Harvard Case: Launching the BMW Z3 Roadster
James McDowell, vice president of marketing at BMW North America, Inc. must design Phase II communication strategies for the launch of the new BMW Z3 roadster. The program follows an “out-of-the-box’ pre-launch campaign centered on the placement of the product in the November 1996 James Bond movie, Golden Eye, and including other “non-traditional” elements such as a product appearance on Jay Leno’s Tonight show, an offering of a James Bond Edition Roadster in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog, and large scale public relations activities. McDowell must assess the effectiveness of the pre-launch activities and design marketing tactics that can sustain product excitement until product availability in March.
The Z3 case provides a stimulating overview of how creative ideas can influence a new product launch. It illustrates the role of cross-promotions and movie product placements within the marketing mix, as well as their role in developing a new brand and a brand’s ‘personality’. It also shows how communications strategy and tactics have evolved beyond traditional TV advertising.
Objectives of the case:
1. To consider the power of marketing execution (e.g., product placement) versus traditional media planning strategy. How does this new marketing approach affect shifts in brand image?
2. To encourage a point-of-view regarding the role of cross-promotions and movie product placements both within the marketing mix, and as elements of new product launch activities
3. To structure thinking about a "new marketing paradigm" that does not rely on advertising, the television networks and their associated metrics as central organizing elements. Namely, to d ...