Unveiling the 2009 Ford Flex, McCafferty Ford
After my recent visit to Ford in Detroit, I thought I would “go out in field,” where it really happens, and visit a few Ford dealerships during their Flex Consumer Event, parties that dealers hosted to introduce this very unique vehicle, in a very unique way, to the general public. Unfortunately I missed many of these as getting schedules to dealer Flex events around the country was impossible from one database or resource [Why was that? Shouldn’t there have been a single place where any consumer could go on the Web to find out about the dealer events in his/her area? Isn’t that what social networks and social media are for? I would assume that this would have boosted visibility and attendance, therefore, I’ll volunteer to host the schedule for any and all future auto- related consumer events. By the way – it’s a great way for me to know how/where to attend a few…I do love a good party!]
At any rate, relying on an old friend from Philadelphia, John Possumato just make this a hotlink… (see his latest blog on the Flex by the way at www.Possumato.com), I did get information and some “Flex paraphernalia” from some of the dealers who “did it up right” in the Philly region. You can check out my last blog on the happenings, including some pictures from Lilliston Ford in Vineland, NJ, Haldeman Ford in Hamilton Square, NJ, and C & C Ford in Horsham, PA… and with a bit of luck I should be receiving a video of the Lilliston event soon. Stay tuned!
FLEX’n with the Diva: 2 Special Invitations
I’m most excited to say though, that I eagerly received and accepted an invitation to go to two dealer
The ladies are sporting their own McCafferty Ford was Flexn with the Diva shirts!
Flex Consumer Events in person. The first was with Jim Thomas, Steve Amabile and their crew at Springfield Ford, in Springfield, PA, on August 20th. And the second was an extra special event at McCafferty Ford in Langhorne, PA, August 22nd, with Todd Buch, Chris Bove, Lisa Markley and all the individuals that helped to create what I heard was one of the best Flex intro parties ever …and I’m not just saying that because they had a bunch of special t-shirts made with the caricature of, well, yours truly, the CarsDiva (although that certainly made it extra special for me!)
Social Media Savvy at Springfield Ford
Springfield Ford was under construction during their Flex event- they’re doing major renovations to their facility (which I can’t wait to come back and check out when it’s finished!) However, they did their best to throw a successful
Springfield Ford, Springfield, PA: John Gatto, Internet Sales Manager and Steve Amabile, General Sales Manager.
event in a very small section of the showroom given the circumstances. I was more so eager to meet dealer principal Jim Thomas, and especially General Sales Manager, Steve Amabile, as Steve is very active on the Web on blogs, online networks, etc… (We actually met through a “Flex forum.”) Steve started in the Internet Department at Springfield Ford- (one of the early pioneers in automotive Internet sales) and he had actually sold several Ford Flex vehicles through his online networking and delivered one as far away as Japan! So that being said, I was anxious to meet him and perhaps learn a thing or two from his experience in using social media to promote the Flex for Springfield Ford.
Click here to watch my interview with Steve Amabile.
First-Class All the Way at McCafferty Ford
McCafferty Ford in Langhorne, PA, historically one of the highest volume and most consumer (female
Ford Flex Walk-Around at McCafferty Ford
especially) friendly Ford dealers in the Philladelphia region, characteristically went the extra mile to prepare for and promote their Flex party; they even announced in advance that I would be attending the event! (Check out the announcement at http://blogs.phillyburbs.com/news/bcct/cars-diva-to-visit-mccafferty. I spoke to Chris Bove, General Sales Manager at McCafferty , prior to the event, and he enthusiastically told me about their plans, including having a DJ, hors’ devours, plenty of staff on hand to welcome the guests all building up to the “unveiling of the Flex” complete with a vehicle “walk-around” presentation. After the “unveiling” there were plenty of vehicles available for guests to “ride and drive” and experience the impressive driving attribute of the Flex on their own. Of course,
Consumers at McCafferty Ford, checking out the all new 2009 Ford Flex
one of the most exciting things (and surprising for me) were the exclusive shirts they made up with my caricature and the line, “McCafferty Ford was Flex’n with the Diva” – quite an honor guys!
In my opinion, the group at McCafferty Ford was really a forward-thinking crew, starting at the top with President, Todd Buch, and including the management team, Chris Bove, and Lisa Markely, Internet Sales Manager. They all shared not only their receptive attitude, but also their eager willingness to dive into social media, particularly as it relates to the Ford Flex. Lisa, their expert in the Internet Department, discussed with me the importance of establishing and then retaining her relationship with customers, particularly female consumers. And from the way the the McCafferty crew interacted with the consumers at the event, many of them already loyal customers, I could see first-hand that what they said held true.
CarsDiva, Demetra Markopoulos and Chris Bove, General Sales Manager, McCafferty Ford
From what I saw at both Springfield Ford and McCafferty Ford, consumers reacted very positively to the introduction of the Flex, once they fully experienced the vehicle. There were those who came because they loved the Flex from the get-go, and others were intrigued and wanted to learn more about it. After a successful event at Springfield Ford and a spectacular party at McCafferty Ford, I definitely look forward to attending future dealership events, specifically at these stores – I can’t wait for my next trip back!
