Evil is the wrong word, I'd go for unsubtle and overwhelming but oddly sucessful. Marketing is saying "You meet the nicest people on a Honda", "Dare to be different with a Ural", "Live the Dream" etc. "The Ultimate Riding Machine" is a lie otherwise their last TT win wouldn't have been in 1939, their dealers wouldn't have the catch phrase "they all do that SSssssir" and so on. I get brands that have history, I get brands that deliver, I get how a certain brand has a certain attatchment in a certain country but I don't get how this brand is seen as premium.

Would Walmart be a premium brand if I simply agreed to pay twenty quid a tin for beans? No. Is Bentley a premium brand because they were winning at Le Mans when fighter aircraft were slower than cars and the Queen has owned a few? Is Ferrari premium because they've won a lot of F1 titles over 50 years and they only make a few hundred of each model? Yes. Is a mass produced, averagly well constructed car or bike from a company that goes bust every 25 years premium? I'd say it's overpriced, other say overpriced = premium.

I'm on BMW number 5, would never buy one that hadn't done 20000 miles and laugh at their adverts. I'd buy the bike without the badges. Marketing 101 fail.

That said, can BMW sell rather than give away hats with their logo, yes.

Andy

As far as Ural is concerned I think "Dare" would be enough.

My comments weren't aimed at you, personally. You just happened to be the last to have mentioned the "M" word.

But my point remains.
You give examples and explanations of how marketing works and what it's for. I am aware of all this, if not the minutiae of how the effect is acheived. However, based on your post I think we agree that, by and large, marketing (whatever the origin) is all poo-poo when compared to the end product. BMW, Ural, Honda, all of them.

So why do we even bring it up in that most "hallowed" BMW debate if the criticisms of BMW's marketing are not specific to BMW's marketing?
:confused1:

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Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

BMW advertising stinks !

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Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

+1

And while you're at it how about moving this thread from BMW Tech to Bitching Women, OOOPS I mean 'Which Bike'

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TurboCharger + Francois (our BMW R1200gs) '07
www.riding2up.net, blog.riding2up.net

I've just got back from 9 weeks riding to Ciaro and back on a GSA1200.

The bike was perfect. It coped with with everything. I didn't feel uncomfortable with dropping it. It handeld missing roads and was mechanically sound.

It's easy to ride, I'm a shorty, your bum hardens up and I'll ride it round the world.

Francis

In the last 12 months I've put 15000 Km on a 15 year old MZ that I bought on E-bay for £520. It's had nothing (not even put air in the tyres or adjusted the chain) except petrol and oil (due a new back tyre and an G/Box oil change when I can be bothered, I might even clean the spark plug). Goes anywhere, does anything, can be picked up one handed.

Just saying

Andy

You lazy, lazy man....

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The electric monk always has faith.

...

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Thomas

"Hey, ...I'm just ridin' shotgun"

GS?? No thanks, I don't like to follow the crowd..

Thanks for reviving such an old thread to point that out. There are probably much more recent BMW-bashing threads that you could have "contributed" to...

Ignore.... just another Gorm.

Really? I was getting the impression the R12 was in that steady production state at the momement where the early niggles are close to sorted? You know the one, it's usually just before they switch to the next version.

The MZ BTW is now over 40000 km but has finally developed an electrical problem. Should have kept riding it over the winter rather than using the outfit

Andy