Advertising campaign analysis: BMW - Essay Example

? Advertising campaign analysis: BMW BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFO HERE HERE 0 Introduction The luxury carmaker, BMW, understands the lifestyle characteristics of its target consumers which translates into effective ad campaign development with certain values, beliefs, and behaviours of the firm’s most profitable markets. Unlike other automakers that often focus on product and pricing, BMW establishes a brand personality that is consistently aligned with target customer standard of living. BMW, as a luxury product, is priced higher than other automobiles offered domestically and internationally, with an emphasis on quality and opulence. What differentiates BMW from its competitors is the level of relationship with consumers that the brand maintains. The company’s recent “The Ultimate Attraction” ad campaign consisted of magazine promotions, outdoor billboards and transit advertising formats, a campaign that establishes BMW as an important construct and facilitator in the lives of target consumers who maintain high economic resources. 2.0 The Five W’s of “The Ultimate Attraction” Under the VALS 2 model of psychographics, BMW targets to the Innovator target market segment. The Innovator maintains characteristics that consist of extremely high self-esteem and this market maintains plentiful financial resources (SBI 2013). Innovators are drawn to luxury products that are able to illustrate their sophisticated tastes and cultured lifestyle needs. Social status is very important to the Innovator market and the role of reference groups important in their lives influence current and future consumption behaviours. This is a phenomenon known as status or conspicuous consumption, in which the consumer purchases high-cost and opulent products as a means of illustrating to society their achievements in finance or business (O’Cass and McEwen 2004). Conspicuous consumption fulfils a distinct set of sociological or psychological needs of the Innovator segment as their perception of identity is often associated with luxury goods purchases and the display of these products. BMW also understands that many in the middle class, those that do not maintain abundant financial resources, will turn toward consumption of luxury products as a means of mimicking the lifestyle of the more affluent. Eng and Bogaert (2010) illustrate that middle class consumers feel divided by expectations in society related to social class and will attempt to elevate their social status through conspicuous consumption. Therefore, BMW utilises younger actors that are representative of ideal physical features and lifestyle environment as a means of attracting the lower-resource buyer segments as the business understands the importance of attaining a higher echelon of recognition in society for particular market segments. The theme and premise of “The Ultimate Attraction” campaign is a sexually-charged concept that is most relevant for the aforesaid younger market (25 – 40) that maintain characteristics demanding social recognition as they attempt to advance financially and professionally to emulate the lifestyles of more affluent buyers. Marketing theory tells marketers that certain market segments in the middle class that ascribe to conspicuous consumption will often over-consume in the luxury product category (Henry 2005). This makes this a viable market for targeting based on these characteristics in consumption behaviour. As such, it is not viable for BMW to segment utilising income demographics even though the product is priced significantly higher than competing auto brands. It is not only the high resource buyer that maintains opportunities, it is also founded on years of brand reputation for quality and opulence that has made even lower-resource consumers believe that BMW can improve their social standing and lifestyle quality. This is why lifestyle/behavioural segmentation is most viable for BMW to gain more sales volumes and continue to build on the brand’s reputation for excellence as an aspirational brand. The ad campaign does not focus on the product specifically as a means of projecting what specific features and benefits will be achieved. This is due to the fact that BMW competes against such other luxury brands as Audi and Mercedes Benz, each maintaining a set of non-differentiated product benefits and features that are relatively homogenous in the competitive automotive sales environment. The print advertisements that were found in such international magazines as GQ and Vanity Fair (two lifestyle relevant magazines for the higher resource consumer or the striving middle class ladder climber) illustrate a sexual scenario between two attractive actors in which an image of the BMW has been placed over the face of the opposite partner. Instead of finding excitement with the lifestyle situation, the ad is intended to illustrate that the beauty and elegance of the BMW supersedes all other lifestyle considerations. Again, the only tangible benefit that the BMW ad campaign is attempting to illustrate is an improvement in daily life as a brand that can provide substantial self-expansion. The ad campaign does not emphasise any seasonal factors whilst considering the when of the ad sales strategy. However, the fact that BMW makes it into an intimate lifestyle situation