Only 99 BMW owners were needed over nine days. It seemed a pretty simple ask: test drive a BMW on the performance track and voice opinions directly to BMW engineers. The only catch was that every participant scheduled for this focus group had to show up. BMW was putting on quite a show, and did not want one empty chair. That was non-negotiable.
The marketing challenge was to create an air-tight campaign in which every participant had the date and time of the event seared into their brains, were more eager for this event than Christmas morning when they were eight years old, and understood all of the rules, regulations, and procedures involved.
Like fine German engineering, this was going to be all about the details.
Reception • Result • Reviews
99 guests booked. 99 guests attended. 99 amazing experiences. No speed bumps here.
“Extraordinary! The entire event was flawless, and went off without a hitch!”
Kristen McKillips
Design, BMW of North America
For the campaign to be effective, it had to be detailed, organized, and monitored, with scheduled followup. And, it had to be absolutely frictionless for the participants.
The design of all of the collateral and communication had to be consistent, memorable, and had to grab attention and stand out in the participant’s mailbox and email inbox.
A month before the event, targeted emails were sent to 300 BMW-owning invitees, directing them to a website where they could read details of the event and register.
The writing had to provide clear, simple, and direct explanations of the registration process and the event itself to achieve clarity and avoid any confusion or misunderstanding.
The participant needed to feel that they were in a unique position in receiving this invitation. By crafting the campaign to allow the participant to feel elevated and important for being selected, they would, in turn, feel more obligated and be more likely to attend.
Those who registered online received a confirmation email the day after registration, and a reminder email two weeks before their appointment date.
The printed invitation and admission ticket were personalized to each attendee, packaged in a black duvet, and enclosed in a white envelope that was hand addressed and carried a live stamp.
