Developing in market content for the Ford Motor Co.

1. ED KISHINEVSKY
Case Study: Ford African American Market, UniWorld Group
Senior Strategist
Situation & Opportunity:
An overarching goal for UniWorld Group in developing marketing programming and communications for
Ford was to lift brand affinity – Ford’s key metric in their 5-step purchase funnel. Ford’s strategy for building
affinity is for consumers to believe ‘Ford is a brand for a person like me.’
Situation & Opportunity II: Achieving Goals
Ford is an innovation company and extends this core value into its marketing efforts with pioneering work in
digital and social media. In 2013 Ford implemented a content publishing studio to co/produce, short-and
long-form content across paid/partner, owned and earned media. This meant the opportunity for AA
communications to impact the brand now expanded into the general market (very much aligning with
today’s movement of mainstreaming black culture).
Producing AA-Oriented Content
Content programs the agency developed rested on 5 messaging pillars
• Aspirational Alignment
• Expressive Style
• Lifestyle Defining Adventure
• Forward Thinking
• Community
Ford AA
Digital Strategy

2. ED KISHINEVSKY
Case Study: Ford African American Market, UniWorld Group
Senior Strategist
Finding Your Roots
Ford sponsored season 2 of PBS’ Finding Your
Roots series produced by America’s Genealogist-
in-Chief Dr. Henry Louis Gates.
Gates’s mission is to “get into the DNA of
American culture” – to discover who we are and
where we come.
AA Cultural Insight
The show’s immersion into American history and
ancestry deeply connects with a drive many
African Americans possess to know more of their
family genealogy - a history for many that’s simply
unknown.
Forming the Strategic Platform
African Americans have a distinct path of arrival
and history in the US; and family and community
relationships are crucial elements for success.
The program aligns on Community and Forward
Thinking messaging pillars.
The OTT Work: Extensions
To accompany each of the 10 broadcast
episodes, we published custom, influencer-
produced content – video interviews, infographics,
artwork – across Ford, PBS and Influencer owned
and social channels – all based on the platform
‘Your History Matters.’
The Drive, powered by Ford
Our approach here focused on reaching women.
Our thought was to organize an idea around
something central to the way women live today.
Our idea was Title IX.
Title IX was groundbreaking, foundational, and
the perfect platform for demonstrating Ford’s
commitment to the most underserved target in the
automotive category - women.
US Cultural Insight
This historic law has given countless young
women opportunities that weren’t available to
prior generations. The idea aligns on the
Aspirational Alignment and Forward Thinking
pillars.
Forming Relationships - The OTT work:
In this five-part series, ESPN’s Sage Steele goes
back to campus with former college athletes to
revisit the places and life-changing moments that
inspired their drive to succeed. We chronicle the
real-life impact Title IX has delivered – and the
inspiration and opportunity it presents.
Skylar Diggins and Jessica Mendoza among
others, take us on a drive through all the
milestones, struggles as well as leaps made
possible by Title IX.
Producing AA-Powered Content
http://espn.go.com/espnw/the-drive/
https://youtu.be/5O73-izL_HA

3. ED KISHINEVSKY
Case Study: Ford African American Market, UniWorld Group
Senior Strategist
Source: BEAT Q4 African American Ford Data
Results
1) We achieved Ford’s goal of 62% Favorable
Opinion, a 4% increase YOY, with large gains in
Q4. (FYR).
The African American Ford Favorable Opinion
number was 6% higher than the general market Ford
number.
2) Finding Your Roots delivered Ford added value
of 5MM social impressions and over 30K video views
3) The Drive launched in May has already delivered
nearly 10K video shares on Facebook alone.