://www.juanofwords.com/tag/innovation-and-design-fantasy-camp/ | |
| 5 Ways Ford is Integrating Tech Into Its Future Vision | It's a Wrap - Stinky Bathrooms, Nature Stimulus, and Meatloaf | |
| Memeburn, Stuart Thomas - January 11, 2012 | Nature Moms, Tiffany Washko - January 6, 2012 | |
| http://memeburn.com/2012/01/5-ways-ford-is-integrating-tech-into-its-future-vision/ | http://naturemoms.com/blog/2012/01/06/its-a-wrap-stinky-bathrooms-nature-stimulus-and-meatloaf/ | |
| Dad at a Car Show: Personality Disorder? | Off to Detroit with Ford Canada | |
| Dad Labs, Clay Nichols - January 12, 2012 | Tales of a Ranting Ginger, Yvonne Logan - January 4, 2012 | |
| http://www.dadlabs.com/blog/2012/01/12/dad-at-a-car-show-personality-disorder/ | http://www.talesofarantingginger.com/2012/01/off-to-detroit-with-ford-canada.html | |
| Ten Things I Learned About Car Design in Detroit | Ford Canada and the North American Auto Show | |
| It's Nice That, Rob Alderson - January 12, 2012 | Chick Flick, Joallore Alon - January 4, 2012 | |
| http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/ten-things-i-learned-about-car-design-in-detroit | http://clickflickca.blogspot.com/2012/01/ford-canada-and-north-american-auto.html | |
| Believe it or not, there's more from Detroit #FordNAIAS | Detroit, I am in you. | |
| Mom-E-Centric, Jerri-Ann Reason - January 12, 2012 | Late Night Parents, Melysa Schmitt - January 8, 2012 | |
| http://www.momecentric.com/2012/running/believe-it-or-not-theres-more-from-detroit-fordnaias | http://sexliesandbacon.com/detroit-i-am-in-you/ | |
| My Ford Experience: NAIAS and Design Camp | On My Way to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit | |
| A Mother's World, Maria Lianos-Carbone - January 12, 2012 | Life's A Blog, Trina Stewart - January 4, 2012 | |
| http://amotherworld.com/main/featured/my-ford-experience-naias-and-design-camp/ | http://lifesablog.ca/2012/01/on-my-way-to-the-north-american-international-auto-show-in-detroit/ | |
| Ford Takes Their Crack at Social | Made it to NAIAS but My Phone Didn't! | |
| CmdrTaco, Rob Malda - January 12, 2012 | Environmental Booty, Shane Shirley-Smith - January 8, 2012 | |
| http://cmdrtaco.net/2012/01/ford-takes-their-crack-at-social/ | http://www.shaneshirleysmith.com/2012/01/made-it-to-naias-without-crashing.html | |
| My Ford Experience - Day One Detroit 2012 NAIAS | In Detroit For The North American International Auto Show With Ford | |
| Nugglemama, Julia Gabriel - January 12, 2012 | Design Notes, Michael Surtees - January 8, 2012 | |
| http://nugglemama.ca/2012/01/my-ford-experience-day-one-detroit-2012-naias/ | http://designnotes.info/?p=6535 | |
| My #FordNAIAS Experience - Day 1 | Ford Fusion 2013 | |
| Big Daddy Kreativ, Craig Silva - January 12, 2012 | Average Joe's Blog, Stuart Andrew Flatt - January 9, 2012 | |
| http://www.bigdaddykreativ.ca/my-naias-experience-day-1/ | http://www.averagejoesblog.com/ford-fusion-2013/ | |
| Single Mom Drives: A Ford Affair to Remember | A Latina in Detroit | |
| Late Night Parents, Melysa Schmitt - January 13, 2012 | Una Cabeza de Coco, Ana Monaco - January 8, 2012 | |
| http://latenightparents.com/2012/01/13/single-mom-drives-ford/ | http://networkedblogs.com/suKQL | |
| NAIAS 2012 Favourites | First Look at the 2013 Ford Fusion | |
| Miss Malini, Nowshad Rizwanullah - January 13, 2012 | Lady and the Blog, Vera Sweeney - January 9, 2012 | |
| http://www.missmalini.com/2012/01/13/naias-2012-favourites/ | http://www.ladyandtheblog.com/2012/01/09/first-look-the-new-2013-ford-fusion/ | |
| North American International Auto Show Now Open to the Public | It's Day One of the #FordNAIAS and it's awesome! | |
