In October 2018, the oval brand will launch a conversational robot that will challenge Internet users and social partners to talk to them about the new Focus, while waiting for other models. A project led with Botnik.ai.
A technological approach for a technological showcase. Ford France will launch a conversational robot (chatbot), on the occasion of the commercialization of the new Focus, the compact sedan whose baggage of features integrates the automation of driving level 2 and a connected application. This robot will have a commercial mission, since it will promote the car to Internet users and social partners, explained to the Journal of Automobil e Patrick Bégaud , the marketing director of Ford France.
This chatbot is expected to come into service in October 2018, according to the plans of the president of Ford France. He will start the conversation on Facebook Messenger, then on other social networks, but also on the website of the brand. Two factors will trigger it, namely the time spent on the Ford site and the realization of a configuration. ” We wanted to have a technology that demonstrates fluidity “, introduced Patrick Bégaud.
Ford has combined efforts and ” studied the best offers of the market, all sectors combined The French subsidiary selected Botnik.ai, a French start-up company, which then approached Ford’s communications agency and Facebook’s teams to build the new service. communication tool, in three months. ” The Focus will be the first to enjoy it, but the robot must become the best advisor to push the right vehicle according to the needs identified by simple questions “describes Thibaut Thouzery , the general manager of Botnik.ai.
The subsidiaries Ford Spain (April 2018) and Malaysia before (December 2017) have already tested robots in the form of tests. ” This chatbot must allow to meet people, where they are virtually “, hopes Patrick Bégaud On the side of the start-up, there is a rapid development of technology and a gradual adoption of the French. It’s about being transparent from the beginning of the exchange , warns the designer, then we have to answer simple questions, bring content and propose links to the desired information “In his opinion, Ford is building a sustainable and unified customer relationship lever with the franchise network.
Dominate the street
This initiative is part of a particular context. Since the beginning of the year 2018, Ford has invested heavily in the display, to the point of appearing on about 20,000 of the 145,000 surfaces referenced in France. ” We had 470 million contacts per month in the first half, more than television “, reports the director of marketing, who is pleased to have” overindexed and dominated the street And the leader explains: ” According to Ipsos , the display generates a favorable opinion superior to television and radio. “And this is Ford’s major challenge right now: to clarify the image and give visibility to the new face of the American brand, drowned in the flow of generalists.
Ford France is working on other projects. These relate directly to the dealers. Without revealing the details, Patrick Bégaud wishes that ” Distributors gain agility, expertise and control of their local digital strategy In broad outline, a three-level framework (Basic, Intermediate and Advanced) to control communication operations on search engines, social networks, including Facebook and Twitter, and in the margins of promotional events. A pack to be delivered in September, announces the director of marketing of Ford France.For memory, he had initiated, in 2015, the campaign “Take a turn” and he draws a positive balance of this phase, which has ” generated attention around the brand “.