Strategy

• Test the use of community-based marketing programs against a traditional marketing mix of ads, direct mail and billboards.
• Focus on motorcycle upgrades, first-time rider acquisition, non-warranty work and specific accessory sales.
• Pilot a word-of-mouth campaign to recruit advocates, who become the nucleus of a variety of activities.

Results

• Increased motorbike sales, accessories and non-warranty maintenance work by over 40%.
• Increased traffic at dealerships on an ongoing basis; customers tried new models, scheduled maintenance and interacted with community members.
• Record high profitability and unparalleled success of new product launches.
• Customer satisfaction levels in excess of 95%.
• Performance exceeded previous traditional ROI metrics by over 50%.

ComBlu's Role

• Sponsored a series of education-oriented gatherings at evangelist homes that team new riders with BMW loyalists to teach them maintenance and riding techniques.
• Created corporate and dealer-sponsored rides bringing together evangelists, customers, prospects and the media.
• Captured detailed customer data to integrate into product design process.
• Maintained ongoing engagement through websites, newsletters, bulletin boards and user groups.
• Launched XPLOR travel service to facilitate meet-ups and trip planning worldwide.