Great read in the Sept issue of Automobile magazine on how BMW went about building a brand idenity of the new mini....one of the best brand positioning of any new product I've ever read....fascinating article of how BMW wanted to create a cult idenity to start by holding back production, create waiting lists and using two years of very creative tease marketing with very little advertising except through the media and internet before actual launch.

Mini's Rules for making an Icon
1. A defining, signature look
2. Ability to elicit a strong physical or emotional response
3. Ability to transcend and take on attributes from outside the catagory
4. Move people beyond mere acceptance and loyalty to outright devotion
5. Own a unique benefit and position within a catagory or redefine a catagory
6. Ability to connect with and reflect the lifestlyes and/or values of users

I think they have done an incredible job, I still have my mini t-shirt framed with the number 00007 they gave me when I picked up my car (couldn't pass it along to the buyer when I sold it, laugh) which had a car cover on it on the sales floor, with mints on the seat, with a new mini pen to sign the purchase agreement.....to the journal, etc I received weeks later... ...quite a contrast to the brand or lack thereof the Nissan dealers are trying to build with the new Z....

BTW....my favorite was BMW driving Ford Excursions around Manhatten with a mini on the roof ...anyway great read on brand building...cheers

 

NICE!! Very nice!

I know i've been waiting over 2 years for this car to come out -- and am so beside myself that my production date is Friday!!!

 

So, Nolan, do you think BMW succeeded far beyond their wildest dreams? It seems that they have created a whole new category of car...hope all the rumours of additional models, e.g. roadster, all-wheel drive & pick-up truck (sign me for that right NOW ) are true.

Cheers!
Clover

 

a

 

wessieball wrote:

>>Wow, a MINI truck might be kinda cool. I tell you...it's the downsizing of America happening right now (in all aspects) and I think it's great! Smaller cars, gadgets, ...oh yeah...and unfortunately, salaries

 

According to the article...both a convertible and a woody wagon have been given the go ahead for future production by mini....no actual dates were given..

Also...same magazine issue...article on the new Porsche SUV which they totally trashed.....a 165mph SUV they said was a joke and the looks they said were atrocious....their coment was "why come to the dance late with SUV's already coming down from the crest...they reported some SUV's coming off lease with lessee's losing up to 6K because of poor resales.....maybe the revolution has begun, laugh!

 

Nolan,
I've read the article now twice..... (wanted to make sure I didn't miss it).
I couldn't find anything in there about them creating buzz by holding back production and creating waiting lists..... The only thing along these lines (that I noticed) were "BMW/MINI is even trying to make the wait fun" it goes on to mention the Unauthorized Owners Manual. I do however see examples of the various marketing tactics...... My fav. is the MINI watching a football game!!!

Just wanted to see if you would quote this.....
Everything else was right on.
I'm not trying to give you a hard time...... I just can't believe that they would do/say that! Please point it out.... I can't find it and want to see it for myself.

One thing in the article that caught me...... they started with only 30 MINIUSA employees. Obviously with the help of "big daddy" BMW they pulled it off. 30 people got this all together and made the MINI something special (for the US market). Also noted was that these 30 people were just like you and I. Enthusiasts!

Very cool article!
SW


PS. I agree..... that Porsche SUV.....

 

A quote on new models....
"There is no predicting what the future holds for the MINI, of course, It looks good, though. A MINI convertible arrives soon, and a wagonette has been approved."

SW

 

Sorry, but I have to laugh when I hear about people who were waiting 3 years, and they still don't have their new MINI. Why? Because although I do remember reading something about the MINI y-e-a-r-s ago, i filed it away in the very dark recesses of my mind. It wasn't untill i was fed up with paying for repairs for my current car (it's 12 years old now...) that I decided to buy a new car. I was looking at the yahoo listing of auto mfgs. and, even I thought it was a joke to click on (like when i clicked on TVR), i clicked on MINI... (and this is right when they came out)... Unlike most people who seem to be buying a MINI, I really didn't know about the new MINI untill it came out... (i've always thought the classic mini was darn cool...)...

but there really has not been much marketing push out here in WNY... Towne MINI has some horrible looking small adds in the back of some newspapers, (the only one that i've seen with any degree of regularity, is the free art/club newspaper from buffalo), but other than that, unless you were looking in the right place, you probally have no idea about the whole MINI thing...

