BMW i And The Rise Of The New Green Affluents
Source: Marc Stoiber www.sustainablebrands.com
My job is creating futureproof brands for clients. I believe
those brands are built on sustainability, innovation, design,
insight and sociability.
Among these attributes, insight has a special place. Get it
right, and your brand lines up with what tomorrow's consumers
demand. Get it wrong, and you become the next Segway scooter.
I've often used BMW i, the new BMW
sub-brand as an example of great futureproof insight. More than
great cars like the BMW
i3 and BMW i8, the project is based on making mobility -
not just driving - exciting in the future.
To this end, the company founded BMW
i Ventures, a group funding entrepreneurs with
groundbreaking ideas on getting around urban areas using all
available transport - whether it's the subway, a bike or
walking.
The big insight here? With the rise of megacities, consumers
will most likely drive less. But they'll continue to search out
exciting ways of getting around. By intersecting this need with
BMW's expertise in creating exciting transport, the car
manufacturer is today cornering a market that - to many other
companies - is still invisible. It's futureproofing its brand.
A New Consumer
Speaking with BMW i Brand Manager Uwe
Dreher, I got a glimpse of another surprising insight the
carmaker is tapping into.
Dreher, who is speaking at this year's Sustainable Brands
conference, told me about research the company had conducted as
part of the new sub-brand's development process.
The team discovered a group of affluent consumers - particularly
in the San Francisco area - who were expressing their green
allegiance by driving seemingly downmarket cars.
As Dreher said, "It seemed incongruous for someone to live in a
$5 million home and drive a $35,000 Prius instead of a Porsche or
Ferrari. But that's what's happening."
Dreher conceded these green affluents were a small niche. But
BMW is betting they're a strong predicator of future luxury trends.
And the carmaker is developing BMW i to answer their need for
authentic, sustainable driving excitement.
A Brand Built From The Ground Up
When I questioned Dreher on the wisdom of launching i as a
sub-brand, he said the decision hinged on two points.
First, being arm's length from the master brand allowed the team
to engage in a complete rethink, as opposed to incrementally
changing existing BMW models. Because of this, radical innovations
like an aluminum frame and carbon fibre body were incorporated.
Second, the separation from the master brand allowed BMW i to
brand itself as an authentic departure from the status quo. This
wasn't just a tweak, but a new idea with integrity. A crucial
consideration for consumers hypersensitive to greenwash.
Lessons To Innovators
Insight, insight, insight - The BMW i project
isn't just a flight of fancy, but a business venture grounded in
the needs of consumers. What makes it exciting is that the insights
are based on consumers of tomorrow. But they are solid insights
nonetheless.
The future exists today - BMW discovered the green
affluents - even though they're just a whisper of a demographic
today. By learning how to serve this group today, the carmaker will
help build a strong brand tomorrow.
New brand, new momentum - BMW created BMW i as a
sub-brand, unencumbered by tradition. After all, you can't race
forward if the master brand won't let you go.
