Strategically Communicating

This is awesome! A car powered by social media!

Minddrive is non-profit organization that provides an afterschool program for at-risk youth that teaches kids about math, science, and engineering through hands-on projects. This year’s project was the restoration and electrification of a 1967 Karmann Ghia. Kids and volunteers worked to completely restore the tired old car and convert the drivetrain to battery power. The car’s most interesting feature is a system that energizes the battery via social media. Each new Twitter follower gives the car five watts of juice; a like on Facebook, one watt; and shares, retweets, or mentions on Twitter net an additional three. Minddrive’s goal with the Karmann Ghia project was to drive from Kansas City to Washington, D.C. to raise awareness for the organization and the benefits of hands-on projects for at-risk youth. In a Kansas City test run, the car received enough social media fuel to make it far beyond Washington. Just today the car finished the more than 1,000-mile trek to D.C. What a fascinating way to drive social media forward!