What a fantastic presentation at BWM (no, surprise, eh?). Bill McAndrews is certainly one of the most competent presenters I've seen, not just here, but in general. His knowledge base is amazing. I suppose if you have to represent BMW to the world, even on CNBC, you really need to be prepared --- and polished.
I did chuckle over one of Bill's phrases... the very same one I heard him say on a CNBC special on the 2012 Automotive Show. After the spokesperson from Audi proclaimed that Audi's objective was to unseat BWM as the #1 luxury car by 2015, McAndrews quickly said, "Plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery!"
The mission statement presented was very interesting: “To continue as the leading provider of premium products and premium services for individual mobility.” Why? In addition to the fact that they are the only luxury car manufacturer who also produces motorcycles, who knows what the “luxury mobility market” will look like 20 years from now. Regardless, it certainly seems BMW is already deeply involved in shaping whatever it is we ride in or on, no matter how many wheels!
Dr. Girst presented an amazing amount of work BMW does form the cultural perspective. It was very interesting to hear that their work in this area exudes the very foundational philosophy of the company, and not the more typical “sponsorship” activities most companies engage in in order to be seen by the maximum number of eyeballs, regardless of the fit/tie.
Some other surprising items we heard:
- BMW is headed up by an engineer, not a sales or marketing type;
- The controlling board has huge representation from the unions;
- BMW did not cut their cultural programs even during the auto industry’s recent crisis;
- BMW holds both Toyota and Hyundai in high regard as competitors and excellent companies;
- A 3-cylinder engine doesn’t sound so silly anymore;
- Don't give yourself a full-chest BMW tattoo first, then attempt to get BMW sponsorship!
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