would illustrate that cognitions about the BMW brand are non-stop and the brand is able to break through all lifestyle barriers to be the foremost thought on consumer segments’ minds. Through this effort, BMW gains attention as an aspirational brand whilst also building strong emotional connections with consumers that can relate personally to the scenarios illustrated in “The Ultimate Attraction” campaign. The advert is positioned as a brand that has relevancy both in and outside of the home, essentially a brand that follows the consumer through all aspects of their existence in order to remain relevant and a foremost brand decision. Aron, Aron and Smollan (1992) illustrate the importance of this positioning as it relates to the perceived ability of a brand to provide social self-expansion. Brands that provide consumers with this belief are able to faster build brand attachments since the brand is able to appeal to the more egocentric characteristics of consumption behaviour for those markets that genuinely value reference group influence in lifestyle. When attachments are formed due to the ability of the marketer to instil a belief that the brand can facilitate more social growth, they are willing to spend higher resources on the product and will be more likely to defend the brand against any negative social sentiment (Aron, Aron and Smollan 1992). Positioning the BMW as a lifestyle brand, rather than focusing on other elements of the marketing mix, allows the business to achieve more market interest in a variety of markets and not just necessarily the Innovator market with abundant resources and cultivated, sophisticated tastes in luxury product consumption. The marketer has chosen this approach due to the fact that it is quite difficult for manufacturers of luxury automobiles to successfully differentiate in pricing and product. Many competitors share similar supply chains or procure materials (e.g. leather and carpeting) that are similar in quality and design features. To focus too intently on pricing as a differentiated feature maintains the potential to cheapen the brand and remove some of the long-standing reputational benefits that the brand has achieved through the long history of not only BMW, but also Audi and Mercedes Benz. Price wars and discounting activity is an undesirable brand achievement for these luxury producers, which forces competitors to come up with innovative marketing strategies aligned with the consumer specifically and their psycho-social needs. Since many younger and high resource consumers believe in the quality of a daredevil lifestyle with the concept of beautiful women and luxury product consumption, BMW is able to create important connections by being relevant to the everyday life needs of these important and profitable target markets. This is the rationale for why BMW has chosen to take this relationship management approach to gaining consumer interest in the brand as differentiation becomes increasingly difficult as luxury auto competitors are utilising very homogenous raw materials in design and construction of the high priced automobile. 3.0 Perception, buyer process and involvement levels Though BMW is not utilising celebrity endorsers in the campaign, the age and physical characteristics of the chosen actors in the ads are representative of the ideological values of the younger markets. The scene and colours utilised in the campaign are rather drab, yet clean, consisting of what appears to be an upscale bedroom environment with high quality furnishings. The main emphasis is to focus on the consumer that is transfixed by the image of the BMW even when facing his/her beautiful partner. The ad is creating the perception that egocentric needs are acceptable and can even be fulfilled regardless of the variety of social engagement being undertaken by the consumer. However, this is the goal for the contemporary and modish consumer segment, especially the Innovator market segment. BMW should not over-complicate and run the risk of establishing cognitive dissonance with the consumer segment, instead making the environment simplistic and devoid of colours that could distract the consumer from the brand. In fact, the colours utilised in the ad campaign are the same hue and contrast of the BMW brand, in silver, blue and black. This shows consistency to the brand image, perhaps even sending the perception that important reference group characters in the advertisements attempt to build their lifestyle environment around the foundational colours of the brand. BMW is superb in creating an egocentric approval for the target consumer by appealing to the legitimate social values and cultural capital of the most profitable market segment. The advertisement is appealing to the consumer that is currently ready to make a decision about what auto product to consume. The assumption is that the ultimately attracted consumer segment would not consider any other brand except for BMW which would limit their evaluation process and search for other alternative products. Since the individual even dreams of BMW’s design and sophistication whilst enjoying an intimate encounter with their partner, the brand is sparking impulsive decision-making or ensuring that loyal markets do not cease believing that BMW is the only brand they would consider. Though purchasing an automobile is usually a very high involvement purchase with many evaluating steps of options and opportunities, this ad campaign is very adept in removing risk in the eyes of the consumer markets that share the same aspirational characteristics of the actors in the ads. If the brand loyal consumer segment has reached a point where even the beautiful woman in the ideological lifestyle can be superseded by an image of the brand, there would be no perceived risk, only a motivational push to visit an appropriate BMW dealer. The advertisement is very proficient in attempting to encourage and provoke an immediate desire for consumers to be riding in a BMW and having one parked in their home driveways so that they can constantly stare at its cultivated benefits. 