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s.mueller

BMW's The Urban Driving Experience Challenge

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BMW teamed up with Local Motors, an online community dedicated to mobility solutions, to crowdsource the search for new mobility trends and solutions that could be integrated in BMW and Mini vehicles in 2025.

Here is the intro trailer emphasizing BMW’s leadership role when it comes to automotive innovations:

Here the design brief video from BMW:

Learn more about the competition here:

https://forge.localmotors.com/pages/competition.php?co=77&tab=design-brief

The submission phase has just ended, now it is the crowd’s turn to vote for the most innovative and promising submissions until 23 October 2012. The winner will be announced 31 October 2012.

Sounds like an interesting competition and from a first glance at the submissions more than 400 ideas and concepts have been entered. Quite a good result in my eyes. I do not know how and where this competition was advertised (I only read abot it in an automotive blog) but looking at 400 submissions the right audience was reached via adequate channels and platforms.

Take a look at the submissions now and register to vote.

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s.mueller

BMW DriveNow – CarSharing von BMW i, Mini und Sixt

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BMW reagiert auf die zunehmende Tendenz weg vom eigenen Auto hin zu Mobilität auf Abruf (on demand) und startet unter seiner neuen Submarke BMW i und in Kooperation mit Sixt das Mobilitätskonzept DriveNow.

Hier der Introfilm:

Und hier ein Trailer zu BMW i:

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s.mueller

Sixt Guerilla Marketing at Airport

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A nice example of a guerilla marketing campaign. The good thing about it: it finds a unique channel or way to address the key target group which is most likely to be interested in this offer: professionals. We all know the situation: when you are not in the office and have entire teams working back in the office, your laptop or mobile device is the link to the crew back home or to the client out there. As there is barely internet on planes, the waiting time at the airport becomes crucial. And when time is short, fast DSL is the key. Thus offering free WLAN is always appreciated. In this case the WLAN ID transports the marketing message which here is the special airport fare for the SIXT BWM 3-series rental offer. A nice solution! So if by contract you are not binded to a special rental agency, this nice little favor by SIXT may have a positive influence on you.

Keep in mind: the worst situation you can be in when renting a car is an airport where you quickly need a ride – they usually charge a lot.

Nice little campaign!

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s.mueller

MINI Connected

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Having previously worked together with colleagues from BMW ConnectedDrive, this commercial caught my attention.
So much has changed since the early days of ConnectedDrive… It is amazing to see what cars today are capable of, leaving aside the drivers distraction discusscion…

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s.mueller

Autohäuser 2010: Service oft nicht gleich Service

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Heute beim Sonntagsfrühstück bin ich mal wieder über ein VW Prospekt eines regionalen Händlers gestolpert.
Man ist innovativ und preist Intervallservice Angebote und Jahresinspektionen an. Gleichzeitig der Hinweis „Warum wo anders mehr bezahlen“ und „bis zu 20%!“ sparen. Sogar auf Leistungssteigerung bei MTM gibt es im November „10% Nachlass“.

Und dann entdecke ich auf dem selben Prospekt, den Hinweis auf ein „Werkstattersatzfahrzeug ab 10 €/Tag“. Also wie jetzt? Hier 10% sparen und dort 10€ wieder drauf? Und das wahrscheinlich für einen nackten 70 PS Polo V…

Wieso sollte ich denn für ein Auto auch noch was zahlen, wenn es schon in die Werkstatt muss? Und wieso nutzen Hersteller den heutzutage seltenen Moment dass der Kunde tatsächlich mal wieder im Autohaus vorbeischaut nicht um ihm neue Produkte und AfterSales Angebote anzupreisen? Durch die verlängerten Wartungsintervalle distanzieren sich Autohaus und Kunde immer weiter voneinander. Gleichzeitig steigt die Bedeutung von CRM-Maßnahmen um den Kontakt zum Autohaus und letztlich der Marke nicht völligst abbrechen zu lassen. Deswegen sollte man dem Fahrer eines 5er BMW beim unfreiwilligen Werkstattbesuch nicht gegen Entgelt einen Mini (immer mindestens selbe Fahrzeugklasse) anbieten sondern ihm freiwillig das aktuelle Modell in seiner Wunschaustattung zur Verfügung stellen (soweit verfügbar). So kann der Kunde ohne aufwändigen Probefahrttermin am Wochende vereinbaren zu müssen (das Wochenende gehört der Familie) das neue Modell im Alltag testen (Wochenende ist nicht gleich Alltag). So entsteht bem Konsumenten nach kurzer Zeit das Begehren nach den Annehmlichkeiten des neuen Modells und er spürt die Wertschätzung als Kunde. Bei frisch auf den Markt gekommenen Produkten trägt das Werkstattersatzfahrzeug sogar dazu bei, dass das neue Modell sich im Stadtbild zügig etabliert. Ob eine Aufschrift des Autohauses nun eher vorteilhaft für das Autohaus oder negativ für den Fahrer (man sieht sofort, dass der Fahrer nicht Eigentümer des Autos ist sondern das Autohaus) ist, kann man sich streiten.

