BMW's Digital Marketing Essay.

In this assignment, students need to choose a company that has both an online and an offline presence, then

1.Discuss two different market segments they target and their corresponding positioning strategy.

2.Analyse the digital marketing tools and techniques the company use and explain the aims of each tool/technique (Discuss at least 3 of these).

3.List three strengths and three weaknesses of the digital marketing strategy adopted by the company

4.Make recommendation for improving their digital marketing strategy
 

Segmentation and Positioning of BMW

Digital technologies have advanced and hence it has become essential for the organizations to take use of the digital marketing tools and techniques for bringing effectiveness in their marketing campaigns (Tiago & Verissimo, 2014). Digital marketing strategies are widely used irrespective of the industry. This is because they are capable of reaching to the wide extent of people at the global level. BMW is one of the biggest car manufacturers and sellers in the world have adopted the digital marketing strategies so as to increase the reach of their brand all across the globe (Wertime & Fenwick, 2011). Digital marketing tools help the companies to reach to their target segments sitting anywhere, any part of the world. This report shows the target segment of BMW along with the positioning statement that they are using for attracting their targeted segment. It also shows the digital marketing tools and techniques used by BMW along with the strengths and weaknesses of their digital marketing strategies. 

Segmentation has become an essential aspect in the modern day business. BMW manufacturers one of the most luxuries car brands in the industry. This brand image of the firm can be clearly seen in their segmentation and positioning (Newsfeed apps, 2017). Among different variables used by the company to segment its people, the two segments on which company has focused more are lifestyle and income.

In terms of lifestyle, BMW is targeting people that lives a luxurious life or say the people who want luxurious products. The people who are rich are their major target segment.  In terms of income level they have targeted people having higher income. This is because most of its products are available at higher cost (Hirt & Willmott, 2014). Both these target segments are made checking the product quality as well as taking the account of the fact that who can actually afford their products. Most of their target segments lives the in the urban areas especially in the metropolitan cities.

In order to target its customers, the have positioned themselves as a brand that produces luxury items. Their products provide total comfort and gives value for their money hence customers are also satisfied with their products. This is the major why they have a fan following and higher numbers of loyal customers (Piñeiro-Otero & Martínez-Rolán, 2018).  Higher pricing strategy of their products is done for maintaining their brand image. It is their positioning that helps them to attract the people as carrying these products itself is a matter of pride for the people. 

Target Market of BMW

Firms are using different types of tools and techniques so as to improve the digital marketing strategies. BMW being a big brand name uses their marketing tools and techniques in an effective manner so as to maintain their brand name as well as ensure that their marketing campaign could reach to all of their market segments (Necsulescu, 2015). Some of the tools that are used by BMW are:

• Social media: This is a platform that is highly in use in the modern day marketing. Since billions of people are attached to social media sites anytime hence it is easier for the companies to reach to their target segment (De Vries, Gensler & Leeflang, 2012). This is again justified by the fact that people who live luxuries lives are often very much active on these platforms. BMW uses this tool for posting the pictures, videos and advertisements about their new launches so as to collect the reviews from their fans and potential customers. Creating fan pages or other attractive pages on the social media sites such as Facebook has helped them in increasing their views (Kim & Ko, 2012). Since the news spreads like a wildfire on these social media sites hence any promotional events and campaigns launched by the company is often published by the firm. The feedbacks collected at this platform are also used by the company to make improvements in their marketing strategies as well as their products (Urban, Gosline & Lee, 2017). This is very much crucial for increasing the sales of the company in the future. But the demerit attached with this platform is the fact that it also results in negative image for the company if not managed properly.
• Content marketing:  BMW is a big brand name hence this kind of marketing is very much effective. They take use of the content marketing so as to increase the fan following of the company. This is also highly effective in attracting the potential customers as the company posts all the good aspects about their products through its contents (Holliman & Rowley, 2014). The contents consist of pictures, videos and other type of advertisements so as to make them attractive. It is these contents that change the purchasing intention of the people from half to full (Kingsnorth, 2016). This is very effective in increasing the sale of the products that are luxurious or the products that offers a specific kind of value to its customers. Most of these contents are posted at different online sites so as to increase brand visibility at the same time influences the purchasing behavior of the people.
• You tube marketing: This Company has used You-tube as one of the platform so as to promote their products. The advertisements are shown on the You-tube platforms so as to increase the visibility. Since the number of users on you-tube are in billions hence it is one the best platforms where companies have advertised their products. Company also shows its events on the YouTube so that all the people from different parts of the world can see the event at once. You-tube marketing acts as a place where videos can be shared (Berman, 2012). People’s reaction can be noted on the comment section along with the likes and the views. This shows the intention of the people towards any particular product. Fan pages are created by the lovers of their products which act as one of the best platforms for word of mouth kind of advertisement.

