Saab hires Saabs United blogger Steven Wade as social media guru

Steven Wade has been cranking out blog posts about all things Saab for the last six years at the helm of Saabs United, a blog he helped create. Eventually, the strains of a family, full-time job and keeping Saabs United afloat meant that selling the site was necessary. Meanwhile, 'Swade,' as he is known, decided to quit his day job to focus on his love for all things Saab.

With the day job out of the way, the newly unemployed Wade has now been picked up by Saab to handle social media duties as the company tries to connect more with its customer base. Needless to say, this is a huge step for Wade, who will be helping Saab connect with its loyal base of customers and fans on an intimate level.

We can't think of a better man for the job, given Swade's immense talent, knowledge of Saabs, of love for the brand. Good luck and Godspeed. The automaker's official statement is yours for the reading after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Johan!

[Source: Saab via Saabs United]
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Saab Automobile Hires Saab Blogger Steven Wade

* Wade to join Saab Automobile's global Interactive Marketing team
* Appointment adds to company expertise in social media marketing


Trollhättan, Sweden: Building on recent successes, Saab Automobile today announced the further strengthening of its global Interactive Marketing department by appointing Steven Wade to its social media marketing team. Wade joins the company effective April 4, and will be based in Melbourne, Australia. He will be part of the global Saab Interactive Marketing team at Saab Automobile.

Wade gained worldwide recognition as founder and editor-in-chief of the website SaabsUnited. Through his website, Wade played a pivotal role in rallying support around the globe for the Saab brand during negotiations for its sale by General Motors. In reaching out to Saab enthusiasts in this unique way, Wade gained invaluable insights in how to communicate with customers through social media, something that Saab Automobile will leverage to the fullest extent with Steven on the team. The website SaabsUnited will, under new independent leadership, continue to play an important role for Saab and its customers.

Announcing the appointment, MÃ¥rten Wahlstedt, Director of Saab Marketing Communications, said: "I am delighted to welcome Steven to the team here at Saab Automobile. Engaging with customers through interactive channels and social media such as Facebook and YouTube is of the utmost importance for us. Social media play a major role in the Saab marketing mix, which is why we are keen to strengthen our expertise in this area.

"In recent times, Saab has received enormous interest from the online community. During our Independence Day celebrations on February 23, we added more than a thousand fans per hour on Saab's official Facebook page. Also, the recently released YouTube videos on the new 9-5 SportCombi and the IQon in-car infotainment system were viewed more than 100,000 times within only a few days of release. I am confident that by bringing in Steven, we can build on these recent successes."

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