ABSTRACT
To the more cynical, this may just be another example of marketing hyperbole; for other, more seasoned observers, it is wholly consistent with the BMW’s claim that it produces the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’. Taglines of this nature are highly effective because they can only be verified if the brand is consumed. The open road is where the essence of the brand will be experienced. Test drives are one option, but brand performance in an extra-ordinary setting will make for a more memorable experience, enhance its appeal and the (potential) customer’s attachment to it (Boyle 2004). Brands are key cultural features in the contemporary world, and are regarded as an expression of globalization, and as a major means through which individuals’ identities are shaped and articulated (Lury 2004). Branded goods not only have direct utility but also, especially in the case of luxury car brands, owners derive cachet from their self-image and how others perceive their choices. Thus, for some commentators what the brands says about you, your lifestyle choices and preferences symbolically may be every bit as important as (in some cases more than) how the product or good functions (Johansson-Stenman and Martinsson 2006). To some marketers, the creation of an emotional attachment to a brand is the basis of relationship marketing (Sheth and Parvatiyar 1995). This differs from the transactional focus of other, more traditional forms of marketing by stressing the importance of long-term, enduring relationships with customers to create value rather than mere customer capture, sales maximization and margin optimization (Schmitt 1999). For some companies therefore, brand engagement and loyalty in this manner may form a more predictable and hence sustainable basis on which to plan future business development. Relationship marketing has made its way into the armoury of techniques used by destination managers to nurture sustainable tourism futures (Fyall et al. 2003). What tends to be overlooked is that tourism is used as a promotional vehicle in many other sectors because consumers are offered the opportunity to build understanding and engagement by temporarily connecting with brands in controlled environments through visitor experiences. Dedicated brand landscapes (‘brandscapes’) have been developed by product and brand managers that are, in effect, destinations in their own right. Mitchell and Orwig (2002) suggest that such ‘consumer experience tourism’ is evident in the array of manufacturing plant tours, company museums and company visitor centres from diverse sectors that generate and galvanize bonds between consumers and producers. These same basic motives are evident in the efforts of German car manufacturers as major international businesses to build dynamic and enduring relationships between their brands and their customers through tourism. Beyond an identification of
various forms of visitor activity designed to encapsulate the brand, this chapter explores how themed experiences communicate far more subtle and powerful messages about the brands themselves and how they are positioned with respect to the contemporary sector dynamics in the global automotive industry.
