To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal skills to introduce Japan and Texas to the 2010 Ford Mustang, click on the “Mustang Drifts Japan Liveblog” link to the right and browse through the thumbnail grid.
Language barriers are imperceptible when bonding over cars. I personally proved this theory during the 2010 Ford Mustang’s introduction, when I tailed Formula Drift champion Vaughn Gittin, Jr. to Japan for the world’s first international automotive liveblogging session. During the 400-kilometer drive from Tokyo to Ebisu Circuit, I carefully adopted the role of “automotive ambassador” by inviting local car buffs to take a photo inside the Mustang.
To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal skills to introduce the Camaro to the Midwest and its online enthusiast fanbase, click on the “Camaro Cross-Country Webcast” link to the right and browse through the thumbnail grid.
It was easily the most anticipated model relaunch of the decade. Chevrolet needed a special way to ship the first 2010 Camaro to Texas — so they contacted me. I drove the car from Detroit to Dallas and organized meetups along the way to allow fans the chance to sit in their long-awaited hero-car. I introduced the Camaro to enthusiasts and prospective owners in its native settings: at a social media-savvy dealership; at a famed heritage parts warehouse; at three impromptu car meets and a prominent aftermarket performance shop. The trip culminated in a 44-car caravan through the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area. My Camaro, named “Silver”, arrived in time to win the Texas Auto Writers Association’s Car of Texas award that weekend.
To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal skills to introduce people to the Ford Fiesta, click on the “FiestaMovement Honorary Agent” link to the right and browse through the thumbnail grid.
Charlie Brumfield and Nick Malone, the guys at BurnoutRadio, were always willing to toss me the keys to their Euro-spec Fiesta. During the Fiesta Movement, I looked to Charlie and Nick as springboards for ideas relating to the B-segment, and car culture at large. In this photo, Charlie and I are celebrating the arrival of the US-spec Fiesta at Ford’s Texas HQ. Though the Fiesta Movement is over, I still value the lessons I learned as an honorary brand ambassador — and the friendships I forged remain strong.
To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal skills to introduce the Mitsubishi i to Los Angeles and my Twitter followers, click on the “Mitsubishi i Photoshoot” link to the right and browse through the thumbnail grid.
Sheetmetal surface language and detailed design cues are important endcaps, but size and proportion are the basis of any iconic design. America’s acceptance of smaller vehicles can be accelerated by giving the public an opportunity to pore through an internationally successful foreign-market vehicle like the Mitsubishi i. I asked photographer Chris Ness to accompany me on a tour of Los Angeles landmarks, and invited several passers-by to sit inside the car. We streamed our photos to Twitter to engage the digital realm, as well.
To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal skills to bring Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr fans to the New York and Austin auto shows, click on the “Mazda Auto Show Coverage” link to the right and browse through the thumbnail grid.
When Mazda’s social media agency urgently needed an auto show correspondent, one Tweet was all it took to enlist my help. Mazda’s social media agency depended on me to help discern project objectives, figure out the best way to engage auto show attendees and create meaningful content on the New York International Auto Show floor — with only hours’ notice. The first project was so successful that Mazda invited me to plan and execute auto show coverage in Austin, as well.
