BMW 2006 Annual Report Download - page 38

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 38 of the 2006 BMW annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 197

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • 97
  • 98
  • 99
  • 100
  • 101
  • 102
  • 103
  • 104
  • 105
  • 106
  • 107
  • 108
  • 109
  • 110
  • 111
  • 112
  • 113
  • 114
  • 115
  • 116
  • 117
  • 118
  • 119
  • 120
  • 121
  • 122
  • 123
  • 124
  • 125
  • 126
  • 127
  • 128
  • 129
  • 130
  • 131
  • 132
  • 133
  • 134
  • 135
  • 136
  • 137
  • 138
  • 139
  • 140
  • 141
  • 142
  • 143
  • 144
  • 145
  • 146
  • 147
  • 148
  • 149
  • 150
  • 151
  • 152
  • 153
  • 154
  • 155
  • 156
  • 157
  • 158
  • 159
  • 160
  • 161
  • 162
  • 163
  • 164
  • 165
  • 166
  • 167
  • 168
  • 169
  • 170
  • 171
  • 172
  • 173
  • 174
  • 175
  • 176
  • 177
  • 178
  • 179
  • 180
  • 181
  • 182
  • 183
  • 184
  • 185
  • 186
  • 187
  • 188
  • 189
  • 190
  • 191
  • 192
  • 193
  • 194
  • 195
  • 196
  • 197

37
Italy or Mexico.The availability of spare parts was
also greatly improved in a number of countries, such
as South Africa or Malaysia.
In addition to external dealerships, the BMW
Group also has a network of 36 branches around the
world that, in many markets, serve as a source of
reference.
The Rolls-Royce dealership network was further
expanded and now comprises 74 sales partners
worldwide.
Investment in strong brands
Apart from the substance and emotionality of its
products, the BMW Group also benefits from the
strength of its various brands. To this end, it con-
tinues to invest substantial sums on precise meas-
ures to improve their profile.
With consideration to the separate market
positioning of the BMW und MINI brands, the BMW
Group selected two new creative partners in 2006 –
Media Arts Lab for the BMW brand and Plantage
for the MINI brand. From 2007 onwards, these two
agencies will not only work on the German market,
but also on the development of launch and brand
campaigns that can be rolled out internationally.
In 2006, various innovative marketing campaigns
contributed towards the strengthening of the BMW
brand. One example of this is the current worldwide
“Expertise Campaign” and another is the “Company
of Ideas” campaign used in the USA, BMW’s largest
market.The “Expertise Campaign” explains various
BMW technological advances in an unconventional
and humorous way, such as the workings of the
xDrive four-wheel-drive system, demonstratively
using a jumping jack toy figure.The “Company of
Ideas” advertisements make general allusions to
the idea of independence and the company’s ability
to innovate.
In the field of sports marketing, the BMW brand
entered into new territory with the “F1 Pit Lane
Park”, presenting a “Hands-On Formula1” pit lane
accessible to all visitors over a series of five race
weekends. The BMW Group’s involvement with golf
was expanded in the form of a partnership with the
PGA Tour and Western Golf Association to create
the “BMW Championship”. In the area of sailing,
ac-
tivities were already fully aimed towards the Americas
Cup 2007 in Valencia.
Altogether, great consideration was given to
communicating the BMW brand in view of the
changing ways customers use various media and
this has been reflected in a number of innovative of-
fers tailored to suit these new media. One example
is the
internet campaign for the new BMW X5 with
a version
of the BMW website optimised for portable
electronic devices, including BMW audio and video
podcasts about the automobile trade fairs in Detroit,
Geneva and Tokyo or with free downloads of BMW
audio book thrillers.
In 2006, marketing activities for the MINI brand
were wholly directed towards the market launch
of the new MINI. The integrated launch campaign
under the motto “Incredibly MINI. The new MINI”
not only introduced the new models, but also high-
lighted attitudes and lifestyles associated with
the MINI brand using unconventional activities and
formats – coupled with a dash of the typical humour
also associated with the MINI.