BMW 2007 Annual Report Download - page 41

39
exhibits will provide an insight into the research, de-
velopment, design and production activities of the
BMW Group, giving visitors the chance to enjoy an
all-round experience of the BMW brand and of the
company as a whole. The BMW Welt also boasts an
events forum including state-of-the-art technology
for staging all kinds of events, such as receptions
and seminars, concerts, exhibitions, conferences
and live transmissions. More than 500,000 people
visited the BMW Welt within the first 100 days of
opening.
Innovative marketing and investment in
brands
Numerous vehicle presentations represented an im-
portant aspect of the BMW Group’s marketing and
communication activities in 2007. Marketing cam-
paigns and similar activities, targeted purposefully at
specific groups, ranged from international test-drive
events for the launch of the BMW X5 through to
enhanced activities on Web 2.0 to coincide with the
launch of the BMW 1 Series Coupé.
Campaigns were run for both specific models
and for the BMW Group’s brands in general. In the
European markets, the focus was primarily on com-
municating the benefits of BMW Efficient Dynamics,
the designation used to cover the whole range of
measures adopted by the BMW Group in its bid to
reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
For several years now, the BMW CleanEnergy
project has not only been working on the reduction
of emissions, but has also embraced the vision of
emission-free driving based on the use of hydrogen.
The Hydrogen 7 vehicle, based on the BMW 7 Se-
ries, was first presented to the public back in 2006.
In 2007 the Hydrogen 7 was made available to se-
lected persons from the worlds of politics, business,
science and show business, thus bringing the so-
called Club of Pioneers into being. The idea
behind this is to accelerate the change towards a
hydrogen society, including the construction of
an appropriate infrastructure.
One of BMW Marketing’s responses to the up-
and-coming trend towards new media was to set
up BMW web.tv in 2007. Using this online TV plat-
form, BMW now broadcasts reports and articles
every week on brand-related issues, including some
advertising content. Right from the outset, several
hundred thousand videos were viewed each month
on average via BMW web.tv.
BMW’s sport sponsoring activities were focused
on motor sports, golf and sailing in 2007. The event
that created the greatest media attention around the
world for BMW in 2007 was The America’s Cup held
in Valencia. The participation of the US American
BMW Oracle Team clearly helped to raise the profile
and awareness of the BMW brand. The BMW Sauber
F1 Team firmly established itself as the third force in
Formula One in 2007.
MINI pushed ahead with the creation of a global
MINI Community. In this context, another MINI United
Festival was held at Zandvoort, near Amsterdam,
under the motto Friends. Festival. Challenge. More
than 8,000 visitors from 50 countries took part in the
three-day event. The MINI Challenge, a special MINI
club sports series, has become an established com-
ponent of the Community idea, combining profes-
sional sport with modern lifestyle.
Marketing activities for the MINI in 2007 were
mainly focused on the market launch of the MINI
Clubman. The global marketing campaign with the
slogan The other MINI. fitted perfectly with the
vehicle’s claim to set new trends and created a few
surprises with its snappy ads and guerrilla market-
ing approach.
At the forefront of marketing activities for the
Rolls-Royce brand were the world premiere (in
Detroit, USA) and the market launch (in L’Andana,
Italy) of the Phantom Drophead Coupé. This exclu-
sive convertible was presented at the Rolls-Royce
dealerships in conjunction with numerous events.
Rolls-Royce also set in motion a project for Rolls-
Royce dealerships specifically aimed at attracting
and providing services to customers in the ultra-
luxury segment.
Sales network expanded further
The BMW Group intensified its sales activities in
the established markets in 2007, whilst at the same
time expanding activities in the growth markets.
The global presence of the BMW, MINI and
Rolls-Royce brands was strengthened further during
the past year with the opening of four new sales
locations. A subsidiary was set up in India and a
sales office opened in Slovenia on 1 January 2007,
followed by sales offices in Rumania and Bulgaria
on 1 July. As a result of this expansion, which has
taken place mainly in the growth markets of Asia and
Eastern Europe, the BMW Group is now represented
by its own sales organisations in 41 markets.