HOW BMW
BECAME
EMOTIONALLY
RELEVANT.
Client: BMW | Category: Campaigns
How we raised the brand’s market share from 1,8% to 6,3% through 20,000+ ideas.
When we started our collaboration with BMW in Sweden, the brand was in a major decline with a market share of merely 1,8% and only 4,000 cars sold per year. At the time, BMW was perceived as a status symbol for the newly rich, a position not well received after the financial crash in early 1990. To appeal to new audiences, we had to give the buyer a feeling of status beyond the fact they can afford a luxury car. Few want to be that person who drives a BMW instead of a more modest car purely because it’s expensive. The brand needed a new alibi. One that signals high status while being socially acceptable.
key emotional driver
Our first mission was to redefine BMW’s core value proposition – Joy – which at the time was connected to financial success and status. The joy of driving was riding in the back seat. To increase the social acceptance for BMW, we shifted the attention to the relationship between the car and driver. And demonstrated how if you truly love to drive, BMW will support you like no other car.
By deftly reinterpreting the ‘Joy’ DNA with shifts in pop culture, values and megatrends, and constantly monitoring brand health, we launched campaign after campaign to refine the brand.
Another important part was the development of a differentiated personality and tonality with our entirely own vocabulary for the premium segment. ‘Driving Pleasure’ was reborn.
Our strategy was implemented on basically all facets of the brand’s presence with over 20,000 ideas and, on average, 40 campaigns a year, all containing the brand philosophy that connected so well with the audience.
impact
The results occurred immediately. The sales increased, social acceptance climbed and the market share ate its way through the premium segment. During our long partnership, we reached 16,000 cars sold per year, raised the brand’s market share from 1,8% to 6,3% and the social acceptance was at an all-time high. Compared to the competitors, our advertising was the most cost-effective every year.
Our work got perhaps the finest result you can wish for; the best maintained and spot on BMW brand interpretation of all markets world-wide.
