Harvard Business Review Case Analysis essay

In making this decision, many factors have to be taken into consideration. One is whether a traditional or nontraditional approach is needed. Another is making sure that the decision builds or at least compliments the BMW brand positioning; and also the aspect of competitor reaction and tactics must be taken into consideration so that BMW can take advantage of any open marketing tactic opportunities or learn from the mistakes of their competitors. Taking these factors Into consideration, McDowell presents four deferent options to think through and come to a decision as to what would be best for the BMW Company.
These four options were: 1) to “milk” the existing films and try to Insert hem into different media vehicles to reach a broader audience 2) film additional short films based on Clive Owen (main character of the series) because loved the films and spoke out for more 3) develop a full feature-length movie based on the series to show In theatres all around North America; give people a full beginning to end story 4) do nothing and focus their time and resources on coming up with the next big successful marketing campaign.
After analyzing the case and taking all these decision factors into consideration, my personal recommendation would be to milk the existing five films by making them available to a wider audience” and also “do nothing I. E. Simply move on to the next thing”. Problem Statement What specific traditional or nontraditional marketing actions should BMW implement to follow up Its short film series so that they retain and build positioned brand image? Recommendations The short films were a huge success and hit among audiences that viewed it. But the number of people that actually viewed it had much more potential.

Therefore to reach this potential BMW should push the short film series through deferent channels to reach a wider more broad audience. These different channels Include, but are not limited to, theatres by showing them during trailers or before feature presentations, Industry related magazine Inserts, and online advertisements clips with links to the website where the viewers can see the entire series of films. The film series was a great move for BMW marketing efforts and showed to be very effective for them, but it would be foolish of them to only settle for a part of the potential effect the series had. ND not strive to “milk” It for all its worth. My recommendation 1 OFF mini films or a full length feature film. As discussed in the case study, “repeat references were rarely as compelling as premiere performances. ” It would not be beneficial for BMW to waste valuable time and resources on a tactic that has already been utilized to its fullest, when it could be putting those resources to better use through the development of new / different marketing tactics.
BMW needs to focus its marketing sights on innovating the next big traditional or nontraditional campaign to better reach and communicate with its audiences and through that see increasing returns. Appendix A Porters 5 Forces Buyer Power (medium/high) * Low costs of switching among automotive brands for consumers * Dealers give ells to keep the industry moving during slow times * Consumers have the money and bargain to get the best deal for their money Supplier Power (low) * Still a good ratio of consumers to producers; in favor of producers * Supplier refers to auto parts suppliers (tires, electronic parts, etc. ; manufacturers hold high power over suppliers because they tend to be their most influential customers * If a supplier loses an automobile manufacturer client, it can be devastating; so they have to be more flexible and compliant with their demands Barriers to Entry (high) * High cost of capital to start manufacturing High level management and technology skills required * Difficulty of creating brand equity which is a high necessity in this industry Industry is highly government regulated Degree of Rivalry (high) * High fixed costs for manufacturers low switching costs for consumers * High on a U.
S. Domestic scale & in other global markets * Companies compete to stay on top of technology and innovation * Compete in price battles & also financing and rebate battles too Threat of Substitute * The higher the cost of a automotive vehicle, the more likely consumers are to find alternative transportation * Manufacturers produce similar vehicle models High fixed costs for manufacturers low switching costs for consumers * Globally, commodities such as automobiles are not as necessary as they have become in the U. S.