Fiat turns to fans to tell the story

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles marketing chief Olivier Francois says the automaker doesn't mind stoking some competition among its agencies of record when doling out work. If an agency doesn't deliver, firms handling other FCA brands can swoop in for the conquest.

That competitive mindset was applied on a global scale for Fiat's latest digital campaign: a crowdsourcing effort that turned to a global network of independent filmmakers to tell the stories of Fiat loyalists in seven videos documenting their lives and ownership experiences.

Nowadays, companies can interact directly with consumers through social media -- a perk that makes crowdsourcing an appealing choice for brands looking to spice up their marketing outreach with input from fans. The crowdsourcing component infused fresh ideas into Fiat -- a brand that, nearly five years after returning to the U.S. market, is ready to speak to the public through the voices of its owners.

This is the first time Fiat has used crowdsourcing in an ad campaign, said Casey Hurbis, head of brand communications for Fiat North America. Hurbis said some of the questions going in were how efficient the process would be and whether the production quality would be up to par. But the brand came away impressed.

"I'm certainly looking at how to utilize crowdsourcing resources in many different facets," Hurbis said. "My experience here, it dispelled any doubts that I had."

Fiat procured more than 100 stories from Fiat owners on Facebook and on Tongal, a global crowdsourcing studio that connects its community of 100,000 directors and writers to advertisers.

The Tongal network includes people who have won Academy Awards for their work. In addition, short films on Tongal have been screened at the Sundance Film Festival.

Around 75 creatives pitched ideas for the campaign. Fiat funded the productions of the best proposals. The seven videos covered a range of stories showing the various lifestyles of Fiat owners.

One is centered on a police officer in Covington, Va., who says his Fiat 500 Abarth is great for the narrow roads meandering through the Blue Ridge Mountains and is an enjoyable ride for his toddler.

Another story highlights a married couple who say the Fiats they've owned over the years have been like family members. The husband says his life would've been different if he hadn't met the "cute Italian girl with the black sports car," which was a 1978 Fiat 124 Spider.

Fiat knew that the authenticity of the videos was a big part of their marketing value. "We're not asking people to say anything," Hurbis said. "I'm not on set telling these guys I want a certain angle. I want these videos to be told in an organic, natural way without too much client interference. In the social and digital world of today, people can sense that. It's a turnoff."

The digital ad campaign began Dec. 16. Consumers will see the videos on a variety of channels, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the Fiat Nation website.

The Fiat videos were filmed across the country in locales such as California, Washington, Massachusetts and Virginia, with one following the subject all the way to Italy as he met with relatives. Because of the wide geographic reach of the videos, Fiat can target consumers on social media in certain regions with relatable videos that were filmed close to home, said James DeJulio, co-founder and president of Tongal.

"The Internet, it's a great BS detector," DeJulio said. "If something doesn't feel authentic, then people probably aren't going to watch."