Six Months After Firing NMS, Chrysler Picks a Social Agency
Automaker broke with previous agency over a tweet disparaging the Motor City.
Automaker broke with previous agency over a tweet disparaging the Motor City.
Chrysler Group has once again consolidated its social media activities with an agency partner, six months after an errant tweet led to the sacking of previous social agency New Media Strategies.
The company named Ignite Social Media as lead social agency following a review. The assignment includes strategic planning, development and production of social media initiatives for its Ram Truck, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Fiat brands.
In response to the win, Ignite plans to hire approximately 40 new staff in Detroit and Raleigh, NC, where it’s based. Desired skill areas include account services, social monitoring, community engagement/management, art direction, and copywriting.
The assignment brings closure to a mini-drama that started in March, when an NMS staffer mistakenly tweeted an unfortunate message from the @ChryslerAutos account. The tweet said, “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to fucking drive.”
The agency apologized and fired the employee but the gesture did not placate Chrysler, which had staked its newest advertising, including its 2011 Super Bowl spot, on Detroit pride. It sacked NMS.
“So why were we so sensitive?” the company wrote in a blog post. “That commercial featuring the Chrysler 200, Eminem and the City of Detroit wasn’t just an act of salesmanship. This company is committed to promoting Detroit and its hard-working people.”
Since then, Chrysler’s brands have managed their social media activities independently.
In a statement today, Chrysler marketing chief Olivier Francoi had this to say: “Social media continues to play an integral role in our marketing and advertising efforts as it connects each brand directly to their consumer and enables us to develop a relationship with them. Carried out in the right manner social media can engage the consumer to the point where they want to not only participate in the conversation but to lead it and encourage others to do the same.”
More about:
Lucy helps organizations leverage knowledge for in... View Tech Talk
TVSquared is the global leader in cross-platform T... View Tech Talk
Grata is a B2B search engine for discovering small... View Tech Talk
Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing ... Download Now
Data is the lifeblood of so many companies today. ... Download Now
This report documents the findings of a Fireside c... Download Now
Customers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touc... Download Now
Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing habits. Streaming video, however, still comes with a variety of pesky frustrations that viewers are ...
View resourceData is the lifeblood of so many companies today. You need more of it, all of which at higher quality, and all the meanwhile being compliant with data...
View resourceThis report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. It provides expert insight on how companies can ret...
View resourceCustomers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touchpoints – globally! Make sure your brand shines in those critical moments. Read More...
View resourceEveryone’s on social media these days, so your business should be, too. But without paid media, your campaigns could have the impact of a falling tree...
View articleUsers almost universally dislike pre-roll video ads, but in an effort to bolster its advertising revenue, Twitter this week announced that it will exp...
View articleThe difference between B2C social media marketers and those on the B2B side of the fence is like the difference between hard rock and classical music....
View articleI didn’t vote for him last November. There was no way this registered Democrat from the blue state of Massachusetts would check that box. But I have t...
View articleOn Thursday, Twitter reported its earnings for Q4 2016, and the results have raised questions about the company's long-term future. Read More...
View articleAs social media marketing becomes more challenging and time-consuming, it’s time to get more organised when managing your brand’s social presence. Rea...
View articleEveryone wants to go viral on social media. But sometimes your brand ends up going viral for the wrong reasons. Read More...
View articleTwitter has its problems, but in certain cases and contexts, it truly is the best ad platform you'll find Read More...
View article