Bmw Efficient Dynamics Pr-Campaign Analysis
BMW-campaign for introducing Efficient Dynamics in Hungary, 2009
Executive Summary
The campaign introduced the new Efficient Dynamics technology of BMW by creating the team “BMW Team Hungary with Efficient Dynamics” and participating on long-term races to make customers know and understand the real advantage of the technology: that low fuel consumption and emissions combined with out-standing performance leads in success by competing even vs. sport cars positioned on a much higher level. The campaign covered two long-term races in 2009, one at Nürburgring and one at Hungaroring. (Thanks to their successes, the BMW Team Hungary with Efficient Dynamics got the chance to continue racing in 2010 as well, though, it was NOT the part of the original PR-campaign. (That is why I have not included them in the analysis.) )
Issue(s)
The target group of BMW contains well-situated businessmen and women, who want to be elegant and sporty at the same time. People usually buy cars like BMW not just to have a car but also to demonstrate their “power” and money.
This new technology is focused on efficiency and environmental awareness, but if the campaign emphasizes these features too much, it can backfire, because efficiency is usually connected to low-performance in customers’ mind. So a special way had to be found, in which they overwrite the previous meanings (‘bad’ and ‘poor’) of efficiency in people’s mind.
Insight / Perspective
They identified that “best defence is attack”—instead of trying to prove that customers will not lose their powerful image, they wanted to make obvious that by buying the new BMW they just further strengthen it. For this, the campaign had to delete the connection “efficient, BUT strong” and build the new one: “efficient, SO strong”.
The Pr-company also realized that they have to choose a kind of event which is associated with power and generates a big publicity in itself. The perfect choice was: sport.
Strategy
Races had to be found where
Executive Summary
The campaign introduced the new Efficient Dynamics technology of BMW by creating the team “BMW Team Hungary with Efficient Dynamics” and participating on long-term races to make customers know and understand the real advantage of the technology: that low fuel consumption and emissions combined with out-standing performance leads in success by competing even vs. sport cars positioned on a much higher level. The campaign covered two long-term races in 2009, one at Nürburgring and one at Hungaroring. (Thanks to their successes, the BMW Team Hungary with Efficient Dynamics got the chance to continue racing in 2010 as well, though, it was NOT the part of the original PR-campaign. (That is why I have not included them in the analysis.) )
Issue(s)
The target group of BMW contains well-situated businessmen and women, who want to be elegant and sporty at the same time. People usually buy cars like BMW not just to have a car but also to demonstrate their “power” and money.
This new technology is focused on efficiency and environmental awareness, but if the campaign emphasizes these features too much, it can backfire, because efficiency is usually connected to low-performance in customers’ mind. So a special way had to be found, in which they overwrite the previous meanings (‘bad’ and ‘poor’) of efficiency in people’s mind.
Insight / Perspective
They identified that “best defence is attack”—instead of trying to prove that customers will not lose their powerful image, they wanted to make obvious that by buying the new BMW they just further strengthen it. For this, the campaign had to delete the connection “efficient, BUT strong” and build the new one: “efficient, SO strong”.
The Pr-company also realized that they have to choose a kind of event which is associated with power and generates a big publicity in itself. The perfect choice was: sport.
Strategy
Races had to be found where
References: Café Pr (2009) BMW Team Hungary evaluation [study] Budapest BMW microsite. http://www.bmw-teamhungary.hu/index.html Körömi, J. (2009) BMW Team Hungary with Efficient Dynamics—the work of a PR agency from inside [Interview-written] Corvinus University of Budapest with Flora Kenez 15th December 2009. RTL Klub’s study (2008). http://www.pestiest.hu/cikk/64692/2008-ban_a_vigjatekokat_szerettek_a_magyar_tevenezok