BMW Brand Audit (ePub)

Scientific Study from the year 2004 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: A, Hawai'i Pacific University (HPU), course: Brand Management MBA class, language: English, abstract: A survey was conducted to analyse the brand BMW and the companies branding strategy. The survez indicated the following: Since the functional luxury market's traditional male domination is lessening, the target market for BMW consists of both genders. Citizenship or ethnicity is unimportant. As an exporter, BMW goal is to appeal to all people regardless of ethnicity. BMW believes the positive associations (country of origin) for their brand assist them in their export markets. The survey results indicate that the BMW message is reaching their target market. Of the survey respondents, more then two thirds recalled BMW as a luxury car, nearly all recalled BMW as a foreign car, and all respondents recognized the BMW name.

BMW produces models targeting the singles market as well as models for families. The survey data indicates the attributes relating to associations with the singles market to be far weaker then those focused on the family market. BMW realizes that their target market's financial status requires them to focus on a more educated customer, one that has completed college, and survey results confirm their success. The price segmentation BMW chooses limits its target market to individuals at higher levels of income. The market segmentation requires income levels corresponding to educated individuals and professionals. Professions of survey participants included managers and other professional's BMW targets.

The survey also indicated respondents not targeted by BMW are interested their products. This is a result of BMW's association as a status symbol. Our survey resulted in a score of 4.1 and 4.6 (5 maximum possible) when participants were asked to indicate agreement with the words 'prestigious car' and 'status symbol', respectively. Some of those not targeted yet interested in BMW could move into the target market through graduation from college or increasing levels of corporate responsibility.