Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Dec 17, 2010

The past year once again proved that the inventor of the automobile is always looking to the future. Since the start of 2010, the Mercedes-Benz Museum has increased the number users who "like" its Facebook page to over 10,000 and now ranks in the top 3 German museums on Twitter. It has also recently launched its fourth free application for Apple iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.


"Innovative communication on the internet and in the mobile segment is a key component of our marketing strategy," explains Michael Bock, head of Mercedes-Benz Classic. "It is important for us to reach out directly to our young target audience in particular and to engage in a dialogue with this group. Social media activities are particular useful to us in achieving this. Having immediate feedback from users is valuable in aiding us to react to specific queries and requirements and to consistently improve.

Following on the heels of the Mercedes-Benz Quartet, Silver Arrow and Super Sports Cars applications, Mercedes-Benz Classic has now unveiled the Classic app. Coinciding with the 125th anniversary of the automobile in 2011, this timely release can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store at http://itunes.apple.com/en/app/mercedes-benz-classic/id399398713 . The app turns the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch into a digital museum guide with a bilingual interface. As well as having the guide to hand in the museum itself, users can also enjoy the app at home and on the road. All 160 vehicle exhibits from the Legend and Collection museum tours are featured, with pictures, captions, background information and, in most cases, sound files too. So not only can your own handheld device become a multimedia guide while you're at the museum, it can also serve as a handy destination guide on the way there.

Various offers and services relating to every aspect of Mercedes-Benz Classic are also packaged with the application. A market place area combines the museum shop with a replacement part search tool. In addition to this there is also comprehensive information on events and exhibitions. The application also supports dialogue-based communication with user profiles and a Clubs and Communities section.

The museum has more innovative plans in the pipeline for the coming spring. "We will extend our application so that users of other operating systems can enjoy its benefits too," says Michael Bock. Whether it's with another operating system, such as Android, or a new mobile end device, like the Samsung Galaxy tablet PC, the Mercedes-Benz Museum will continue to communicate innovatively throughout 2011.

Activities on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook will also be intensified. Over the next year, the content on offer at www.twitter.com/mb_museum and www.facebook.com/mercedesbenzmuseum will become even more closely aligned to what users are asking to see. The new YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/mercedesbenzmuseum represents a further step in this direction. This channel hosts film clips and other posts covering everything to do with the Mercedes-Benz Museum and promotes dialogue through posts by users.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum is open daily from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. To register, make a reservation or for further information please call +49 (0)711 17 30 000 or go online at www.mercedes-benz-classic.com .

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