One of the primary topics at recent industry events has been the barrier between big brands and social media. Ford Motor Company is one brand, however, that has not let that historic barrier stand in their way.

WebProNews spoke with Scott Monty, the Head of Social Media at Ford, who explained how the company first became involved with social media just a few years ago. Their efforts began as a hobby, but he helped them develop an approach to incorporate social into their overall business strategy.

Ford utilizes several types of social media and keeps their efforts relevant by looking at which forms the mainstream are adopting. In addition, they have a site called The Ford Story, in which they integrate articles, videos, live chats from executives, and more to allow visitors to see that Ford really is different.

One of the biggest challenges big brands face with social media is not having the support of senior leadership. Fortunately, Ford has that support and views social as a strategic priority moving forward. In addition, some companies try to use social solely as a marketing channel to push out messages. At Ford, Monty said social media is about engagement and building trust and relationships with consumers.

There are other large automotive companies that are also using social media, but they are not as open about it as Ford is. According to Monty, Ford is trying to take a “very human approach.” He said:

“The more we can be transparent and share with people what our position is on all these things, the more they are going to be able to see what the company is really made up of.”