Chicago Auto Show Partners With Word of Mouth Marketing Association for Sixth Consecutive Year on 2018 Driving Engagement Award

CHICAGO, Dec. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Chicago Auto Show and Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) will team up again on the 2018 Driving Engagement Award which recognizes an automotive manufacturer for an outstanding word-of-mouth campaign utilizing social media. The campaign submission form is now live and manufacturers are encouraged to submit a social media campaign for consideration before Jan. 17, 2018.

"Our goal with the Driving Engagement Award is to recognize the power of social media marketing to 'drive engagement' with auto consumers and to highlight examples of how top auto brands are engaging consumers effectively and impactfully," said WOMMA's Director of Development Leah Marshall. 

A panel of WOMMA judges will review all entries and select three finalists to attend a special award ceremony during the Chicago Auto Show's Media Preview on Friday, Feb. 9, where one of those brands will be recognized with the 2018 Driving Engagement Award. Additionally, throughout the public show – held from Feb. 10-19 – the winning campaign will be prominently featured on the Chicago Auto Show's social media wall alongside other trending content.

"For the sixth consecutive year, we're pleased to partner with the country's leading word-of-mouth marketing association on the Driving Engagement Award," said Chicago Auto Show Chairman John Hennessy. "The show's strategic partnership with WOMMA enables us to promote our exhibitors in a way that extends beyond the traditional automotive press and we hope to continue the partnership for many years to come."

The 2017 Driving Engagement Award was presented to Mitsubishi for its social media campaign titled Kids Talk Safety. The goal of the campaign was to showcase the automaker as a leader in safety and technology and, to achieve that objective, Mitsubishi enlisted help from people guaranteed to tell it like it is: kids.

"We wanted to create a social media campaign that touted our safety technology leadership position in an engaging way that broke through the clutter for the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander," said Francine Harsini, senior director, marketing at Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. "With the help of kids' imaginations and illustrations, our Kids Talk Safety campaign put an original and memorable spin on the most important aspect of automotive technology today – car safety."

Other past Driving Engagement Award recipients include Honda (Monsters Calling Home and April Fools' Fit Kit), Hyundai (Walking Dead Chop Shop) and Toyota (Family Trails).

Manufacturers, along with public relations and marketing agencies, may submit a social media campaign for consideration via the following link: www.chicagoautoshow.com/media/2018-womma-award. The three finalists will be notified shortly after the submission deadline, and the winning automaker will be invited to prepare a brief presentation regarding the campaign strategy and measurable success during the 2018 Driving Engagement Award ceremony.

For more information, visit www.chicagoautoshow.com/media/2018-womma-award. For more details on the 2018 Chicago Auto Show, please visit www.chicagoautoshow.com.    

About the Chicago Auto Show
The Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in North America, spanning more than one million square feet of production, concept and exotic vehicle exhibit space. In addition to hosting multiple world and North American vehicle debuts, the Chicago Auto Show's First Look for Charity raises more than $2.5 million annually for 18 vital Chicago organizations in a single night. The 2018 public show will be Feb. 10-19. For more information, visit www.ChicagoAutoShow.com or www.Facebook.com/ChicagoAutoShow.

The 2018 Chicago Auto Show is officially sanctioned by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. Founded in Paris in 1919, it is known as the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs.

About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association
Founded in 1904, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is one of the nation's largest metropolitan dealer organizations. It is comprised of more than 420 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 20,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world-famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information please visit www.CATA.info.

About Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA)
WOMMA is the official trade association for the word of mouth and social media marketing industries. The national not-for-profit organization is committed to developing and maintaining ethical standards for advertisers, identifying meaningful measurement standards, and defining best practices for influencer, advocacy, and word of mouth marketing.

Founded in 2004, WOMMA's membership is made up of Fortune 500 brands, leading agencies, and top service providers committed to advancing the word of mouth marketing industry through advocacy, education, and ethics. For more information, visit http://www.womma.org.

SOURCE Chicago Auto Show

Related Links

http://www.ChicagoAutoShow.com