3 lessons from viral content at Ford

Lesson Two: Everybody knows guys drive better than women.

OK, OK! You’re right! False on both counts, says Ford Motor Co. (And I agree!) To dispel such stereotypes, the automaker pranked several unsuspecting dudes by arranging blind dates with a female stunt driver for a Valentine’s Day video.

She then took each of them for a high-speed spin in a Mustang as they clung to their seat and a hidden camera recorded their reactions.

The video, with 13.6 million views on YouTube, is just one example of creative content the carmaker is sending down the assembly line. Ford opens its books on its strategy in the Ragan Training video “How to integrate content marketing in the real world-best practices and pitfalls to avoid.”

Ford dishes out lessons in a session on Ragan Training. Here are three takeaways:

1. ‘Speed Dating’: Surprise your audience.

Many people harbor the misconception that women can’t drive as well as men—and that women only want sugary sweet content on Valentine’s Day, Kozleski says. The reality, as Ford proved, is that women like to be entertained and empowered.