Malaysian Media Awards Winners Showcase





2011 | |

BMW 5 Series Seeks SME Success

Advertiser: BMW 5-series
Brand: BMW
Creative Agency: Naga DDB
Credits: Fan Chen Yip (General Manager), Milla Sheridan (Media Director), Jenny Au (Media Director), Vivian Tah (Account Manager), Melody Marie Arputham (Senior Media Planner), Nancy Kan (Media Buyer)

Challenge
BMW has limited success in penetrating the Small Medium Enterprise business owners’ segment because Mercedes’s perception as THE car for them is too well-established. Conventional advertising from BMW won’t suffice. We need to create our own emotional connection with this segment.

Solutions
Insights: “Respect”, “Recognition” and “FACE” are extremely important for this segment, but they are never acknowledged by the major English media. When The Star announced their first-ever “Star Outstanding Business Awards” (SOBA) honouring Malaysia’s best SME, we knew this is THE Perfect Sponsorship. We approached The Star to create an “official” SOBA car exclusively for BMW and leverage on Star’s many properties to position BMW, thru SOBA, as THE car for the successful SME businessman.

Execution
6-month visibility in The Star; BMW logos, mentions and ads in all SOBA editorials in Star newspaper, www.thestar.com.my , RedFM and 98.8FM, Star Online TV and ShangHai magazine. BMW 5 series become one of the main highlights at the SOBA Black Tie event; selected guests and awards recipients are actually chauffeured in the new 5 BMW to a grand entrance, and BMWs are proudly displayed at the event venue as the main showpiece.

Result
600% Media ROI value but the real priceless value was up-close exposure to almost 1,000 SME business leaders and VIPs at the event. The database collected resulted in serious leads and test drives appointments, helping BMW to record best sales ever in 2010! Client also signed to 2011 SOBA Edition.