Ford SYNC Meets Best Buy Mobile as Ford and Best Buy Team Up to Help Customers
Get Connected
DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
-- Ford and consumer electronics leader Best Buy team up to help build
SYNC® awareness and provide mobile technical support through Best Buy
Mobile stores and Geek Squad nationwide
-- More than 30 Texas Best Buy locations will host pilot consumer
programs
throughout October, providing SYNC demos and Ford owner clinics, with
planned nationwide expansion in 2010
-- Ford launches new "SYNC: Say the Word" ad campaign for print and
online
publications to educate buyers on the simplicity and power behind its
SYNC system
-- Ford SYNC voice-activated communications system integrates a variety
of
technologies to provide emergency, diagnostic and information services
as well as traffic reports and directions
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) has teamed up with the industry's largest
electronics retailer, Best Buy, to help bring consumers closer to the
industry-leading SYNC® in-car communications system. Through Best Buy Mobile,
the retailer will offer thousands of specially trained associates to assist
with Ford SYNC education, training and phone compatibility tests to ensure
consumers are maximizing the SYNC experience.
Beginning in October, Best Buy stores in Texas will conduct a pilot program
involving more than 30 Best Buy locations where consumers will be able to
experience live SYNC demos and Ford, Lincoln and Mercury customer clinics.
The SYNC demos will show participants how their mobile phones can interact
with the voice-activated system, while customer clinics will help new Ford
customers improve their understanding of SYNC capabilities using their actual
phones and vehicles. Local dealers will participate to offer additional
expert assistance on SYNC.
"With the ever-changing technology landscape, it was a strategic decision to
work with Best Buy to provide our customers another expert resource on the
Ford SYNC platform," said John Felice, general manager, Ford, Lincoln and
Mercury Marketing. "As we expand the capabilities of SYNC, we will need to
educate our customers on the full benefits and expanded services of newly
added applications. We couldn't think of a better way for consumers to learn
about new SYNC features than from the experts at Best Buy that they've learned
to trust."
Local dealers will remain the primary touch point for consumers interested in
purchasing SYNC; however, Best Buy Mobile experts will serve as another
resource for consumers looking to learn more about the compatibility of their
mobile devices. Under the agreement, Best Buy Mobile associates will provide
Ford owners with phone pairing information, helping them get comfortable with
SYNC and enabling them to either connect their existing handset or choose a
compatible mobile phone.
Best Buy also will include Ford SYNC mobile phone compatibility results in its
monthly Best Buy Mobile Buyer's Guide to identify which of the latest mobile
devices work seamlessly with Ford SYNC. The ratings are based on phone
compatibility tests conducted by Best Buy's tech services unit Geek Squad, and
are updated frequently. The SYNC ratings can also be found at
www.syncmyride.com.
"We have a strong belief that mobile technology should serve people and help
them stay connected whether it's at home, at work or in the car," said Best
Buy Mobile President Shawn Score. "We are excited to partner with Ford to
educate consumers on its SYNC technology. Best Buy Mobile helps thousands of
consumers every day get connected with mobile devices and services that make
their lives better, and now we're ready to do the same thing for Ford SYNC
users."
National SYNC ad campaign rolls out
Earlier this month, Ford Motor Company launched its new advertising campaign
for SYNC, called "SYNC: Say the Word," to further increase awareness around
its current voice-activated applications. The SYNC ads will target young,
tech-savvy drivers and appear in various print and online mediums.
"SYNC: Say the Word" will feature robotic "voice agents" that act as personal
assistants as voice commands are activated. There will be a total of nine
robots that will each showcase the various applications of SYNC including
turn-by-turn navigation, 911 Assist, music search, audible text message
reading, hands-free calling, business search, Vehicle Health Report, real-time
traffic and My Favorites - news, sports, weather.
To complement print advertisements, Ford will also release 30-second video
spots with select robotic voice agents to build awareness of how each SYNC
application can be activated by simple voice command. The company will also
make available a total of 11 instructional videos that highlight each SYNC
feature on its redesigned consumer education Web site, which can be found at
http://www.fordvehicles.com/innovation/sync/.
"With the cadence of new product releases, we've found it is essential to
assist our consumers with education on features, benefits and usage," said
Felice. "While very intuitive, we've taken a proactive approach to SYNC
marketing because it's important that consumers understand just how SYNC has
evolved beyond voice-activated music controls. Through these efforts, Ford
has provided a touch point for drivers both online and offline to help
maximize their driving experience while staying connected to the information
they want, when they want it."
As SYNC capabilities expand, more experts essential
Ford SYNC seamlessly integrates a variety of technologies such as an onboard
text-to-speech engine, a customer's mobile phone and network, data-over-voice
technology, an off-board routing engine and voice portal. Combined, these
technologies enable:
-- Voice dialing allows users to press the "Push to Talk" button on the
steering wheel, then say the name of the person they wish to call.
SYNC
will automatically connect with the names in the mobile phone's
contact
list.
-- Voice control of MP3 devices lets users browse the music collection on
a
connected digital media player, mobile phone or USB drive by genre,
album, artist and song title using simple voice commands, such as
"Play
Genre Rock," "Play " or "Play Track ."
-- 911 Assist can place a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator
in the event of an accident involving the activation of an air bag or,
on certain vehicles, the emergency fuel pump shutoff. If an occupant
cannot respond, SYNC can deliver a recorded message to the 911 service
to alert an operator that a crash has occurred.
-- Vehicle Health Report gives customers the ability to monitor and
manage
their vehicle's health in a single, easy-to-read report and receive
important notifications. The report includes diagnostic systems'
statuses, scheduled maintenance, needed repairs from the last
dealership
visit, and will even alert owners of any open recalls.
-- Traffic, Directions & Information, SYNC's newest application, can
deliver personalized traffic reports, precise turn-by-turn driving
directions and up-to-date information including business listings,
news,
sports and weather - without the need for a built-in or aftermarket
navigation system.
New SYNC applications introduced in 2009 have dramatically expanded the
system's capabilities, and continue to set the standard for ease of use. SYNC
allows customers to move seamlessly between their home, car and office,
staying connected wherever they go.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn,
Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With
about 201,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's
automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company
provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more
information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.
About Best Buy Mobile
Best Buy Mobile features one of the largest selections of carriers, handsets
and accessories available anywhere, as well as a highly trained staff to help
customers make the most of their mobile phones. BestBuy Mobile locations
feature more than 90 different handsets from nine carriers, and one of the
widest assortments of accessories in retail. Employees undergo at least 80
hours of intensive training, as well as continuing education on mobile phone
technology and trends. Look for your mobile phone solution at Best Buy Mobile
locations in every Best Buy store as well as at stand-alone stores nationwide.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company
Sunok Pak, +1-415-216-5528, spak1@ford.com, Said Deep, +1-313-594-0942,
sdeep@ford.com, both of Ford; or Jeff Haydock of Best Buy, +1-612-291-6164,
jeff.haydock@bestbuy.com
