Lots of brands are active on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, but the luxe brands have been less active--until recently. Now
upmarket car brands are using social media to reach out to consumers, get new ideas, engage in customer dialogue, listen for marketplace opportunities and polish their brand positioning. Here are four examples:
- Porsche recently used a special Facebook page for crowdsourcing its 911 Carrera 4S design (winning choices: aqua blue colour, 20-inch Carrera S wheels, sport package).
- In its 100th year, Aston Martin is still going strong with the James Bond franchise and is on Facebook with more than 2 million likes. Sponsorships are part of the social media news for this venerable luxury brand. Yet Aston Martin's global marketing director also notes: 'Social media means the democratisation of information. Do you really want to do that if you’re at the top of the luxury scale?' Tone and targeting are key here.
- BMW has 13 million Facebook US likes, 246,000 Facebook UK likes and lots of YouTube videos showcasing the performance of its upmarket vehicles. The brand is also involved in Twitter and Google+. Selected dealerships are on Pinterest, as well.
- Rolls-Royce has more than 1 million Facebook likes, and often uses social media to present 'quizzes' to fans, testing their knowledge of the brand and the places it's associated with (such as the Alpine Trial of its Silver Ghost in 1913). RR's History Pin site features images of the iconic cars.
