BMW Harvard Case Studies
1. What is the strategic significance of the BMW Z3 launch?
Firstly, the launch of the BMW Z3 is significant for the company as it helped the company inch closer towards their long term goal in becoming a global brand. Prior to the introduction of BMW Z3, the most common mindset of the general public about BMW is that the superior quality of their products are due to the fact that it was made in Germany. With the Z3 manufactured in Spartanburg USA, BMW can show that they can be a successful global company by manufacturing at strategic locations even when it’s not in Bavaria. Furthermore, this launch had helped people to associate the quality of BMW’s product to the company itself rather than its manufacturing location.
Secondly, the launch of Z3 further supported BMW’s effort to reposition their brand from “Yuppie Status Symbol” to their much preferred “Ultimate Driving Machine”. As shown by the BMW Unit Sales History, this campaign was successful in helping BMW increase their unit sales in the U.S. and Worldwide by 10.7 thousands and 16.2 thousands respectively in a year. This is significant as the Z3 helped generate dealer traffic while stimulating interest in other BMW product line.
Lastly, the production of the Z3 model also satisfied the needs of a certain segment in the market while simultaneously enabling them to become the pioneer of the modern roadster category by releasing it before their such as Porsche and Mercedes. The Z3 appealed to the Generation-Xers as it gives them a sense of uniqueness, it appealed the Gen-40s as the Z3 materialized their roadster car they’ve been dreaming of all their lives and lastly, the Z3 reminded the Baby Boomer of the roadsters of yesteryear.
2. How would you measure the overall performance of the launch?
In my opinion, one way to measure the overall performance of the launch is by simply comparing the projected unit sales against the actual unit sales. However, another way of measuring Z3’s launch performance is by
Firstly, the launch of the BMW Z3 is significant for the company as it helped the company inch closer towards their long term goal in becoming a global brand. Prior to the introduction of BMW Z3, the most common mindset of the general public about BMW is that the superior quality of their products are due to the fact that it was made in Germany. With the Z3 manufactured in Spartanburg USA, BMW can show that they can be a successful global company by manufacturing at strategic locations even when it’s not in Bavaria. Furthermore, this launch had helped people to associate the quality of BMW’s product to the company itself rather than its manufacturing location.
Secondly, the launch of Z3 further supported BMW’s effort to reposition their brand from “Yuppie Status Symbol” to their much preferred “Ultimate Driving Machine”. As shown by the BMW Unit Sales History, this campaign was successful in helping BMW increase their unit sales in the U.S. and Worldwide by 10.7 thousands and 16.2 thousands respectively in a year. This is significant as the Z3 helped generate dealer traffic while stimulating interest in other BMW product line.
Lastly, the production of the Z3 model also satisfied the needs of a certain segment in the market while simultaneously enabling them to become the pioneer of the modern roadster category by releasing it before their such as Porsche and Mercedes. The Z3 appealed to the Generation-Xers as it gives them a sense of uniqueness, it appealed the Gen-40s as the Z3 materialized their roadster car they’ve been dreaming of all their lives and lastly, the Z3 reminded the Baby Boomer of the roadsters of yesteryear.
2. How would you measure the overall performance of the launch?
In my opinion, one way to measure the overall performance of the launch is by simply comparing the projected unit sales against the actual unit sales. However, another way of measuring Z3’s launch performance is by