LAUNCH PLAN INSIGHTS – MATT VANDYKE, FORD DIRECTOR of U.S. MARKETING

Matt VanDyke is the Director of Marketing, responsible for building the Ford brand in the US and overseeing two of the most comprehensive marketing launches in recent history – the all-new Bronco brand and the new F150. Since joining Ford in 2008, VanDyke has held several high-profile positions launching over 15 products and leading the creation of some of the industries most impressive brand and retail advertising campaigns. Equally impressive as Matt’s career is his history and connection with the Bronco brand. For nearly 15 years he has been the proud owner of a 1974 Bronco in Explorer trim. This original California early Bronco was bought with 67,000 original miles and is painted in an eye catching and iconic Lime Green with Wimbledon white accents. This is not a trailer queen. Matt can routinely be seen - after the winter thaw - behind the wheel shuttling kids to and from sporting events. In preparation for the upcoming 2021 Bronco launch, Matt spent some time talking to Bronco Nation giving us a peak behind the launch plans for one of the most anticipated launch events in recent history. “Originally our plan was to release the news about the Bronco Brand and Built Wild communications strategy in late March followed by a reveal of the 2 & 4 door approximately ten days before the New York Auto show. This part of the reveal was going to be followed by what we were affectionally calling internally, “Bronco-Palooza,” at the North American International Auto show, which would be kicked off in Dearborn with a parade of 400+ Broncos. Needless to say, we had to go back to the drawing board,” said VanDyke. Covid-19 has caused most of us to change the plans we had for 2020, so most of us can appreciate the task VanDyke and his team faced as the pandemic forced a complete redesign of their proven playbook. For decades major international auto shows like New York and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit have been the most effective way to make the biggest splash. These scripted events allocate time for each brand to have a press conference, and an exhibition hall full of journalist willing to broadcast the news. The cancellation of all auto shows and public events coupled with the quarantining of America forced a ground up reinvention of how VanDyke and his team would reveal Bronco. To make matters worse, the revised plan was on a “shot clock” with enthusiasts and industry professionals alike speculating on what would come next, and when. Throughout Ford Motor Company’s 117-year history, it is at its best when the stakes are the highest. There is no dispute that with the Bronco launch, the stakes are enormously high for Ford. With leaked photos and impatient loyalists who expected to be driving a new Bronco this summer, Ford is on the proverbial “shot clock”. With 15+ major launches at Ford under his belt, VanDyke and his team are qualified to take the inbound pass. “We are well aware that this is the most anticipated launch in recent history. As enthusiasts and marketers, we relished the challenge,” said VanDyke. Working remotely, VanDyke and his team solicited ideas from agency partners and quickly came up with a multi-channel plan. Launching first on Instagram June 29th with a 9-tile picture puzzle, followers quickly multiplied from 14,000 to 60,000. The team followed the move with an IGTV post of a short Bronco brand video that yielded a respectable 90,000 views in the first 12 hours. “Authenticity was always our guiding principle when putting together both plans. Great brands like Bronco stand for something and it is our duty to find new ways to bring those proven attributes to life,” added VanDyke. For the upcoming July 13th reveal, Ford will pull the cover off the new Bronco during prime time on the most iconic Disney television outlets – ABC, ESPN, National Geographic, and Hulu. To add excitement to the 8:00pm EST unveiling, Ford has hired Academy Award winning filmmaker, Jimmy Chin, most recently known for his extraordinary work on Free Solo. A 7-time Emmy award recipient and BAFTA winner, Jimmy is also a highly respected photographer and mountain sports athlete. Each channel is expected to receive 3-minute segments that will air during the first commercial segment in the 8:00pm EST show and will also be streaming on Hulu the following day. A 30-minute compilation video will be aired on Bronco Nation to accompany what is sure to be a unique reveal party. We hope that you will join Bronco Nation next Monday the 13th at 8:00pm Eastern Standard Time.