1. Anna Forbes – 11/06/2009
Marketing Project – Increase the percentage of females purchasing
BMW’s; through the launch of a New Model: BMW 1 Series Hatchback
Aim:
To increase the percentage of BMW buyers who are female. In 2004 only
20% of BMW purchases were from women compared to Mercedes who had a
25% female share and Audi a 23% share. Therefore, BMW decided to
introduce a smaller vehicle called the BMW 1 Series 5 Door Hatchback with
the aim of attracting more female buyers to the BMW brand. The intention
was to increase the percentage of female BMW buyers towards the survey
average of 37% (for all manufacturers) but also to surpass the direct
competition e.g. Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
Marketing conducted to achieve the aim:
• Flyer, posters and banners for Fashion Fringe event in London on
22/09/2004 (see enclosed)
• Posters, handouts and a PowerPoint presentation for the Female only
Focus Groups on BMW 1 Series in London, September 2004
• Website design and copy for the New BMW 1 Series Hatchback
• NCBS Executive Summary for Internal use only within the dealer
network to create awareness to sales people (see enclosed)
• Internal marketing (both print and online) to dealerships offering
courses for the sales team specifically designed at selling to women.
This involved designing creative copy and print materials for reference
Strengths exemplified through this activity:
• In order to create the flyers, posters and banners for the Fashion
Fringe event I utilised my excellent copy writing and proofreading skills
whilst maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
• This project illustrates my ability to co-ordinate focus groups in order to
meet outcome-based targets e.g. increasing the percentage of BMW
vehicles purchased by women. In addition to this I also utilised the
BMW customer relationship management systems to co-ordinate
groups of current female BMW drivers and also female drivers who had
purchased another premium brand in the last three years
• My excellent IT skills in website design and maintenance are
exemplified by the copy and design I produced for the BMW website.
The content had to be carefully designed and considered in order to
attract a female audience.
• With regard to the Internal Marketing I was the main point of contact for
collecting, collating and editing materials for the website and newsletter
• Furthermore I engaged with all people both internal and external to the
business on a professional level whilst working effectively as a team to
ensure that each project was completed efficiently and effectively.
Outcome:
In 2005 the percentage share of women purchasing a BMW had increased
from 20% to 23.4%, which was significant growth over the year. This meant
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2. Anna Forbes – 11/06/2009
that BMW had overtaken all of the direct competition expect Mercedes-Benz
who had still maintained a 25% share in female purchasers.
Other examples of marketing material I have produced at university or in
the workplace:
University
1. Marketing Communications Project (please refer to enclosed report and
examples of poster / leaflet copy, design and print).
Marketing Topic:
The marketing communications campaign was for a solar water heating
company – ‘Sussex Solar Heating’. The company was a new entrant into the
market and thus the communication campaign served the purpose of not only
creating awareness of solar as a non-renewable energy source, but also
introducing the company to the target market. The company offered solar
powered water heating solutions for domestic properties.
Marketing material I produced:
A two-format poster campaign and an informative leaflet inserted within the
Saga Magazine were produced containing a message strategy in the form of
an emotive appeal. Furthermore the campaign included a 30-second local
radio advertisement as another communication tool (media buying).
Aim of the marketing material:
To create awareness about the detrimental effects of climate change and
thus, to stimulate the purchase of the company’s solar heating products.
2. E-Commerce: Applications and Techniques Project (please refer to
enclosed report and examples of website design and copy on web pages).
Marketing Topic:
The proposition was to provide a bi-functional website – which I created and
called ‘School Wardrobe’ - offering an integrated and comprehensive solution
to suppliers, buyers and end-users of school wear.
Marketing material I produced:
A website that had a facility serving two separate purposes (see aim) and also
a leaflet which was distributed within the start-and-end of term school
newsletters. In addition to this an advertisement was created within school
prospectuses.
Aim of the marketing material:
Firstly, ‘School Wardrobe’ offered an online facility for school clients and the
parents / end-users, to purchase school uniform – be it for school shop-
stocking or personal wear respectively. Secondly, the website was intended to
attract potential, new school clients through the promotion of production
facilities and service offering.
Leaflets and the advertisement within school prospectuses was intended to
make potential and existing parents and pupils at schools aware of the online
uniform purchasing facility.