4.0 Marketing mix elements The ad campaign is effective in selling the brand personality and not focusing on tangible product benefits. It is likely assumed by BMW marketing experts that the client is already well-familiar with the product and its interior/exterior features if they have reached a point of dreaming about the brand during intimate encounters. The competitor, Mercedes Benz, unable to differentiate in style and materials, chooses also lifestyle marketing. See Figure 1 for an example of Mercedes Benz lifestyle marketing. The ad clearly illustrates sophisticated lifestyle and cultivated tastes showing the archetype of consumer reference groups to extol its brand personality. Figure 1: Mercedes Benz Lifestyle Advertisement Source: Zhangjingna.com. (2008). Mercedes Benz print ad [online] Available at: http://blog.zhangjingna.com/2008/08/mercedes-benz-print-ad.html (accessed 1 May 2013). There is no indication of distribution strategy involved in the ad campaign, however again it would be an assumption that those that carry imagery of the BMW brand and engage in fascination even during intimate social encounters would already know where to find the brand and ensure a purchase. In terms of promotion, however, BMW is properly aligned to consumer characteristics both in the striver market segments and those maintaining highly cultivated perceptional tastes and ambitions. In order to create an effective brand personality, the marketer/brand must be sophisticated and exciting so as to gain effective market interest. Most assuredly, the print advertisements in the campaign that were found in Vanity Fair and GQ magazines illustrate the type of refinement that is most prevalent with the company’s desired target segments. Both of these publications maintain upscale clothing and food merchandise advertisements with a variety of articles that stay consistent to high class living and social scenarios common with these markets with more abundant resources. The main goal is to remain refined and classy with an emphasis on stylish characteristics of the brand. This is accomplished effectively with very little creative engagement in colour and ad presentation. 5.0 Critique of campaign direction In nearly every detail, BMW maintains a very relevant approach to gaining a psychological connection between desirable target segments and the sophisticated BMW brand. Innovator markets often surround themselves with individuals with like characteristics and values, thus conspicuous consumption would be a part of their everyday lifestyles in the professional and social environments. The only negative aspect of the ad is that it does not have the ability to appeal to other consumer segments that might be drawn to the BMW brand for its tangible design characteristics and benefits of luxury interior features and comfort levels. Not all consumers are drawn toward aspirational reference groups as a means of justifying consumption, but just want nice-looking products with enhanced benefits to provide a sense of accomplishment and reward for improving lifestyle. By staying focused solely on the youth market with perceived ideological appearance, the company is missing opportunities to educate consumers about the high quality that BMW manufactures. The business is somewhat limiting its ability to capture additional niche market attention by focusing too strictly on lifestyle/behavioural targeting aspects. References Aron, A., Aron, E. and Smollan, D. (1992). Inclusion of other in the self scale and the structure of interpersonal closeness, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(4), pp.596-611. Eng, T. and Bogaert, J. (2010). Psychological and cultural insights into consumption of luxury Western brands in India, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 9(1), pp.55-75. Henry, P. (2005). Social class, market situation and consumers ‘metaphors of disempowerment’, Journal of Consumer Research, O’Cass, A. and McEwen, H. (2004). Exploring consumer status and conspicuous consumption, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 4(1), pp.25-38. SBI. (2013). Innovators, Strategic Business Insights. [online] Available at: http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/ustypes/innovators.shtml (accessed 1 May 2013). Zhangjingna.com. (2008). Mercedes Benz print ad [online] Available at: http://blog.zhangjingna.com/2008/08/mercedes-benz-print-ad.html (accessed 1 May 2013). Source: WordPress.com. (2010). BMW’s ultimate attraction. [online] Available at: http://adstrategy.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/bmws-ultimate-attraction/ (accessed 30 April 2013). Read More