Rocketboy_X

 

>>NICE!! Very nice!
>>
>>I know i've been waiting over 2 years for this car to come out -- and am so beside myself that my production date is Friday!!!
>>
>>
>>

Gidget, call MINIUSA. All production dates are given out as Fridays. Your MINI is probably already finished.

 

>>but there really has not been much marketing push out here in WNY... (sic) but other than that, unless you were looking in the right place, you probally have no idea about the whole MINI thing...
>>
>>Rocketboy_X
=============
Last year there was a poster of a dark silver/black mini cooper on the opposite side of a movie poster at the bus stop (plexiglass wait area) in Bayonne, NJ. I thought the car was exceptional ("wow,

Otherwise, I've seen no commercials (not even on the Speed Channel where BMW (and Subaru) commercials are a mainstay) . I suppose with the sales they've had, they don't really need commercials.

 

greatgro,

Take 78 East (local) until you get near the on-ramp for Hillside/Irvington (the exit is in the 50's). Then you have to try to look up. There is an overpass near the Hillside / Irvington exit. It's near the overpass. There is a Douglass Ford or Volkswagen billboard on the westbound side opposite it. If you go pass the overpass, you've missed it.

BTW: I'm waiting on a Dark Silver/Black MCS with Lapis Blue leather too
great minds think alike (hee hee)

--minimojo

 

>>However, on Route 78 Local in NJ (eastbound), there is a billboard featuring the red/white boxing glove and the red/white MINI Cooper. It's in the Hillside/Irvington area. Now THAT got my attention.
>>

Is that one still there? Never saw it. I'm out further west off Route 78 in Union County, but I travel on that section of 78 now and then...

 

Sfiveten wrote:

>>A quote on new models....
>>"There is no predicting what the future holds for the MINI, of course, It looks good, though. A MINI convertible arrives soon, and a wagonette has been approved."
>>
>>SW

 

If they come out with official approval of an AWD MINI then I will just wait till that comes out and get one then. As long as they give enough of a HP boost to off set the extra weight of the AWD.

Before the MINI came out I was going for the WRX but if they make an AWD MINI i won't even know what an WRX is anymore.

Bah screw Porsche I have lost so much respect for them because of the Cheyenne.

 

::wagonette::?

maybe they are going to do it ...el camino style

I hope they don't get any inspiration from "the BRAT"

 

>>>>but there really has not been much marketing push out here in WNY... (sic) but other than that, unless you were looking in the right place, you probally have no idea about the whole MINI thing...


Ok, I have to ask, why are you (sic)ing out WNY? Oh wait, you mean *clip* not (sic)...

Rocketboy_X

 

Gidget wrote:

>>::wagonette::?
>>
>>maybe they are going to do it ...el camino style "The Brat!" LOL!

 

>>>>>>but there really has not been much marketing push out here in WNY... (sic) but other than that, unless you were looking in the right place, you probally have no idea about the whole MINI thing...
>>
>>
>>Ok, I have to ask, why are you (sic)ing out WNY? Oh wait, you mean *clip* not (sic)...
>>
>>Rocketboy_X
======

Rocketboy_X,
Yes, I am "clipping" hist quote. If I'm not mistaken (and I could be), by using "(sic)" in a quote I am letting the reader know that I am not using the entire quote, that there is some text I have omitted. I was generally responding to the first/last portions of the text, so I didn't put it all in.
:smile:

By the way MINIclo, I have to agree. I saw the Porsche abomination yesterday on Motor Week. Not good. Not good at all.