Natürlich muss man hierbei aber auch die Situation der Autohäuser sehen. Knappe Margen, hoher Kostendruck,.. lassen vielen Autohäusern nicht viel Spielraum für großartigen Service. Doch genau das spürt der Kunde, wenn bspw. keine Probefahrtfahrzeuge verfügbar sind, eine Probefahrt auf wenige Stunden begrenzt ist, oder eben ein Werkstattersatzfahrzeug auch noch was kosten soll. Will ich bei so einem Autohaus Kunde sein und Fahrer einer solchen Marke sein? Und ist das die Art und Weise, wie ich als Kunde behandelt werden möchte? Sicherlich nicht.

In Zeiten, in denen die Quailtät der etablierten Marken sich immer mehr annähert (Wissen sie in wie vielen Fahrzeugen ihr aktueller Motor verbaut ist?) und gleichzeitig andere Faktoren wie Design, Markenimage oder Preis eine immer wichtigere Rolle bei der Kaufentscheidung sprechen, steigt auch die Bedeutung der Loyalisierung. Deswegen sollte man seine bestehenden Kunden entsprechend betreuen und ihnen in jeder Kontaktsituation das Gefühl geben sie seien etwas Besonderes. Es gibt nicht umsonst einen Markenwechselbonus für die Verkäufer, denen es gelingt einen Fahrer einer Konkurrenzmarke für die eigene zu gewinnen. Dieser finanzielle Spielraum wird dann gerne auch mal ein Stück weit an den Kunden weitergegeben.

Dem Kunden das Gefühl zu geben, dass er wichtig ist, dass die Marke sich immer besser auf ihn einstellen möchte, sind zentrale Elemente von Social Media Strategien. Der (potentielle) Kunde wird ernst genommen, nach seiner Meinung gefragt, und eingeladen mit der Marke zu interagieren. Die Hersteller erhoffen sich hierdurch vieles. Eine stärkere Kundenbindung, wertvolle Consumer Insights und die Marke persönlich erlebbar zu machen – auf Arten die früher undenkbar waren.

Deutschland ist nicht umsonst der härteste Automobilmarkt auf der Welt. Wer hier dominieren will muss in allen Facetten gut aufgestellt sein. Das gilt nicht nur für die Produktqualität sondern auch für den Service.

Wenn mir heute jemand erzählt, er hatte seinen 3 Jahre alten Mittelklassewagen in der Werkstatt und musste für das Ersatzfahrzeug etwas zahlen, so würde ich klar sagen: „Wechsel die Werkstatt oder gleich auch die Marke!“ Und teile deine negative Erfahrung anderen mit.

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s.mueller

Applications – the new multimillion dollar business?

It all started with Apple’s App Store and it turned into an avalanche almost unstoppable.
Today you can get all kinds of applications for an ever growing number of different phones. Or even cars!
Rumor has it that BMW is working on an own application store where you can download apps to implement in your car. Yes, I mean it. At this year’s IAA automobile fair in Frankfurt, BMW presented a small glimpse of what is yet to come.

BMW onboard app

BMW onboard app

Based on BMW Connected Drive, this new new technology could enable you to download local maps on the go (or rather on the drive), update your car’s operating system with whatever application is useful. Stay in touch with friends – no problem with facebook on board. Or Twitter the most recent traffic jams right to the global web audience. You could also access personal music libraries while driving miles away from your home.

Applications are everywhere, and they grow at an enormous pace. You will barely be able to surf on facebook or myspace without encountering Farmland, CastleAge or some useless cookie surprises. But if you thought this was just the output of second-rate developers or bored geeks, you may find your facebook account the center of a multimillion dollar industry. In recent times, purchases of such app businesses have reached triple digit millions. Electronic Arts acquired Playfish for up to $400 million and now the creators of blockbusters such as Farmland and MafiaWars are estimated at almost a billion dollars. Bloomberg reports that “if the IPO [for Zynga] were timed to price around mid-2010 or later, our expectation would be for a billion dollar or greater valuation.” As cute as the Farmland animals may be, this is serious business, almost billion dollar business. Let’s see how classical game producers such as EA, Ubisoft, or Nintendo react to this. One solution seems promising: Buy them now while they are still available at a fair price. Whatever a fair price may be….