| Gear Diary, David Goodspeed - January 14, 2012 | Traveling with MomeCentric, Jerri Ann Reason - January 9, 2012 | |
| http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/14/north-american-international-auto-show-now-open-to-the-public/ | http://www.traveling-with-momecentric.com/ | |
| Meet & Greet Petinggi Ford NAIAS 2012 | The Waiting is the Hardest Part at Ford NAIAS! | |
| StephenLangitan.com, Stephen Langitan - January 14, 2012 | Shane Shirley Smith - January 9, 2012 | |
| http://stephenlangitan.com/archives/45913 | http://www.shaneshirleysmith.com/2012/01/waiting-is-hardest-part-at-ford-naias.html | |
| 2012 North American International Auto Show by Ford Motors | Hello From Detroit and the NAIAS! | |
| Inspiration Feed, Igor Oysyanykov - January 14, 2012 | Green Mamas Pad, Marianna Nichols - January 9, 2012 | |
| http://inspirationfeed.com/articles/news/2012-north-american-international-auto-show-by-ford-motors/ | http://www.greenmamaspad.com/2012/01/hello-from-detroit-and-naias.html | |
| My #FordNAIAS Experience - Day 2 | Day One in Detroit - Photos, Photos, Photos! | |
| Big Daddy Kreativ, Craig Silva - January 15, 2012 | Juan of Words, Juan Alanis - January 8, 2012 | |
| http://www.bigdaddykreativ.ca/my-fordnaias-experience-day-2/ | http://www.juanofwords.com/2012/01/08/day-one-in-detroit-photos-photos-photos/ | |
| Ford Motor Company Invites Bloggers To Detroit Auto Show: My Review From Behind The Scenes | Ford Auto Show 2012: Hellooooooo Michigan! | |
| The Fun Times Guide, Lynnette Walczak - January 15, 2012 | Miss Malini, Nowshad Rizwanullah - January 9, 2012 | |
| http://travel.thefuntimesguide.com/2012/01/ford-motor-company.php | http://www.missmalini.com/2012/01/09/desi-boy-traveler-well-hellooooooo-michigan/ | |
| My #FordNAIAS Experience - Day 3 | My Favorites So Far at the Detroit Auto Show! | |
| Big Daddy Kreativ, Craig Silva - January 16, 2012 | Juan of Words, Juan Alanis - January 9, 2012 | |
| http://www.bigdaddykreativ.ca/my-fordnaias-experience-day-3/ | http://www.juanofwords.com/2012/01/09/my-favorites-so-far-at-the-detroit-auto-show/ | |
| My Voice is MY Voice #FordNAIAS | Ford's Global Director of Sustainability, John Viera, Discussed the Future of Fuels and the Secret to Fuel Efficiency | |
| Green Mamas Pad, Mariana Nichols - January 16, 2012 | ShaneShirleySmith.com, Shane Shirley-Smith - January 17, 2012 | |
| http://www.greenmamaspad.com/2012/01/my-voice-is-my-voice.html | http://www.shaneshirleysmith.com/2012/01/fords-global-director-of-sustainability.html | |
| Getting a Glimpse Into Ford's Design Process | Ford Canada and the North American Auto Show Part 2 | |
| Design Notes, Michael Surtees - January 16, 2012 | Click Flick, Joallore Alon - January 17, 2012 | |
| http://designnotes.info/?p=6558 | http://clickflickca.blogspot.com/2012/01/ford-canada-and-north-american-auto_17.html | |
| Car design may be high tech, but Ford emphasizes "hands on" | The North American International Auto Show (Day 1) | |
| Artsology, Mark McKinney - January 16, 2012 | A Busy Mommy, Jennifer Banks - January 17, 2012 | |
| http://www.artsology.com/blog/2012/01/car-design-may-be-high-tech-but-ford-still-emphasizes-hands-on/ | http://abusymommy.com/2012/01/the-north-american-international-auto-show-day-1/ | |
| Will I Ever Drive an American Car? | Thinking Safety When on the Road #Ford | |
| Kitten a Go-Go, Danielle Liss - January 16, 2012 | Kidsumers, Sheri McDonald - January 17, 2012 | |
| http://www.kittenagogo.com/2012/01/danielle-likes-hondas.html | http://www.kidsumers.ca/2012/01/thinking-safety-when-on-the-road-ford/ | |
You can reach Bradford Wernle at bwernle@crain.com.