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3. Anna Forbes – 11/06/2009
Workplace – Market Research Assistant at BMW (UK) Ltd
1. Fashion Fringe Event in London on 22/09/2004 (please refer to enclosed
booklet for example of copy, design and print marketing material)
Marketing Event:
Fashion Fringe is an event with the purpose of identifying new talent in
fashion design, and then sustaining it until it is strong enough to stand on its
own feet. The fashion fringe winner receives £100,000 worth of support
towards their designs. BMW had agreed to support Fashion Fringe by having
a 1 Series BMW on static display within the area of the event at Selfridges
Car Park in London.
Marketing material I produced:
I was responsible for the marketing material at the event, which involved
producing inserts for the Fashion Fringe booklet for each person attending the
event (see enclosed booklet). Furthermore, I assisted with the creation of
banners surrounding the static vehicle and promotional flyers to handout
during the event offering test-drives in the latest BMW 1 Series.
Aim of the marketing material:
The booklet involved creating copy that was intended to support the event but
also create awareness of BMW and its products and services. In addition to
this the banners and flyers were intended to offer test-drives to potential BMW
buyers thus intending to persuade the audience to purchase a BMW.
2. MINI and BMW Focus Groups in London on 07/10/2004 (example of
marketing copy).
Marketing Event:
MINI and BMW product Focus Groups were arranged in London with
participants being the owners of non-BMW / MINI branded vehicles but
owning those of the direct competition.
Marketing material I produced:
I created presentation material, in the form of handouts and PowerPoint
slides, containing directly comparative information between the cars that the
participants owned and the nearest equivalent BMW or MINI product.
Aim of the marketing material:
The presentation material was intended to evoke a response from the
participants of the focus group. By providing them with directly comparative
information often showing BMW / MINI in a more superior light the result was
to persuade the members of the group to respond by changing vehicle next
time for a BMW. At the worst case the objective was for them to change their
viewpoint of the brands and thus selling to others through word-of-mouth e.g.
they may tell a friend, colleague or family member how impressed they were
with BMW / MINI and thus another person may purchase the product.
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4. Anna Forbes – 11/06/2009
3. ‘Product Action Forecast’ which I later renamed ‘Competitor
Intelligence Microsite’ (example of marketing copy and design).
Marketing Website:
The ‘Product Action Forecast’ later renamed ‘Competitor Intelligence
Microsite’ is an Info Net site containing information about BMW and its
competitors.
Marketing material I produced:
I jointly founded, managed and coordinated the updating and maintenance of
the site. This included designing the layout and content for the photographs
and copywriting.
Aim of the marketing material:
The Info Net site was intended to offer information on BMW product compared
to competitor product. This was in the form of photographs of current and
future products, illustrating the differences in design features. In addition to
this the site offered specific pricing, performance data and information
regarding standard and cost-optional extras. The objective was to market
BMWs products in the most efficient and effective manner. The end use of the
site was intended for BMW Salespeople to show to customers how a BMW 3
Series Saloon may for example have a quicker 0-60mph speed or more
standard equipment than a Mercedes C-Class Saloon. Thus the aim of the
site was to inform the sales person to enable them to persuade the customer
to purchase a BMW over the competition. In conclusion, the focus here was
on getting across the perfect message with the perfect words so that BMW
would ultimately sell more cars and make more profit.
4. Competitor Launch Calendar / Driving Days (example of marketing copy
in the form of printed material).
Marketing Material:
This was a hardcopy version of part of the Competitor Intelligence Microsite
that was published in a word document illustrating competitor and BMW
products that were due to be launch in the next three months. This was
produced on a quarterly basis and sent to the dealer network. Furthermore it
was utilised for public driving events at Rockingham where for example we
would offer the customer the opportunity to test drive four similar cars from
different manufacturers due to be launch shortly. They would drive the
vehicles back-to-back to allow them to compare the products directly.
Marketing material I produced:
I created a formal word document detailing the launch dates for the
forthcoming three months of all BMW product and its direct competitors, which
involved being creative in producing exciting copy and design material.
