1. What are the advantages of using more personal advertising copy and encouraging customers to become missionaries for BMW motorcycles?

2. Should BMW use standardization or adaptation in promoting the motorcycles outside United States and Germany?

3. Why is BMW using its website as a virtual showroom rather than also selling online directly to consumers?
4. Should BMW develop and promote a new motorcycle brand to differentiate its motorcycles from competing motorcycle brands (i.e. selling to new target groups) as well as differentiating them from BMW cars?

Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) – www.bmw.com – is one of the leading manufacturers of premium passenger cars and motorcycles in Europe. It also offers insurance, reinsurance and information technology consulting services. The company primarily operates in Europe and the Americas. It is headquartered in Munich, Germany. The motorcycles division (www.bmwmotorcycle.com) develops, manufactures, assembles and sells BMW brand motorcycles as well as spare parts and accessories. This segment also offers motorcycle equipment such as luggage systems, heated grips, windscreens, chrome valve covers, satellite supported navigation systems, special seats and onboard computers. In addition, the company sells helmets, motorcycle suits, boots and gloves through its motorcycle segment. All motorcycles are produced in Berlin. In 2008, the BMW market share in the heavyweight segment (651+ cc) was 15.1 per cent in Europe, two per cent in North America and 4.4 per cent in Asia-Pacific (Source: Case IV.4: Triumph motorcycles).

Although car buyers are extremely familiar with the BMW brand, the brand has much loweramong motorcycle buyers. This is a major challenge for BMW Motorcycles, which has been producing high-end motorcycles for more than 80 years. The company’s main promotional goal is to attract serious riders who are looking for an exceptional riding experience. To do this, its marketers carefully coordinate every promotional detail to convey a unified brand message positioning the BMW motorcycle as ‘the ultimate riding machine’, as its advertising slogan states. Using print and television advertising, personal selling in dealerships, sales promotion and a virtual showroom on the web, BMW is driving its brand message home to motorcycle enthusiasts across the United States (where the video has its starting point) and other countries.