For years, BMW was “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” Recent ads feature the tagline, “Sheer Driving Pleasure.”
Now, BMW is … joy.
Why the change?
As discussed in a previous post, strong brands are founded on single intangible attributes, ones that connect emotionally with consumers.
These days, BMW’s tangibles (its engineering, technology, performance) can quickly and easily be replicated. Companies that base their brand essence solely on material differences struggle to stay ahead of competitors.
So which intangible connects with BMW owners? The joy of driving.
BMW has been playing with the “joy” position for a while. The voiceover in a 2009 TV spot which aired in Britain states, “We realized a long time ago that what you make people feel is just as important as what you make (emphasis mine). And at BMW, we make joy.”
Now, with the launch during the Winter Olympics of its largest branding campaign in company history, BMW believes it has identified its essence.
The updated web site says, “We don’t just build cars, we create emotions. We are guarantors of enthusiasm, fascination and goosebumps. We give you the keys to discover ever-growing and evolving Joy.”
In a release at PR Newswire, Jack Pitney, VP of marketing for BMW, says, “All of our efforts in engineering, design and technology are about one thing, which is creating moments of joy.”
In an interview with Marketing Daily, Pitney adds: “I don’t think the ‘Joy’ campaign is a tremendous diversion. In the past we focused primarily on the cars themselves and the technological innovations under the skin. Now what we have chosen to do is focus on the end result of all that: it’s the way the cars make you feel. Really, the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ is about bringing the joy of driving to life.
” … we challenged ourselves to think about ways to bring that promise to life in an emotionally compelling way. What we landed upon was, well, maybe it’s really about what our products do — how they make you feel.”
Does “joy” resonate for BMW?
It seems to meet the 9 criteria for brand essence. Intangible? Single-minded? Check.
Experiential? Authentic? Meaningful? Absolutely.
Consistently delivered? Sustainable? Scalable? Yep.
Finally, is it unique? Is any other brand more joyful to drive?
Car buyers will decide.