Aim of the marketing material:
The purpose of the marketing material was to enforce the positive attributes of
BMWs over the competition (e.g. performance data, pricing etc.) and hopefully
persuade the customer to purchase a BMW for their next car.
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5. Anna Forbes – 11/06/2009
5. Key Product Information (KPI) Screensaver (example of copywriting and
design for a computer screensaver).
Marketing Screensaver:
The Key Product Information (KPI) Screensaver is a marketing tool utilised
across BMWs employee’s computers providing them with information that
they could pass onto the dealer network and thus the end user.
Marketing material I produced:
A 10 paged screensaver, with copy and pictures, that was updated daily
containing information on BMWs position within the current marketplace and
where the products / services BMW offered were selling better or of higher
quality / lower price than the competition.
Aim of the marketing material:
The objective was to create a user-friendly screensaver that involved little
interaction from the end user but was highly effective in creating awareness of
BMW current position within its marketplace. Thus the screensaver enabled
the information to be effectively and efficiently passed on to potential and
current customers to create sales and maintain a database of repeat sales.
6. BMW Brochures and Price Lists (example of print management, copy
and design).
Marketing Brochures:
Product brochures and price lists are utilised by the dealer network to assist
them in selling vehicles by providing the customer with a detailed booklet
containing information about technical data, pricing, optional extras etc.
Marketing material I produced:
Assisted in the production of brochures and price lists which involved not only
supporting the product manager with the print material for the hard copy
brochures but also the digital print material on the Info Net and Internet.
Aim of the marketing material:
To create an easy to follow manual for the customer allowing them to chose
the most appropriate vehicle specification for their needs and additional
options they may require with full pricing (both in the form of a hardcopy
brochure and online). Thus the marketing material was intended to assist the
salesperson in providing the customer with as much user-friendly information
as possible to persuade them to purchase a BMW.
6. Other examples of marketing material:
1. Playing cards advertising product features (please refer to enclosed pack)
2. Flyers for dealership showrooms advertising product features and benefits
3. Executive Summaries for New Car Buyers Survey illustrating BMW’s
performance in comparison to the whole UK car industry
4. AG Marketing Report (same as above but for the whole world car industry)
5. Content for promotional DVD’s on new product launches (see enclosed)
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6. Anna Forbes – 11/06/2009
5. Key Product Information (KPI) Screensaver (example of copywriting and
design for a computer screensaver).
Marketing Screensaver:
The Key Product Information (KPI) Screensaver is a marketing tool utilised
across BMWs employee’s computers providing them with information that
they could pass onto the dealer network and thus the end user.
Marketing material I produced:
A 10 paged screensaver, with copy and pictures, that was updated daily
containing information on BMWs position within the current marketplace and
where the products / services BMW offered were selling better or of higher
quality / lower price than the competition.
Aim of the marketing material:
The objective was to create a user-friendly screensaver that involved little
interaction from the end user but was highly effective in creating awareness of
BMW current position within its marketplace. Thus the screensaver enabled
the information to be effectively and efficiently passed on to potential and
current customers to create sales and maintain a database of repeat sales.
6. BMW Brochures and Price Lists (example of print management, copy
and design).
Marketing Brochures:
Product brochures and price lists are utilised by the dealer network to assist
them in selling vehicles by providing the customer with a detailed booklet
containing information about technical data, pricing, optional extras etc.
Marketing material I produced:
Assisted in the production of brochures and price lists which involved not only
supporting the product manager with the print material for the hard copy
brochures but also the digital print material on the Info Net and Internet.
Aim of the marketing material:
To create an easy to follow manual for the customer allowing them to chose
the most appropriate vehicle specification for their needs and additional
options they may require with full pricing (both in the form of a hardcopy
brochure and online). Thus the marketing material was intended to assist the
salesperson in providing the customer with as much user-friendly information
as possible to persuade them to purchase a BMW.
6. Other examples of marketing material:
1. Playing cards advertising product features (please refer to enclosed pack)
2. Flyers for dealership showrooms advertising product features and benefits
3. Executive Summaries for New Car Buyers Survey illustrating BMW’s
performance in comparison to the whole UK car industry
4. AG Marketing Report (same as above but for the whole world car industry)
5. Content for promotional DVD’s on new product launches (see enclosed)
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