[Stephen5242]

Originally Posted by antzcrashing

BMW believes they have a product so good, that even if they make the design less appealing to its base, the base will still buy it due to the brand, tech, reliability, and driving dynamics. And they will pickup younger buyers (maybe more so down the road). Time will tell if BMW made a good bet

We are no longer BMW's base. The SAV crowd is! The M3 and M4 do not financially carry the BMW operation.

[rilla]

Originally Posted by shoei

Of course they are marketing to both / all. Still have commercials of the nice suburban Caucasian family with the BMW's, don't they? It's not like they're making KITH x BMW for martha Stewart's crowd.

A lot of people seem to take this personal, like BMW / Porsche et all woke up and said - "fuck Scoale... we're only going after the preteens and those that can't afford it yet... You already answered why they're marketing to all... You said - "I have three bmw's and I can afford it now not 20 years from now..." Exactly... 20 years from now, THEY will be the majority market. They need to entice them from 20 years of age and onwards. They are the future / about to be present market. Chances are, some of us won't be around in 20 years, lol...

Cadillac. It's all I have to say. They are working feverishly to avoid that, as are most brands... This is 100% business and not personal. Some of y'all act like BMW just cheated on you... Think we got bigger concerns in the world currently besides who a vehicle manufacturing is catering their marketing too...

Do you really think BMW investors want to hear about their returns will look like 20 years from now?

[Munich S65]

Originally Posted by GP0256

I agree. They are smart enough to know this. The fact of the matter is, they do a phenomenal job attracting their current segment of car owners which throughout time, ages with their marketing plan and outgoing models. This is a normal cycle for any business.

Pony Soldier, so if you owned BMW and knew your primary audience was aging and were locked into the brand, you would not shift some of your focus to attracting and supporting the future of your business‽‽‽. Furthermore, you are abandoning BMW because of one WSJ article‽‽‽. Bye Felicia

We can thank all the Vloggers on YouTube having a channel to just buy expensive cars ha ha. BMW is a business after all — what do people expect?.. Innovate or die.

[shoei]

Originally Posted by rilla

Do you really think BMW investors want to hear about their returns will look like 20 years from now?

LOL...

[Bumpinjeep]

It looks like a win-win situation from KITH & BMWs point of view.
KITH is getting brand recognition from a automotive giant while BMW is getting people looking at their cars that normally wouldn't. We're talking kids, rich kids and poor kids and more importantly, their parents. I would imagine that BMW is thinking that if kids are telling their parents about a hip new collaboration, the parents will cross shop a X3/5 with the Lexus that they were going to look at anyway. It's a weird synergy but i'm sure it makes sense because they wouldn't be spending money on it if it didn't.
And the M3/4 is a perfect car to do it with. It's an image car.
Let's be completely honest here, from an enthusiast standpoint, a 4000 lbs. car with an automatic transmission isn't exactly something you're lusting over. It's not an M5 with 600 horsepower and an understated body.
BMW knows that enthusiasts will be looking at the G series M2 and their subsequent special editions for future sales.
So if the bulk of their sales are SAVs, they're going to try to market as the cool SAV alternative.

[Avaley]

Originally Posted by Munich S65

We can thank all the Vloggers on YouTube having a channel to just buy expensive cars ha ha. BMW is a business after all — what do people expect?.. Innovate or die.

FWIW while the Germans are behind TSLA in terms of battery and software innovation today, they are aggressively investing in electricity, fancier software and likely will have a quality/engineering edge.

I think in 5 years the Germans encroach on a lot of TSLA market share.

[Avaley]

Originally Posted by rilla

Do you really think BMW investors want to hear about their returns will look like 20 years from now?

No one can predict what happens in 20 years, BMW could be a nonexistent company, or they could be a major player in both ICE and electric vehicles.

Its up to them as the mfg to produce good products and up to us to vote with our dollars and support the best product, in our own personal opinions.

The stock also is at an interesting entry point if one were to have a contrarian thesis on the future of the auto industry, imo.

[shoei]

Originally Posted by Avaley

FWIW while the Germans are behind TSLA in terms of battery and software innovation today, they are aggressively investing in electricity, fancier software and likely will have a quality/engineering edge.

I think in 5 years the Germans encroach on a lot of TSLA market share.

Agreed. People forget that Tesla had a head start but the rest of the manufacturers have been doing this long before Elon Musk was the strongest swimming sperm...

They needed time to catch up but they all are RAPIDLY... The biggest advantage they have is experience and the infrastructure... Tesla doesn't have that type of reach... Yet...

[Bimmr7]

Originally Posted by Dog Face Pony Soldier

Seems unbelievably foolish to abandon your current customer base and brand image to focus on a different one that hasn't proved beneficial. There's an axiom in sales... The most likely place to find sales is from those who've bought from you before.

