2/17/10
Time to kiss “the ultimate driving machine” goodbye. According to the folks at BMW, research has shown that their emphasis on power and performance is out of step with the latest consumer concerns – safety and value.
The new campaign, which began last week, features real car owners, rather than the cars themselves; and focuses on the joy that comes from owning a BMW.
Jack Pitney, Vice President of Marketing for BMW North America, says “We hope to really add some humanity to our brand.” (Kellogg, 2010)
Not a bad idea given what we know about the importance of emotions in buying decisions. What do you think? Will they be successful with this new approach?
Kellogg, A. (2010, February 13) BMW Touts ‘Joy,’ Value in New Ads. wsj.com.
Retrived February 16, 2010, from
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB20001424052748704479704575061592413112352-lMyQjAyMTAwMDEwNTExNDUyWj.html
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7 comments:
Brands have to relate to their consumers and BMW pushing speed and performance doesn't reach as many people today as humanity might. They will more than likely have more interest from outside their core consumer group with a new approach.
"At BMW we don't make cars, we make joy." is a great new angle for BMW in these economically troubled times. We discussed that buying experiences is often more fulfulling for people than buying actual things. In a time where people may feel guilty for spending a lot of money on a car, this new campaign message that buying a BMW will not only bring joy but also secuirty with BMW's quality engineering, vehicle safety, free service package and fuel economy) hits the latest consumer concerns and will allow people to feel justified when spending so much money on a car.
The idea of "the ultimate driving machine" is not a concept that everyone can relate to; but joy is. This is a really great way to go for BMW. People are struggling these days with spending money on big purchases, so by shifting focus from the car itself, to how the car will make you feel, will draw people in. In this case, most people will now equate worth to how they feel emotionally with their purchase. Is this car worth it? Yes, because it's not only a great quality car, but it will make me feel happy in these tough times.
As discussed in class before "emotional ads are the most effective" because the act of purchasing is emotional. The new campaign for BMW focuses on the JOY that comes when owning a BMW which is basically the emotional feeling that anyone would have when buying an expensive and safe car. Focusing on the car's quality and the consumers' feelings is a good approach to target the right audience.
I believe this will definitely benefit BMW. Since their main competitor is Mercedes, they know that by changing their approach towards the safety angle, BMW will be able to gain the consumers initially interested in a Mercedes. Although I have always viewed their cars as being for a younger and more modern crowd, it's inevitable that they will try to reach a broader audience. I doubt they will have a problem retaining the consumers they already attracted with the “ultimate driving machine” slogan though.
People want to purchase things that make them important, happy, and at the same time not feel guilty about it. This is especially true during these economic times. By buying this car, they are getting not only luxury but more importantly quality and "joy"; therefore are able to rationalized their purchase better. It seems like a "win win" situation.
The ads seem to be geared to 35-55 year old women and men who possibly have families, and want to have fun and enjoy life. They are conscious about investing in items for their future. I think it is a smart to include women since they are known to have a big influence on what the family purchases are. This could very well expand the target market.
I believe this will keep the customers that already have the car, look into buying a newer model. But ifthey are trying to connect to emotions I don't believe they will get too far without getting comparisons to the Cadillac advertisements when the new CTS came out. I feel the older customers will see more into these ads than younger customers because of the feel of a luxury type car.
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