Jeep’s Driving Adventure
October 30, 2009Most Jeep owners are proud and adventurous owners. The Jeep company takes advantage of this by exposing the naturally-created Jeep community on their site, The Jeep Community.
The Jeep Community is a collaboration of passionate Jeep owners where users can share photos, videos and stories of their Jeep adventures. The Jeep Community encourages the use of Flickr, where thousands of Jeep owners share their photos, ranging from off-road adventures to customization jobs. Their slogan, “Have Fun Out There,” is reiterated through these stories, images and videos from real Jeep owners. On top of sharing photos, The Jeep Community provides Jeep related news, events, company history, a calendar, and even a Facebook game. The site also links visitors to other enthusiast groups so the discussions can grow. Throughout this process, Jeep is developing its own marketing campaigns, but also aiding campaigns made by individuals across the globe.
Jeep compiles thousands of Flickr users in one arena.
On top of their Flickr-powered Jeep Community, Jeep also has Facebook and Myspace pages, both of which contain forums for Jeep enthusiasts to discuss about Jeep products. Jeep’s Facebook page has over 200,000 fans.
Jeep also launched a YouTube channel, yet visitors can see more than new Jeep products or TV commercials. Similar to Volkswagen’s Fun Theory (which I discuss in a previous post), Jeep is taking advantage of the power of the viral video. Jeep launched a YouTube miniseries, “The Urban Ranger.” The Urban Ranger is based on a Jeep-obsessed park ranger who goes out and speaks to real Jeep owners. Although the series only has a few thousand views, the series is funny and promotes their message of fun and adventure. You can check out an example of The Urban Ranger below.
Through The Jeep Community, Jeep is promoting brand loyalty. In a market where retaining customers is key, Jeep is taking the right approach. They are building on an existent and passionate community of Jeep lovers, which should give them the edge now and in the future.
