MARKETING MANAGEMENT

CASE STUDY :
Launching the BMW Z3 Roadster

SYNOPSIS

BMW, a German automobile manufacturer, known for its German engineering and quality, had established itself as a strong brand in the luxury/performance segment in U.S.A. However due to increasing competition from car makers such as infinity, Lexus, Acura, its sales dropped during the period mid 80’s to late 90’s .
The case deals with the launch, of the now infamous BMW Z3 roadster, a car that revolutionized and rejuvenated the boring American motor industry back in the mid 1990's. The case talks about the successful first phase launch of this new drop top beauty. It focuses on the customers and how they suddenly picked up the marketing cues and stories depicted by the various promotional parties that were led by James McDowell, BMW's marketing vice president. This was a marketing campaign that gained a lot of merit and success by using unconventional promotion methods to put their product out into the public. The primary methods tried to stay away from the usual billboards and print media. Rather, the marketing teams decided to take the car into the new world of cinema and multimedia, where sound, sight, video and technology would promote the car during a time of accelerated IT growth. The team at BMW decided that since the Z3 was a new unconventional' car, it also required equal unconventional marketing methods to match its identity. The BMW Z3 was a lifestyle car and what better way to put this idea forward than by releasing it alongside the passionate and stylish gadget man himself, 007 James Bond; exposed through the new technological gateways of the internet and the movies. This paper will try and look deeper into this case of BMW's successful Z3 launch and whether or not they will be able to match the enthusiasm in the second phase of the vehicle's launch.

PROBLEM STATEMENT