BMW sure is making it attractive to give some other company my business. 👎🏻

Why are you so triggered by this article? At some point everyone is replaceable.

[Bimmr7]

Originally Posted by Macphisto

My 2016 M2 is my current and seventh consecutive BMW. My next car will not be a BMW.

Well they got their money’s worth out of you. I’m also on my 7th and I just ordered my 8th. I’m not at all bothered by BMW trying to expand its brand.

[Avaley]

Originally Posted by Bimmr7

Why are you so triggered by this article? At some point everyone is replaceable.

Look, this is western society and we vote with our dollars.

Let him vote his way and you vote yours, we can be critical or supportive and we are luck of have great mods.

Still let us be civil and be constructive to one another because what is driving this discussion at the end of the day is our love for this brand.

[Avaley]

Originally Posted by Bimmr7

Well they got their money’s worth out of you. I’m also on my 7th and I just ordered my 8th. I’m not at all bothered by BMW trying to expand its brand.

By buying the car, you are doing DRAMATICALLY more than he is by not. I for one, also love other brands and think at the end of the day, the car will sell fine. I also am not in favor of this styling and think my view is it is what is it is and I can't wait to watch it play out.

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by Stephen5242

I wonder if he approached BMW to fix up the older M3 and through the restoration process a collaboration occurred, or, if the restoration was all part of the collaboration from the start.

The new KITH M4 is not for me but I am intrigued about the collaboration etc.

From a marketing standpoint both brands appear to getting a lot coverage from it all.

Not Kith's first collaboration. They have some very high profile brands/corporations they've worked with prior to BMW. Wouldn't surprise me if BMW sought them out. I do wonder if the restoration of his grandfather's M3 brought it about though. I at least like that part of the story.

[Darth One]

Everyone does collabs now. Ben & Jerry's has Nike Dunk sneakers that look like ice cream, and Home Depot has Supreme measuring tapes in aisle 17...BMW is just being a follower.

I agree with the person who said I don't care as long as the cars are good. Which I have my doubts about but we'll see

[shoei]

Originally Posted by Avaley

Look, this is western society and we vote with our dollars.

Let him vote his way and you vote yours, we can be critical or supportive and we are luck of have great mods.

Still let us be civil and be constructive to one another because what is driving this discussion at the end of the day is our love for this brand.

You would hope it would go that way but if the release of every new gen 3 series becomes a "3 series vs M3" debacle, that tells me we just can't be civil, even on a mutual car forum...

But I wish people understood that... E63s will come out and be better performing than the F90, it's just the way it goes... But the 2023 M5 will be faster... Xbox be PlayStation, Sephora vs Ulta, Yankees vs Red Socks, In 'N Out vs Shake Shack, you get the gist... Without evolving, companies get left behind... Blockbuster, Redbox, Blackberry... BMW is catering to a younger, different demographic and its "fuck bmw"? I don't get it, so when Lambo collab'ed with NASA, did the flat earthers replace their lambo desktop pic with a Ferrari?

Benz collaborated with Virgil Abloh... (famous designer / hypebeast type shit on same level as Kith and Supreme). Granted it was their G-Wagon but I don't remember the kardashians all trading in their fleet of G-wagons... Google it, it's all out there - car manufacturers and collaborations... Nothing anyone, let alone the investors can do about it... (the G-Wagon wasn't my cup of tea but he did turn it into a "race" car, lol...

[Jblack4083]

Some of us seem to be prisoners of the moment. Or maybe our "im such a mature guy because I drive a BMW" ego got hurt? There's a lot of old guys and wanna be old guys in here punching the air over 150 units LOL.

I've been on bimmerpost for 10+ years, long enough to see this play out three times over. The days before Bimmerpost snatched up 1addicts or had an app. It happened when the first M SAV was released and it happened when the M3 went turbo. Everyone said BMW lost it's way then ended up in a lease the next year. This is the natural cycle of Bimmerpost and many posts here wont age well. I guarantee it.

First, it's important to note that our beloved M cars are not BMW's "core" vehicle nor do they make the most money for BMW, in total. The M segment, believe it or not, IS the segment where BMW strategizes they can take the most risk. Imagine not being able to sell all those 118ds running around Europe because of some mistake... BMW always has and always will take the most risks with the M brand. The M segment represents the perfect buyer profile to do this.

