Ford Motor Company Case History

The Situation
Ford Motor Company had successfully introduced an online employee self-service system (HR ONLINE) that became the company’s “best practice” intranet site. Ervin Marketing provided all employee communications for that effort.  Building on this success, Ford sought to parlay its investment in technology into an online tool that would empower management and free HR for more value-added tasks.  Ford needed to introduce this new manager self-service system to a population of reluctant managers.

The Objectives
• Engage management with the “vision” early on and throughout the process.

• Create a “buzz” around the new technology that will assist managers in their jobs.

• Provide easy, step-by-step instructions.

The Strategy
• License “Carmen Sandiego” to promote the first step in the manager self-service process.

• Produce a manager’s training video that would cascade from top management down.

• Create an interactive e-zine to enable managers to see what’s available to them now, what’s coming soon and what’s on the drawing board.

• Develop handy “take one” instructions managers could use as needed.

• Brand the system as “My Personnel Connections”.

The Solution
Ford Manager Self-Service Campaign

Manager Training Video
Poster and Take One Pad
E-mail Promotion
Online Interactive Magazine