Experiential Marketing Gets Focus Launch in SYNC

 TORONTO – In today’s hyper-competitive automotive marketplace, new model launches are a dime a dozen, or so it often seems.  When it came time to launch their new Focus lineup, the people at Ford of Canada wanted to do something that would help their new car stand out from the crowd.

The car itself certainly warranted a different strategy.  As one of the first models to showcase Ford’s new SYNC technology, developed in conjunction with Microsoft, the 2008 Focus offers drivers something new and innovative in the areas of communications and entertainment.  The question was, how to get the message out to Canadian consumers without breaking the bank?

 Ford’s marketers considered their options carefully and issued a request for proposals to a number of marketing consultants, including suppliers with whom they had long-established relationships.  The more they reviewed the proposals they received, the more they found themselves gravitating towards both a new approach and a new supplier, JGK Integrated Solutions, a Richmond Hill-based company that’s quickly becoming known as a Canadian leader in experiential marketing.

“We were able to show them that experiential marketing is simply more powerful than conventional marketing techniques,” says JGK’s Jim Koufis.  “You simply get more return on your marketing dollar.”

JGK won Ford’s business based on both their creative approach to the Focus launch and the cost-effectiveness of their overall program.  The central concept was to create an event that would put journalists and others behind the wheel of the new Focus and out on the road.

 “We knew we had to create a situation where our audience could experience both the car and the technology for themselves,” says JGK’s Jim Koufis.  “SYNC is an amazing technology, but it’s something you can really only understand by getting your hands on it and using it for yourself.”

 JGK orchestrated every element of the event, which began and ended at The Docks entertainment complex on Toronto’s waterfront.  There were traditional components, including a multi-media presentation on the 2008 Focus and the various functions of the SYNC system and, of course, a top-quality catered meal.  Selected participants also had the opportunity to put the new Focus through its paces on a handling course.

 The highlight of the day, though, was a 2-hour drive through urban and suburban Toronto, during which the SYNC technology really showed what it can do.  The route had been carefully chosen ahead of time and the drive was structured to allow participants to experience a wide range of the SYNC system’s capabilities, including USB connectivity, hands-free calling, voice-activated control of an MP3 player and more. 

 We demonstrated the hands-free calling capability by having our Road Circuit Master call the cars and give them directions to the next segment,” Jim Koufis says.  “We had other information stored on an MP3 player, so the participants also got to experience connecting that device to the system and using SYNC to access the data.”

  Another key element in JGK’s creative was the inclusion of bloggers and technology journalists along with the automotive media.  Turnout was excellent, the response was enthusiastic and the bloggers in particular proved to be very effective at spreading the word on-line to the new Focus’s target clientele.

  “The event that JGK put together for us was ideal for this product,” says Christine Hollander- Public Affairs Manager.  “We were able to focus our effort on the right people and get our message across in a very powerful way, and the impact of that is still rippling through the marketplace.”

 JGK Integrated Marketing Services specializes in developing campaigns that integrate live events, branded environments and interactive media.  Although the company is new, it’s already a registered supplier to the 2010 Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, a member of key industry associations and a supporter of the National Advertising Benevolent Society and Habitat for Humanity. JGK is also a member of the world-recognized Experiential Marketing Forum, which is part of the International Experiential Marketing Association.
 
Jim Koufis also shares his automotive expertise as a volunteer on the marketing advisory board to the Canadian Automotive Institute at Georgian College.
 
JGK will continue to differentiate itself by providing Integrated Experiential Marketing Services with a focus on Strategic Ideation, Competitive Pricing, On Time Execution & Accurate Measurement.

So, if you know of a company that can benefit from a integrated marketing solution that is guaranteed to generate a Return on their Marketing Investment please give JGK a call at 705-721-4515 or jim.koufis@jgksolutions.com or visit them @ www.jgkintegratedsolutions.com <http://www.jgkintegratedsolutions.com/> and sign up for their quarterly e Newsletter on trends in Experiential Marketing.