Kevin P. “K.P.” Smith serves as the southeast marketing development manager for Ford Sales & Marketing, Ford Motor Company. Based in Atlanta, Smith’s responsible include leading Ford’s vehicle launches, auto shows, managing marketing alliances, events, sponsorships and dealership marketing initiatives across the six-state market area. Experiencing a newfound celebrity, he’s been featured recently in automotive commercials, magazines and media vehicle segments related to the 2013 Ford Escape and 2013 Ford Fusion launches.
Read what he has to say. –yvette caslin
Degrees from Morehouse College [bachelor’s, finance ‘91] and University of Chicago GSB (MBA, marketing and finance ‘95] taught me to think critically beyond the text book answers. I believe in data-driven decisions supported by the appropriate amount of belief [or] passion, which helps maintain a healthy drive for results.
Our recent launch of the all-new 2013 Ford Escape is representative of the ONEFord approach seen across the Company. The national launch began late [in the first quarter of] 2012 with a digital/social media campaign called “Escape Routes.” Building off that start, the Southeast Market leveraged several PR/media events with key customers. The launch evolved into our partnership with Feeding America – 2013 Ford Escape Hunger Drive – holding nearly 300 targeted events across the Southeast including community events, festivals, football/homecoming games, malls, schools and numerous social media based events. The tour generated more than 350,000 meal donations across the southeast and 1.2 million nationally. Additionally, the southeast generated 50,000[plus] handraisers and vehicle sales have been ahead of pace, thus increasing our regional segment share by more than 1%. I’m truly proud of the effort we as a team delivered as we spent many days/nights working on a Go Further common goal – “helping feed others.”
I’m really focused on relationship marketing currently. Not just the theory and practices of marketing to get more customers, but how to enhance the relationship experience of doing business with people you know, like and trust. Social media is a key tool in connecting with customers as the communication can make or break your efforts. We’re integrating the best that technology has to offer at Ford in our products, processes and people.
In the interest of maintaining friends by not naming brands beyond Ford, I’ll answer by saying I believe technology brands/companies are dominating the charts now. Clearly the rapid rate of change in technology allows brands that harness technology customers want to reside at the top of the list. That’s one of the areas Ford has improved the most over the past few years – vehicle tools like voice activated communication SYNC / MyFordTouch, the Hands-Free Liftgate on 2013 Ford Escape and the Lane Keeping System on the 2013 Ford Fusion.
Facebook is our primary social network based on its large following. Our social media team drives information through several formats from our www.social.ford.com and www.media.ford.com websites. We try to provide our customers various methods to stay connected with us.
Customers are more likely to use a mobile device to stay connected than sitting in front of a desktop/laptop. An example of how we use tools via iPad (tablet) is our Showroom App which allows the dealership salesperson to provide customers with instant information (pricing, specs, availability, incentives, etc.) anywhere during the sales process.
I’m big on current information from automotive trade publications and internet/social media – I really work-eat-sleep-wake to reading them in order to stay on top of the industry.
I take a little from everyone positive. I guess I take the most from my dad who was what I deem a “brand master” without any formal marketing schooling or training. He was an army guy who never really needed to promote himself because he lived it every day. You could mention his name in conversation, even describe something about him if you didn’t know his name, and you probably could find several people around to tell the rest of the story. That’s when you know you’ve achieved brand equity.
I ask myself daily, “How may I help?” Professionally, it helps with being a good leader, team player and person focused on driving results. On a higher scale, it makes me focus on what’s really important and keeps me grounded with the concerns of others relative to my own. And my voicemail salutation (for too long to mention) has always been “have a productive day” – again, focused on generating more and assisting others.
