BMW Takes Advantage of Direct Mail to Reach Luxury Market
BMW is no stranger to using new technology to reach luxury-minded customers. The brand's targeted internet ads, email campaigns, and full-featured website join carefully crafted television and radio spots to reach their coveted demographic segments. Recently, BMW has added an older method to the mix, rolling out a series of glossy photograph-emblazoned direct mail postcards to reach out to customers at home. Made of a nearly indestructible material for longevity, these postcards cut through the usual marketing clutter to catch potential customers in a quiet, personal moment.
Television and radio programs are considered entertainment, and viewers and listeners instinctively use the downtime when advertisements air to finish small errands or turn their attention elsewhere so as not to miss parts of their shows. In a similar vein, side bar internet advertising fades into the background, and spam filters keep many marketing messages from reaching the end consumer in a meaningful way.
Direct mail postcards like BMW's, on the other hand, enter into consumer consciousness and reinforce other advertising endeavors through a tangible object, not only making a standalone impression but strengthening the message of brushed-off spots in other mediums.
In an article by Luxury Daily, Courtney Albert, management consultant at Parker Avery Group, Atlanta, shared her thoughts regarding the strategy behind the campaign. Here are a couple of our favorite quotes from that article:
“The printed mailer can be used at a localized level to push traffic into specific dealerships versus to the general BWM Web site or relying on the consumer to look up the nearest location.”
“In most cases, a consumer has to interact with a promotion or campaign more than once and in different channels for the message to truly sink in."
BMW uses both sides of their postcards to highlight different aspects of their BMW 3 Series models, another benefit direct mail offers to advertisers. The scope of what an ad contains is generally limited to a single theme for the sake of cohesion; double sided postcards are able to present two very different feature sets in one imprint. Through photographic collages, marketing copy, and personalized calls to action that drive customers to a local dealership, BMW's postcard campaign is a study in efficiency and targeted advertisement.
Even for a luxury brand like BMW, leading the pack in customer interest is challenging. Reaching out to customers through direct mail postcard campaigns is an excellent example of their versatile approach to communicating the features of their BMW 3 Series. A stealth reminder of the beauty and grace of their product, BMW's durable direct mail postcards win consumers over with glances from unexpected places, even days after they first arrive. It's little wonder that BMW continues to pave the way for luxury vehicle advertising, thanks to their well-planned direct mail marketing campaigns.
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