Deciding on New Car

Budget is about $27,000ish.

I've been looking at the following cars but can't seem to decided, each have their advantages and disadvantages. My next step is to test drive each one, but let me know which car you would pick and why.

• 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 (the huge smile is killing me, '09 design better but '10 better MPG)
• Mazda 3 5-door (will need to see the difference between this and the speed3)
• Subaru Impreza WRX (most expensive car on the list)
• Toyota Matrix XRS (Mazda seems to be better deal, but Toyota's seem to last)
• Volkswagen GTI (I'm not really a VW type of person)
• Hyundai Genesis Coupe (2.0 at $22,000 what a deal, but RWD in Chicago and no cargo space?)
• Honda Element (pot holes wouldn't be an issue with this)

Interesting Interview

As I was trolling the internet this past weekend I came across an interesting interview between Allen Stern and Scott Monty. Stern stated that this Fiesta Movement is nothing more than Ford buying media attention and I agree. Here's why:

1. Monty said that the Fiesta agents are not paid. That's a complete lie. The agents are getting a free car, gas, and insurance. Who's paying for that? Ford. Regardless if they say bad or good things, Ford is paying them. This is a classic Push Marketing example.
   
2. After reading comments someone posted below the video, it appears that Ford hand picked some of the winners before the competition even started (not sure how many). Ford sent emails targeting specific individuals encouraging them to enter (I'm guessing ones with large social networks). Monty did not deny that statement only saying that Ford had to start some where. Funny how those people who were contacted in the beginning won.

It is obvious that Ford picked only those with a large network or people who were rock stars. The quality of videos didn't matter. Monty said one of the factors was an "ability to have authentic conversations". I'm guessing the video with the girl in hell was an authentic conversation between her and Satan? Another factor Monty said was geography. This shouldn't even be a factor since this is a social media campaign. But Ford is using the agents to pull the local media into this "movement".

As one who entered in the competition, it makes me very angry. Many of us are not happy with the way Ford ran this competition. They picked about 80 people in the first three days and left everyone hanging for about a week until they finally announced they had picked all 100 (kept us hanging so we can talk up the Fiesta).

The only rules and disclaimers that I remember reading were that videos had to be 2-5 minutes long, which Ford didn't follow anyways. I'm surprised that there are no legal requirements that state you must disclose how you are going to pick/judge the winners. I thought it was a cool concept, just poorly executed.

What do you think? Post a comment below.

Link below to interview.
http://www.centernetworks.com/ford-fiesta-movement#comment-105246

Tom Jalana is missing. Have you seen him?

Outside of my obvious disappointment stated in my earlier post today about not being picked to be a Ford Fiesta agent, I went to call my friend Tom Jalana who helped put this all together for me.

Five phone calls, eight e-mails and 13 direct tweets later, I’ve yet to hear from Tom. I thought he may have been sadden by the news that we didn’t get selected as an agent by Ford, but my brother contacted me to let me know that there was a mysterious post on Tom’s Facebook page this evening saying that he’s been kidnapped and believes to be in the trunk of green car. My brother Ed confirmed a wall-to-wall post he received about 10 minutes after the original post by Tom.

Alarmed, I started calling my contacts and I’ve been able to track down his last location – Sam Buca’s Restaurant and Bar, located in Palos Heights. Management at Sam Buca’s confirmed he closed his tab there at 7:30pm this evening and thought he was headed home. My brother was with him earlier this evening and said Tom left a bit early as the celebrations taking place there for the local Palos Heights mayoral election had him feeling a bit “crowded” (Tom is claustrophobic).

This is alarming as Tom’s update on Facebook said he was in a trunk of a green Ford Fiesta.

How did Tom know it was a Ford Fiesta? Well, if anyone saw his recent video on YouTube, they’d be aware that Tom and I were filming a video to be a Ford Fiesta agent (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUZRMckyPZk). If he’s in the trunk of a car like he said, then he’s been taken by somebody.

I’ve contacted Samuel De La Garza, the brand manager for the Ford Fiesta and the Fiesta Movement competition to find out which of their 100 agents had a green Ford Fiesta. It could be anyone of these people at this site (http://www.fordvehicles.com/2011fiesta/). I can’t send the direct link because Ford has it hidden, but friend my brother, Ed Sochacki on Facebook for a direct link to the guy we think has Tom.

If I’m wrong, then we can only hope for the best for Tom. Is this guy a rogue Ford Fiesta agent? Or is this something that goes deeper than Ford? Sam, contact me and let me know what you know.

Everyone else, message me if you have any information on Tom’s whereabouts.

Stay tuned for updates or tweet me @s34ochacki or try to reach Tom on Twitter (@tomjalana) as he normally has his iPhone with him.

It’s a NOVA (as in no go)

The agent list came out and we weren't on it. I’m still convinced our video is 1 of the 10 best. I guess I now know the contest wasn’t about who could make the most interesting, funniest, best, or entertaining video. But I now have closure and will move on…mark my word though, our video will continue to climb based on the awesomeness. Kenny Powers will be back on top!

So we’re left with our model Fiesta and it’s sitting in my brother’s garage. What should we do with the car? If you have any suggestions for our next video (with the car) please leave a comment below and vote on our poll.

If Selected...

So most people have already been selected for the Fiesta and they get to wrap the car in the graphics of their choice. I haven’t been selected yet, but the graphics I would choose would support the 2016 Olympic bid for Chicago. Not only would that promote Chicago and the Fiesta, but also America.

I hope I get that chance but time is running out. Almost all 100 spots have been filled.

Video continues to receive support despite no agent call.

Our Ford Fiesta video is currently ranked 46, and climbing, of all Fiesta videos submitted according to the search Ford provided.
http://www.youtube.com/results?uploaded=m&search_query=fiestamovement&search_type=videos&search_sort=video_view_count&page=1

How is it that the 46th most viewed video doesn't receive one of the 100 agent spots? I don't know, but I do know that it's not over yet so there's still a chance.

On the bright spot, our Unemployed Stormtrooper video continues to get more and more views, current has 239,798 views. If you haven't seen either our Fiesta entry or our Stormtrooper video, you are missing out on some funny stuff. Here's a link to the Stormtrooper video...another quality video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcdMz85Lz2k&feature=related

The Beginning part 2

We were extremely pleased how the video came out and after seeing some of the other entries, we felt very confident in our chances at winning. We even met with Sam and two of his crew at The W Hotel in downtown Chicago. We were one of the first people to see the Fiesta, and that's when it hit me that I really wanted this car (I'll talk more about the Fiesta when I get to drive it…hint still waiting for my agent call).

So on Monday (about two weeks after our meeting in Chicago), Ford started calling some of the Fiesta Movement winners. About 20ish were called that day, I was not one of them. Day two about another 20ish as well as the following day…still no call. I was beginning to worry. Why haven’t they picked me? Clearly our video was top notch. Everyone who has seen it has laughed hysterically. Last update from Ford said they’ve contacted 95% of the agents, but still, I have not lost hope.

As of 4/3, our video has over 1,034 views and is/was featured on 93.9 The Lite with Melissa Forman, a popular early morning radio station in Chicago.
I have plans on developing two websites IwantaFiesta.com and 2011Fiesta.com. The domain names are already purchased, just waiting to fill it with my Ford Fiesta Road Trips once FORD PICKS ME!