Image source: BMW Deutschland

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s.mueller

The A-class equal to the 1-series or the A3? Never if you ask me

Mercedes Benz and its small-car dreams

Posted by: David Welch on November 13 on BusinessWeek The Auto Beat

The Mercedes A-class

The Mercedes A-class

American seems to be obsessed with small cars these days. Not American consumers, mind you, but policy makers and executives at the companies who must bend to their will. First, we had General Motors and Fiat-Chrysler rushing small cars to market as part of their argument for federal assistance earlier this year. Ford has a few of them coming in response both to high fuel prices and new fuel economy rules. Not to be outdone, Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche says Mercedes may export some small cars to the U.S. Luxury buyers still want luxury, he told the Wall Street Journal, but some may want to make a less ostentatious, low-carbon dioxide statement.

This is wrong on so many levels. The article says that the Mercedes compacts will take on the Audi A3, BMW 1-series and BMW’s Mini Cooper brand. As for the A3 and 1-series, yes the Baby Benz will take them on, battling for all 12,000 cars worth of sales that the two models have sold this year. That’s right. Audi has sold about 2,900 copies of the A3, one-tenth the sales of its A4 sedan. The 1-series has done a bit better, selling almost 9,500 cars. That pales next to 3-series sales of 75,500 cars. Even if Mercedes gets a piece of that compact luxury biz, it will be small potatoes. As if Mercedes needs another model that sells fewer than 10,000 cars a year. The company has about half a dozen or so right now. By the way, Mercedes once shelved plans to bring its small B-class (pictured above) to the U.S. because of currency problems. Well, the dollar is still pretty weak. That will make the car either expensive to buy for consumers or profit-challenged.

And what about taking on Mini? The brand has sold almost 40,000 cars through October and just keeps growing. But it has everyone fooled. First of all, the brand has an incredibly unique image that blends modern technology of BMW’s vaunted engineering with the British styling and heritage of its past. And it is quirky. Mini stands alone unlike any brand in the car market as accessible exclusivity, though not traditional luxury. Will its buyers look at a Baby Benz? I doubt it. One BMW marketer once told me that in their research, they found that Mini owners view BMW owners the way most people view Ferrari owners. Loosely translated from the original profane description, Mini owners seem them as men with more money than confidence. I doubt Mini owners will see the Mercedes brand any differently.

I’ll give you one more practical reason why small cars won’t sell as fuel savers or as a green statement. Take a four-cylinder Chevrolet Malibu. It gets 26 miles per gallon combined and costs $1,526 a year to fuel up. A compact Chevy Cobalt gets 27 mpg and costs $1,482 a year at the pump. Who will sacrifice the passenger space of a Malibu to save $44 a year in gas? Answer: The buyer who can’t afford the Malibu.

Translate that to the luxury market where buyers are less concerned about gasoline prices, and there is even less incentive to go small. As for the low carbon statement, that won’t wash either. By the time Mercedes gets its compacts to the U.S., there will be Chevy Volts, plug-in Priuses, Fisker plug-in hybrids, Tesla electric sedans and plenty more expensive greenery for well-to-do do-gooders. Isn’t this idea just a wee bit silly?

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/autos/autobeat/archives/2009/11/mercedes_benz_a.html

SOM Marketingberatung:

Folks,

in no way does the A or B-class Mercedes compare to any of the models mentioned. They all have what the Mercedes lacks: they represent young, dynamic drivers who can afford to buy a small premium car and are willing to pay a markup for a strong brand. The typical A and B-class drivers – in terms of perceived and actual age – are seniors. Of course there are also some younger drivers whose parents drive a bigger Mercedes model and who want „to stick with the brand.“ The same is true for the C-class. The average age of drivers still ranges somewhere around 50. That is in the home market of Germany. For long, there have been discussion whether to finally stop these two models: they are simply not profitable enough. And here’s another one: guess which vehicle is currently the most hated rental car in all of Germany: yes, the B-class.
So dear friends down in Stuttgart, you are in need of action now. Define your brand! Either find a new profitable positioning for these two models or combine them into one car. As of today, both are too expensive and do not offer what a Mercedes represents. And do not compare the current A class with a 1 series BMW or an Audi A3. Event rental companies rank these two higher than the A-class.

