Ford uses PowerVote interactive game to launch the new Focus

The best way to involve the sales force when launching a new car model is to encourage participation during the main presentation event. Recognising this, Ford called on PowerVote to design an interactive game that would engage the audience and add dynamism to the event introducing its new Focus model. The game was to provide a theme that would both create a relaxed atmosphere among the participants and ensure a better understanding of the technical information.

Since the game was to be used to present a new car model, PowerVote used one of its existing Formula 1 games and tailored it to meet Ford’s requirements. The “Focus Grand Prix” was developed as a fun-filled, interactive game that enabled Ford to convey key product messages and ensure that the sales force would remember them.

Ford organised a two-day event at a race track to bring together more than 800 attendees from dealerships to present the new Ford Focus. Each day, two groups of 400 attendees were divided into two subgroups of 200 to attend training sessions and test drive the car around the track.

According to Fernando, the main achievement of the PowerVote “Focus Grand Prix” game was to become the main theme of the event by creating an on-going competition based on the knowledge acquired. “At the end of each of the three training modules, we asked the audience to answer a questionnaire to measure how well the module had been understood. We also timed how quickly they responded to the questions. Of course, each team knew where it stood compared to the others, which generated a spirit of competition. Then, the teams that won in the morning and in the afternoon competed in a final play-off that closed the event. This ended the meeting on a very enthusiastic note.”

PowerVote combined Flash technology and PowerPoint in its game to incorporate both video and audio sequences. This allowed Ford to convey key messages in a highly entertaining way thanks to the interactive solution.

The Ford Focus launch event had a very positive impact on the audience. Not only did it energise and motivate the sales force, it also involved them through the competition element. “It was interesting to see how the sales people reacted after the first module once they realised they would be tested on their knowledge immediately. They paid much more attention to the following modules. They took it very seriously because in addition to training on the new product they would be selling, they were fully involved in the competition and benefitted from it.” asserted Fernando.