Next, its important to understand we are not BMW's core audience. We lay at the fringes of their audience, which is why our preferred vehicles sell in smaller numbers. We are, literally, just another one of BMW's marketing tools. We're just another way to evangelize the brand to "regular people" who buy vehicles like the 230i. For ever M car I've bought, i've probably influenced about 3-4 other people to buy a "regular" BMW. Don't ever get confused thinking BMW sits in a board room thinking of ways to make Bimmerpost users happy. Really, most "real world" enthusiasts aren't even on forums at all and generally have different opinions. Thats life...

I highly doubt more than 1% of BMW's market will even consider this collaboration when making their next car purchase. We, as people who are zealous about the brand, could potentially be that 1%. BMW's core competency is engineering. As long as they continue to nail that... the numbers will follow. If not, we'll likely see the a shift in resources from the M brand to the i brand.

[EUPremier]

Originally Posted by shoei

This. It's exactly what happened to Harley Davidson and to some degree, Cadillac, but they have rounded the corner with the Escalade. Blackberry is another prime example when you don't "evolve"...

I can see what BMW is doing and it makes sense. You don't have to like it but know it's a smart move on their part. We, are all growing older, are older, or just don't care about the same things. We tend to look at things from OUR perspective - as car enthusiasts. We are but a small sliver in their car sales. Move the needle we no longer do anymore.

KITH is a very well known sought after designer brand. Might not be your cup of tea but again, if you thought BMW is marketing to you, then you are sorely mistaken. Even their collabs make money. Kith x Jordan sneakers go for thousands of dollars. Hell, the BMW / Kith license plate frame (looks just like the usual BMW license plate frame but says "KITH" instead of "BMW" goes for $185 and no it's not carbon fiber.

Porsche is doing the same thing, as are other brands and I'm not just talking about automotive industry. This happens ever so often, slowly and methodically. Y'all just don't remember things changing way back when, probably because it's been awhile and it happens gradually. You are becoming your parents / grandparents. Remembering growing up hearing some family member saying - "the music/tv/athletes/et all in your generation is crap..." If you have found yourself saying something similar, congratulations, you are no longer the sought after demographic, lol... Gotta lock in the generation that is just learning to drive, because they're going to be around a lot longer than we are...

I'm going to have to be dragged kicking and screaming into that good night ...of irrelevance. I'll keep the middle aged crisis going ...until I'm 95! 🤣🤣

[JohnBucurE92]

I originally thought BMW was just targeting a younger demographic, but now I realize they're also trying to harness older fellas who want to feel young again.

[VetteGuy]

BMW is targeting all segments of the market, so fresh products, and IMO silly lifestyle partnerships, are just part of the overall marketing effort.

Through the last decade, the average age of new Corvette buyers rose to 60+. Collectors of vintage Corvettes are even older. Recognizing that the Corvette market could literally die off, Chevrolet gambled with the new C8 being mid-engine, Euro-supercar styled, and no MT. They’ve gambled for the approval of younger buyers, and... younger buyers, especially millennials, appear to buying the C8, as are the older “enthusiasts.” The C8 production is completely pre sold out through mid-year next year.

At the same time, Chevrolet has introduced new pickups, revamped its SUV lineup, and updated its line of econo and traditional vehicles. They are targeting every possible demographic they can.

So I’m 69 and buying my first ever BMW. My wife has leased a couple 5s which I enjoyed driving, and although I’ve always thought highly of the 3 series as an ideal sports sedan, my cars have always been American muscle, SUVs, and yes, Corvettes. I will always own Corvettes.

I was immediately attracted to the new 4, even at my advanced age. LOL. It’s new and fresh and will make a great sporty daily driver for this old guy.

Like every other manufacturer selling in the US, BMW is relying on SUVs to carry the load, but it appears they are also creating a very diverse lineup of vehicles to capture as many segments of the market as they can.

[mcjohnsonsg]

I get the idea of appealing to future customers, but is that meant to be at the expense of marketing to existing customers. I haven't seen a lot of evidence that any of the existing BMW marketing for the M3/4 is aimed at the majority of the existing customer base.

[JunkStory]

Originally Posted by F82PRETEND

None of this will matter when Elon releases a 500 mile range, full charge in 5 minutes, 500 hp, 0-60 in 3 sec for $30k monster. None of it. I am not a Tesla fanboy, but Tesla will surely get there. If they do it before the big legacy brands are ready, those brands are toast.

They'll have that by 2023-2024. Everything you listed except the full charge in 5 minutes. For every one of you that says you won't buy it, there will be 5000 people pre-ordering it.

[amrazM]

Originally Posted by Dog Face Pony Soldier

Seems unbelievably foolish to abandon your current customer base and brand image to focus on a different one that hasn't proved beneficial. There's an axiom in sales... The most likely place to find sales is from those who've bought from you before.

BMW sure is making it attractive to give some other company my business. 👎🏻

such as porsche