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s.mueller

Angst um den Stern vs. Daimler schreibt Gewinne

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Die Wirtschaftswoche berichtet in der heutigen Ausgabe in ihrem Leitartikel über die schwerwiegenden Probleme des Daimler Konzerns. Milliardenverluste, höhere Verbrauchswerte als die Konkurrenz aus München und Stuttgart, und in der wahrgenommenen Qualität hinter eben diese beiden Konkurrenten gerutscht. Hochrechnungen gehen davon aus, dass Audi bereits 2010 mehr PKW verkaufen wird als Daimler. Es steht nicht gut um den Stern aus Stuttgart. Aktuell sind laut Wirtschaftswoche 27.000 Mitarbeiter in Kurzarbeit und Chef Zetsche plant bzw. muss den Sparkurs weiter verschärfen um wieder aus den roten Zahlen zu kommen. Substanziell kann Daimler zwar noch auf ein zweistelliges Milliardenpolster bauen, doch wie schnell auch das schmelzen kann, hat GM bewiesen.
Auch von der, die deutsche Automobilwirtschaft vor dem schlimmsten bewahrenden, Abwrackprämie konnte Daimler am wenigsten profitieren. Hier hatten laut Kraftfahrtbundesamt andere die Nase vorne und Daimler einen Absatzeinbruch von 17% im Zeitraum Januar bis September 2009.

Ein düsterer Ausblick.

Doch dann heute diese Nachricht: Mercedes schreibt Gewinne
n-tv.de berichtet, dass Daimler es nach 3 Quartalen tiefroter Zahlen geschafft hat wieder schwarze Zahlen zu schreiben, 470 Millionen Euro um genau zu sein. Das macht doch wieder Hoffnung, ändert aber nichts an der nach wie vor schlechten Ausgangslage. Die E-Klasse verkauft sich schleppend, die C-Klasse dürfte nach wie vor eher ältere Generationen ansprechen (trotz ach so moderner Kanten) und solange andere Premiummarken sparsamere Motoren, die weniger CO2 ausstossen produzieren, wird sich daran nciht viel ändern. Hier waren BMW und Audi konsequenter und letzlich erfolgreicher.

Es bleibt abzuwarten, wie sich Daimler im 4. Quartal schlagen wird.

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s.mueller

Super-Efficient BMW Concepts Are Simple and Clever

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Super-Efficient BMW Concepts Are Simple and Clever

Posted using ShareThis

BMW, the company that brought you Gina, that wild shape-shifting concept car made of cloth, went even further off the deep end with a pair of wacky concepts making their debut at the company museum in Munich.

The cars, dubbed “Simple” and “Clever” — acronyms that we’ll explain in a moment — are über-small, über-light three-wheelers that are supposed to show just how far down the efficiency road BMW can go. The Bavarians say Simple is “light in weight, low on energy” and Clever gives you “cooperative driving pleasure.”

We say, WTF?

Funky styling aside, the two cars have some cool innovations and show what’s possible when efficiency is the highest objective.

That’s Simple in the main photo above. It looks like something you’d find hanging from a cable on the Graf Zeppelin, but in reality, it’s a show car from 2005. The name is an acronym for the project’s name, “Sustainable and Innovative Mobility Product for Low Energy consumption.” You can see why they called it Simple.

BMW says the trike “combines features and advantages from both automobiles and motorcycles.” Maybe, but it also looks like something a trucker would have to hose off his grill if things got nasty. That said, it is mighty efficient. Simple tips the scales at only 450 kilos (920 pounds), so the internal combustion engine motivating it is commensurately small, putting out only 36 kilowatts (48.2 horsepower). BMW says the three-wheeler will do zero to 62 mph in less than ten seconds and has a super-slippery drag coefficient of 0.18. That’s almost as slick as the equally funky Aptera Motors 2e electric car. But the car’s most notable feature is it leans like a motorcycle in turns.

Next we have Clever, which stands for “Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport.” If Simple looks like something from the 1930s, Clever looks like something right out of the folded paper school of design from the 1980s, even if it was made in 2002. BMW worked with a host of technical colleges and universities from all over Europe to develop the car.

The objective was to create a car with minimal emissions. Clever runs on natural gas stored in two compressed-gas cylinders. It emits just 60 grams of CO2 per 100 kilometers. The Toyota Prius, for the sake of comparison, emits 89. Power comes from a 230-cc single-cylinder engine that produces 12.4 kilowatts (16.7 horsepower). The car features a continuously variable transmission and, like Simple, leans into corners at up to 45 degrees. That front suspension looks like something off a Bimota Tesi.

Clever weighs less than 400 kilos (about 881 pounds) and is just three feet wide. BMW says it offers no more than one square meter of frontal area, making it very aerodynamic. BMW claims Clever can do zero to 60 km/h (37.2 mph) in around 7 seconds and tops out at approximately 100 km/h (62 mph).

In case you’re wondering, Clever is safer than it might look. It has special seat belts and a specially developed driver airbag that allowed Clever to comply with the Euro NCAP crash test requirements for small cars at the time. The passengers, who sit tandem, are ensconced in a survival cell.

article published by wired.com. See http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/10/bmw-simple-clever/ for the complete article

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