Connecting With Consumers
December 1st, 2009data-via=”" >
Several days ago I found this article/ad in a spanish newspaper.
Short translation: “Blogger wanted, reward: 3.000 euros monthly and a the use of a new car, the new Citröen DS3, for a whole year and totally free of charges”. Maybe the salary doesn’t seem too high in Ireland, but in Spain, where the minimum wage is 624 € per month, and the average salary doesn’t reach 1,500 €, this job is a huge deal. Actually, it’s is being promoted as the best job of the year.
Citröen said they wanted to get the impressions of their targeted costumer directly before the launch of the car. And publicity as well, because now, for good or for bad everybody knows about the Citröen car that is not in the market yet. And this is a good example of how companies are choosing new ways of advertising, they’re not showing the car’s features, they’re just creating awareness. Blogs, twitter, facebook… social media are the new marketing tools, as the promotion in this area is cheap and allows for a much more targeted approach.
The idea is original, but not new, Ben Southall got what was considered as the “best job in the world” this year when he won the contest organised by the Tourism Department of Queensland (Australia).
And a closer example, Rob Cumiskey, one of our Connectors, won a new Toyota iQ in June. The agreement is that, in return for writing regularly on his blog and on Twitter about the iQ, he will be given the car for 6 months to drive and review. Rob has been writing regularly about his adventures around Ireland in his iQ and will surely be very sad to be giving the car back in January.