Just because you can do a thing doesn't mean you should :???:

 

Soul indeed! I haven't known about the MINI too long; happened to flip through the Consumer Reports report on new cars and saw a little picture. Asked my husband, "what's that? It's cute." He didn't know, so I did a little search on the Internet and found the MiniUsa.com site. The next weekend, we made plans to go to the nearest dealer to test-drive. Fell in love. That was in late March, so I think I got lucky. Now, I'm expected to get my car in early Sept...yay!!

Incidentally, I've been looking at a replacement for my Accord for about a year - not for more than anything other than looking. Test drove the new Altima, new Maxima - both were disappointing for the prices and faux interior (on the Altima). Drove the Liberty (yes, almost considered that SUV route - but I came back from the dark-side) and decided no. Then I saw the new Turbo S Beetle at a car show and decided that was the car - figured we'd buy in the next few months. We never did test drive it. About a month later, found the MINI and there was NO question. I went to the dealer w/my deposit check in hand

 

>>If they come out with official approval of an AWD MINI then I will just wait till that comes out and get one then. As long as they give enough of a HP boost to off set the extra weight of the AWD.
>>
>>Before the MINI came out I was going for the WRX but if they make an AWD MINI i won't even know what an WRX is anymore.
>>

What's the big deal with AWD??? I mean I get it (AWD) but WHY in a MINI??? I, too, was a big fan of the WRX and I'm glad I didn't buy one last fall (I decided to wait until this summer b/c I was sort of upside down on my current car loan). Well I paid off my current car loan 6 mos early back in June and luckily had just found out about the MINI in time. Was undecided if I wanted a car so small that was "slower" than the WRX. But one test drive changed my mind!

But back to the AWD thing....why is this important in a MINI??? With it's lightweight and great cornering and FWD and traction control as well as DSC and EBD and all of that, you wouldn't even notice the AWD. Adding AWD to the MINI would just be a waste of weight and about $3-4k. I'd rather get 200hp for the extra money. At least that I would notice. AWD wouldn't do anything positive for the MINI. Don't sweat it...you already won't miss the WRX...

 

greatgro wrote:

>>>>But back to the AWD thing....why is this important in a MINI??? With it's lightweight and great cornering and FWD and traction control as well as DSC and EBD and all of that, you wouldn't even notice the AWD. Adding AWD to the MINI would just be a waste of weight and about $3-4k. I'd rather get 200hp for the extra money. At least that I would notice. AWD wouldn't do anything positive for the MINI. Don't sweat it...you already won't miss the WRX...
>>

 

>>Soul indeed! I haven't known about the MINI too long; happened to flip through the Consumer Reports report on new cars and saw a little picture. Asked my husband, "what's that? It's cute."

So... do tell.. what did Comsumer Reports say about the MINI???

Rocketboy_X

 

Nothing - it was the annual car report and the MINI was too new for anything but listing price, etc. Think it was published in Feb or March, so they didn't even have estimated mileage info or anything. They did have a little picture of it which is what got me hooked on it :smile:

 

I have always had a thing for AWD cars. I used to have a Jeep Cherokee that had the 2wd/4wd fulltime/4wd partime Hi/4wd partime low X-case option. Even with the front and rear solid axles and 30x9.50 all terrain BFG's that truck was a blast to drive on the local mountain fire roads. It could handle the same more difficult terrain that other trucks with many more modifications went across but out performed all of those heavily modified trucks on fireroad/normal roads because of its minimal modifications.

After that jeep got totalled i test drove a few AWD eclipses. I did not like the newer body styles but there was one 1994 AWD eclipse that had a slightly warmed over engine. It was probably making 225 or so hp up from the 195 stock. That car was incredibly quick and agile with plenty of off the line grunt. The guy just wanted too much money for it and I could never have afforded the insurance at the time on a car like that either.

The eclipse was about the same weight as the cooper S in FWD form so bump the power to just over 200 and add the awd to the cooper S and wholla.

Not everyones cup of tea but I think it would be neat to see in concept. I don't know if it would be economicly feasable though. Mitsibushi didn't really make any money off the AWD eclipses because they cost too much to make and were not big sellers. Thats one of the reasons they stopped making the eclipse in that form.

An AWD Cooper S would probably have the same problem.