Ford Using Online Videos to Educate the Buyers
Leading automaker Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is launching a new Vehicle Orientation program at dealerships in the U.S. this week.
It is designed to help bridge the gap between consumers and their cars by providing them with access to an online library of “video snacks” – short videos that explain how to use specific vehicle features like Remote Start Systems, MyKey and Integrated Blind Spot Mirrors.
While a customer is completing their sales transaction for a new vehicle at the dealership, the salesperson will walk them through an orientation guide of specific features they would like to learn about at delivery, at their Sync My Ride session or on their own.
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That list is then e-mailed to the customer with each item checked including a link to a corresponding video snack that they can watch at any time, whether at home or even in the dealership.
The salesperson keeps a copy of the list so that he or she can review any items the customer may have missed when the customer returns to pick up their vehicle.
“Our goal is to simplify and enhance the sales experience by providing customers with the resources they need when they need them so that they can fully enjoy all the benefits their vehicle has to offer them,” said Andrew Ashman, Ford and Lincoln consumer experience manager.
In an effort to zero in on specific vehicle features to spotlight in the form of a video snack, Ford reviewed customer research received 30 to 90 days after purchase and looked at what vehicle owners were posting on forums to find which technologies they were most interested in.
One example is Ford MyKey system, which allows parents to create a customizable key with specific driving settings, including speed limit control, for greater safety for teen drivers.
The video snacks – which are a blend of video and animation with a little bit of narration – focus on a feature and not a specific vehicle so that they can be used across vehicle lines.
Customers who buy a new vehicle will receive an e-mail notifying them where they can view the videos. The video snacks will also be posted on YouTube on a channel called “Know Your Vehicle.” Ford made this announcement today, April 15.
