2024 – written essay will be on BMW The criteria grading for these bi weekly essays can

written essay will be on BMW.  The criteria / grading for these bi-weekly essays can be found in the Syllabus and the Rubrics/Grading Criteria in the left menu area.

Prepare a 1 page paper (MS Word, 12 point, Single Spaced) on the following topic. Please place name, assignment topic and date at the top on 1 line of space, then the question(s) being asked in the assignment before writing your answer/essay.  Make your answer brief and concise, yet thorough – defend your position drawing primarily upon and referring to course content/concepts for support.  This is analysis of marketing strategies, tactics and challenges, not personal opinions about products/services or companies.  Material in the week’s textbook chapters should be the primary resource.

Marketing Excellence: BMW  – What are the pros and cons to BMW’s selective target marketing? What has the firm done well over the years and where could it improve?

 

Additional resources, info and news (5 items below….and drool-worthy picture of new BMW i8):

• “BMW Tosses Salesmen for ‘Geniuses'” (Wall Street Journal, 2/20/14)   http://search.proquest.com.mylibrary.wilmu.edu/nationalnewscore/docview/1500218239/7E49DB6F291043C7PQ/1?accountid=40461 

Big potential changes in approach to how BMWs would be marketed/sold to customers at the dealership level. BMW wants to bring its dealerships into the digital age, recommending they rip out showroom cubicles, install flat screen displays and hire “product geniuses” to explain the complex technology in its cars without pressure to close a sale.

• “BMW Segmentation Targeting and Positioning” (research-methodology.net, 12/19/13)  http://research-methodology.net/bmw-segmentation-targeting-and-positioning/ 

Item about BMW target markets and segmentation – demographic, behavioral and psychographic categories applied to BMW makes/models. Posted by a student in the Discussion Board in a prior block – “quick view” of some of the characteristics and approaches to segmenting and targeting customers.

• “BMW Cuts Assembly Costs With Glue Guns” (Wall Street Journal 9/20/13, Corporate News section)  http://search.proquest.com.mylibrary.wilmu.edu/nationalnewscore/docview/1433495812/EBDFBD8C4F0040ECPQ/1?accountid=40461 
  

This article is from 2013, prior to the release the following spring (see articles below) of the new i3 and i8 hybrid or electric models – the newest extension of BMWs product line. The article discusses some significant “efficiency” changes in production at BMW implemented to manufacture the then-pending new models.  Hmmmm, a carbon fiber & plastic $41K (all-electric) or $135K (hybrid) glued-together BMW??  Now that could present some interesting marketing and brand challenges!  Reasons for pursuing this approach range from “green” initiatives, to cutting overall assembly and production costs, to potential future flexibility in production lines’ ability to make cars of different shapes and sizes.  So…..reduced costs + increased efficiency = premium price (how nice for BMW)?!  😉 

 

• “BMW’s Electric i3 Steps in the Right Direction” (Wall Street Journal, Gear & Gadgets/Rumble Seat column, 12/21-22/13)   http://search.proquest.com.mylibrary.wilmu.edu/nationalnewscore/docview/1469986114/1C112A30519D4C3BPQ/1?accountid=40461  

Article/review of one of the newest additions to the BMW product line – the all-electric i3 referred to in the prior article (42+K….glue and all I guess, though not a bad review). This is OPTIONAL READING, but interesting to find out how the car actually performs and at least this car reviewer’s impressions of a potentially risky (if it did not go well) product line extension for BMW, a company that has so carefully cultivated customer satisfaction, positive impressions and loyalty.

 

• “The Sustainable Supercar” (Wall Street Journal-Weekend Edition, Off Duty section/Gears & Gadget column, 5/3-4/14)   http://search.proquest.com.mylibrary.wilmu.edu/nationalnewscore/docview/1520551051/1B3ED331F4AC46EAPQ/2?accountid=40461 

Article/review about the other of the two newest products in the BMW line – the luxury hybrid i8….lightweight, carbon-fiber, wing doors, “laser” headlamps and all – the 135K model referred to in the article above about production changes at BMW to produce this and the i3.  Also OPTIONAL READING, but it does seem this newest and very expensive offering from BMW reflects BMW’s corporate brand values of performance and status/exclusivity.  UPDATE:  An October 2014 item in USAToday commented that “BMW started delivering the $136,650 plug-in hybrid sports car to buyers in September – but those are people who’d been on a waiting list as long as 2 years.  There are so many orders, and production of the i8 takes so long, that new requests placed now won’t arrive for perhaps nine months.”  Amazing – now THAT’S customer loyalty (no doubt with a healthy dose of status and bragging rights thrown in)