Ford has been using social media as an integral part of its product launch strategy for some time. And it’s been working.

But don’t take it from me. Take it from Ford’s Global CMO, Jim Farley. Following are some exerts from his recent Q&A in Automotive News:

Q: What have you learned about social media, and what’s next?

A: We have some very interesting launches coming up, like the global Ranger pickup launch. For these vehicles and a few others that I can’t talk about, we have learned that starting early using social media is OK. You don’t have to start a month before you wholesale a vehicle. You can allocate budget as long as you’re smart and you activate the people that are interested in the newest products.

Also, it should be done regionally. A global approach to social media doesn’t really have as much traction as those programs like the Fiesta Movement in the United States executed locally.

We are investing more and more of our resources not only in digital, but in social within digital. Now social media and our investments are right up there with search and other digital banner advertising.

Does social media spending match your digital spending?

No, but depending on the phase of launch and pre-launch, it can.

In addition, we are more and more integrating mobile advertising into this pre-launch period of time, integrating mobile advertising into our print ads and using mobile advertising in point-of-sale. If you come into a Ford dealership and you want to learn about a feature, you click on a tag and it downloads a video online for you to play in the dealership.

We found that marketing on a smartphone is very different than marketing on a computer. A smartphone is a personal device. You have to add value to people’s life if you’re going to market on there.

A simple digital banner ad is just annoying. People want something that’s very practical such as, “I’m in your showroom. I have a smartphone. I don’t want to go home and watch a video on how the inflatable seat belt airbag on the Explorer works. I want to find out right now. I have a smart device, so make it easy for me.”

Same goes for a print ad. “Hey, I saw the new Focus and active park assist in one of your print ads. Why would you make it so difficult for me to remember the name and wait until I go home tonight to download the video from Ford.com?”

I think mobile and video together is becoming a bigger part of how we bring the product story to life in customers’ hands.