DEARBORN, Mich. – Ford Mustang has reached another iconic milestone, but this time it’s a virtual one – surpassing 4 million fans on Facebook, making it the most popular nameplate vehicle on the world’s largest social network.

• Ford Mustang’s Facebook page has reached a milestone – more than 4 million fans on Facebook, which is the most fans of any vehicle nameplate on the world’s largest social network

• Ford has used a blend of highly engaging content such as integrating the Mustang Customizer application into Facebook, in addition to utilizing live chats with various subject matter experts

• A robust mix of awareness advertising through first-in-industry Facebook paid media advertising video units, coupled with strong content and affinity for an iconic brand all contribute to reaching approximately 1.6 million people per week

Growing at a rate of approximately 14,000 fans a day, Ford head of social media Scott Monty attributes Mustang’s meteoric rise to the legacy of a brand with almost 50 years of content. “We are very fortunate to have such a passionate fan base,” said Monty. “Every fan, owner and enthusiast – regardless of age – feels a connection with Mustang, and that affinity is reciprocated through the online content we share with them.”

While passionate fans make up the majority of the Facebook page’s success, Ford also uses paid digital media to continue to grow the Mustang tribe. For example, leveraging the times Facebook users log out, Ford – in partnership with Facebook – created a unique digital video ad unit that played the popular 2013 Mustang commercial that debuted during the Daytona 500. The video was viewed more than 1 million times during the lifetime of the ad on Facebook. This resulted in more than 80,000 “likes,” which significantly increased ad recall and attitudinal measures.

Additional engagement tactics include integration of the Mustang Customizer into Facebook, as well as a 2013 Mustang reveal application that used fan “likes” to release images prior to the car’s debut at the Los Angeles auto show last year. The greater the affinity fans showed the Mustang page, the more images were provided.

Ford also uses the power of hosted Facebook chats to connect its Mustang fans with a range of subject matter experts. SVT Chief Engineer Jamal Hameedi and Chief Marketing Officer and Mustang enthusiast Jim Farley have hosted chats. Industry icons such as the late Carroll Shelby was Ford’s special guest last November, interacting with hundreds of fans on the Mustang Facebook page.

Ford Digital Marketing Manager Thomais Zaremba sums it up best: “Facebook is a social network that exceeds 750 million users. We know there are more Mustang fans out there, and we look forward to inviting them to our Facebook community.

“We’ll see everyone at 5 million,” she adds.