BMW utilizes different marketing tools based on the requirements in different parts of the world (Ratcliff, 2017). Since they are bigger brand names hence they do not have to spend large amount of money on marketing activities still they are taking use of the digital marketing mediums for maintaining their buzz in the society. 

Strengths

• They focus more on the highlighting their brand name in their digital marketing strategy which works in their favor. It helps in attracting more numbers of customers towards their marketing.
• Company also designs its digital marketing campaign in such a manner that they can reach to largest possible customer at the same time like taking use of social media and YouTube rather than focusing on the localized marketing.
• Instead of using brand ambassadors they rather focus on the people’s experience. They showcase experience shared by their product users on different online platforms (Phan, Thomas & Heine, 2011). This helps them in increasing the trust in the minds of potential consumers.

Weaknesses

• Like their other competitors they are not into rigorous marketing campaigns. This might take some of their potential customers towards their competitor’s product who are investing on marketing.
• They do not design their internet marketing campaign according to the local or national interests rather they focus on mass marketing which aims to target people from all across the globe at once.
• They have been poor in managing an effective team of people that could help them in making better digital marketing campaign based on the data. They have been poor in making changes in their marketing campaign according to the people’s choice as their focus still remains on presenting their plus points (Jain, Ahuja & Medury, 2012). 

Checking the weaknesses of the company’s digital marketing strategy, there are certain things that can be recommended. Most importantly company should focus on the data that they have collected through different mediums so as to increase the attractiveness of their marketing campaign. They should also look for localized marketing which must show how their products can be beneficial in that particular country. Company should also improve their digital marketing team and should use more platforms such as SEO marketing so as to increase the brand visibility (Panchout, 2013). It is also recommended that their company’s future plans are displayed in their content marketing so that potential consumers can get attracted by their marketing campaign. Company should also increase their stretch of marketing in then developing nation as their strategies related to digital marketing are more focused towards developed markets.

Conclusion 

From the above report it can be concluded that BMW being a big automobile manufacturers manages their digital marketing in an appropriate manner. Company has targeted people that are having higher incomes and the people that are living luxurious life style. For this they have positioned themselves as the car company that produces luxurious cars at higher cost. They are using digital marketing tools such as content marketing, Social media marketing and you-tube marketing as their primary tools for marketing. Strength of their marketing is that it is very low cost and focuses more on their brand name. On the other hand its weakness is its weak digital marketing campaigns as compared to competitors. 

References

Berman, S. J. (2012). Digital transformation: opportunities to create new business models. Strategy & Leadership, 40(2), 16-24.

De Vries, L., Gensler, S., & Leeflang, P. S. (2012). Popularity of brand posts on brand fan pages: An investigation of the effects of social media marketing. Journal of interactive marketing, 26(2), 83-91.

Hirt, M., & Willmott, P. (2014). Strategic principles for competing in the digital age. McKinsey Quarterly, 5(1).

Holliman, G., & Rowley, J. (2014). Business to business digital content marketing: marketers’ perceptions of best practice. Journal of research in interactive marketing, 8(4), 269-293.

Jain, N., Ahuja, V., & Medury, Y. (2012). Internet marketing and consumers online: Identification of website attributes catering to specific consumer intents in a digital paradigm. International Journal of Online Marketing (IJOM), 2(3), 70-82.

Kim, A. J., & Ko, E. (2012). Do social media marketing activities enhance customer equity? An empirical study of luxury fashion brand. Journal of Business Research, 65(10), 1480-1486.

Kingsnorth, S. (2016). Digital marketing strategy: an integrated approach to online marketing. Kogan Page Publishers.

Necsulescu, N. (2015). Multi-channel attribution and its role in marketing investment. Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, 3(2), 125-134.

Newsfeed apps, (2017) BMW 5 Series Social Media Campaign on Facebook: Book a test drive from the newsfeed!. Retrieved from: https://www.newsfeedsmartapps.com/blog/tag/bmw-digital-marketing/

Panchout, K. (2013). Global Luxury Trends. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Phan, M., Thomas, R., & Heine, K. (2011). Social media and luxury brand management: The case of Burberry. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 2(4), 213-222.

Piñeiro-Otero, T., & Martínez-Rolán, X. (2018). Management and Technological Challenges in the Digital Age. Florida: CRC Press.

Ratcliff, C. (2017) BMW Moves Digital Transformation Into The Fast Lane. Retrieved from: https://www.cmo.com/interviews/articles/2017/7/17/bmws-feurer-moves-digital-transformation-into-the-fast-lane.html#gs.txsVyhg

Tiago, M. T. & Verissimo, J. M. C. (2014). Digital marketing and social media: Why bother?. Business Horizons, 57(6), 703-708.

Urban, G. L., Gosline, R., & Lee, J. (2017). The Power of Consumer Stories in Digital Marketing. MIT Sloan Management Review, 58(4).

Wertime, K., & Fenwick, I. (2011). DigiMarketing: The essential guide to new media and digital marketing. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.