Success of BMW Campaign

The BMW campaign consisted of many major and small events which helped to market the new BMW Z3 roadster to the public. However, the question now is whether the campaign is successful in accomplishing that goal. Success of the BMW campaign can be measured in several ways. For example, it can be measured by its objectives (whether the objectives of the campaign have been met) or by the number of pre-orders made. In this case, due to the lack of knowledge about the number of pre-orders made after each event, we will be measuring by its objectives. We have identified 5 major objectives to the campaign as shown in the case. They are: (1) to motivate and stimulate dealer network, (2) develop an Order Bank, (3) reposition BMW as stylish and fun, (4) positioning Z3 in American culture and most importantly, (5) improve BMW’s brand awareness. To see whether the objectives have been met, we shall examine each individual event carefully. Dealer Advertising and Promotions Dealers’ support for BMW Z3 is important in launching this new car to the public. With 345 dealers and only 150 display cars during the promotional period, it proved to be a challenge for this partnership to occur. However, the dealers upgraded to meet the challenge and an order bank was developed. In addition, the dealer promotional package which showcased the private screening of the Golden Eye film and car before the box office film opening proved to be very effective in raising BMW’s brand awareness. As quoted, â€Å"these events attracted great local publicity, appearing in local newspapers, and often reported on metropolitan television and radio†. Their innovative package has also help to reposition BMW as being stylish and fun, which was also a way to help improve the Z3’s standing in the American market. As such, all the objectives have been met for this event, thus proving the success and effectiveness of this event. Product Placement in Golden Eye This non-traditional method of branded entertainment, or more commonly known as product placement, in a movie was very risky, as mentioned in @@@ (benefits and risks). However, Golden Eye turned out to be a hit in the box office in America, selling $26. 2 million in ticket sales. As consumers tend to switch off their resistance mechanism to advertisements during films (O’Guinn, Allen, Semenik, 2009), consumers are being more exposed and susceptible to these subtle advertisements in Golden Eye. As the main idea of tying Z3 with James Bond was to show the fun and ‘cool’ side to the car, it was successful in achieving the objective, together with the success of the movie. As a result, there were positive reviews made by New York Times, Motor Trend Magazine and even Forbes. A more tangible result was that over 9000 Z3 was pre-booked by December 1995 compared to the projected 5000. Needless to say, product placement was the key in the success of the campaign. Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog Neiman Marcus Catalog was a unique point-of-contact to the consumers because the products it features are usually deemed as very desirable, similar to being a wish list. As proven, 100 orders were made within two days instead of the estimated 20 units sales goal, which came as a pleasant surprise to BMW and Neiman Marcus. In fact, there were 6000 customers’ orders or waiting list applications fighting for the 100 cars. This showed that this promotion idea was effective in selling Z3 to customers. Also, BMW can reach out to more customers via the catalog distribution too. BMW Internet Site The growing usage of Internet caused the popularity of company websites to increase in 1996. With the ‘Build Your Own Roadster’ module added to the site, visitors could visualise their own car from a variety of perspectives. One main benefit was that it could communicate product features or benefits effectively since consumers can examine the virtual car closely. Also, the personalisation effect can cause the consumers to feel a certain emotional bond to the product. Consumers who had spent a lot of effort during the shopping experience would evaluate the product as more favourable and important (Cardozo, 1965). Thus, this could greatly aid in the sales of Z3, assuming that Z3 can be personalised in terms of exterior, interior and top colours too. However, since the website did not have online purchase options at that time, the website could only prove to be useful in raising brand awareness and possibly instil a ‘fun’ factor. Press Launch in Central Park. This event was a major factor in helping not only to promote Z3 as a stylish, fun car but also greatly improving brand awareness. There were extensive coverage in both broadcast and print by major network news programs which improved Z3’s brand awareness drastically. Radio DJ Program This was important in the word-of-mouth effect which had three times the effect of other programs. This buzz marketing, which is a concept of peer-to-peer program, gave rise to conversations about BMW Z3. As the DJs were chosen with care, they were ideal in helping to spread the word about BMW (Khermouch, Green, 2001). This has also helped generate awareness about Z3 as well as positioning it to be fun and stylish. Summary Certainly, these events, whether small or big, have contributed one way or another to the success of the campaign as they reinforced and built upon one another to create a better effect. However, some of the promotional activities were only effective to a certain extent due to the constraint of technology knowledge and tools in that era. Nevertheless, the campaign achieved its goal to introduce and market Z3 into the American market.