Automotive News: Mini tries to go maxi without losing fans who saved brand

Discussion in 'MINIs in Other Media' started by Nathan, Mar 24, 2016.

  1. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    March 24, 2016 13:37 CET
    DETROIT (Bloomberg) -- How big can a Mini get and still be true to its name?

    The Clubman station wagon, the newest model in BMW Group's Mini lineup, is 4300mm (188 inches) long, which is more than 304mm (12 inches) bigger than the model it replaces and larger than the brand's Countryman SUV.

    At the New York auto show this week, Mini is showing off an all-wheel-drive version of the Clubman. And when the new Countryman comes out in the next couple of years, it will grow to be at least as big as the Clubman.

    What's going on is an identity crisis for an iconic brand that's trying to stay relevant in the age of the SUV.

    When new Mini ads talk about ride comfort and practicality, it's clear that serious change is afoot. The challenge for the automaker known for its small, zippy cars will be how to broaden its appeal without losing the true fans who brought the declining UK marque back to life in 2002.

    "They are definitely reaching a new audience," said Ted Marzilli, CEO of YouGov's BrandIndex, which measures brand and advertising strength. "The question is whether all of their customers will come along for the ride."

    Mini executives say the brand needs to change. Not only are buyers moving increasingly to SUVs as fuel prices have dropped, but German luxury models are competing with Mini's too.

    BMW has its 2 series, Audi has the A3 compact car and Mercedes has its CLA coupe. While not considered a luxury model, a Clubman can easily cost more than $40,000, meaning that Mini is battling those companies for the same wallets.

    Gaining new fans

    "I call it coming out of its teen years and becoming a young adult," said Peter Schwarzenbauer, who is BMW's global head of the Mini brand. "Sizewise, we had to respond to feedback from consumers and offer more practicality. Some diehard Mini fans will say we're expanding the portfolio too much, but we're gaining new fans."

    Mini's image as a small car also has held it back, according to brand executives. The vehicles are actually quite roomy for their size, but this is difficult sometimes to get across to consumers, said Tom Noble, head of Mini brand communications in the U.S.

    "A lot of people never considered Mini because they think the cars are too small," Noble said. "We're trying to open the brand to people who need something more functional."

    Noble says the bigger Clubman is still fun to drive, but not everyone agrees. When the hosts of the BBC's UK show "Top Gear" took it for spin, they said the car is "not as agile as any Mini you're used to, and fairly staid and numb to punt along in."

    The Clubman's popularity has been hit by its door configuration which started as a two-door body style in the first generation then moved to a three-and-a-half door configuration. The new car has a four-door body style that will allow rear passengers to enter and exit the car more easily.

    This is one factor that hit the Clubman's sales last year when global volume dropped 37 percent to just 13,326 units.

    The latest-generation Clubman went on sale in October in Europe and in January in the U.S.

    Mini appeal in U.S.

    The Mini that Americans are used to began its rebirth in 2002 with the two-door Cooper, a swift and tight-handling go-kart that was red hot when it debuted. Mini generated serious buzz after the Cooper starred in the 2003 film "The Italian Job," in which actors Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron run high-speed chases through Los Angeles.

    The cars were in such demand that dealers were charging full price. In 2004, Mini added a convertible -- not exactly practical -- and sales climbed to 41,000 in 2005 from 36,000 two years earlier.

    The Clubman came out in 2008 and U.S. sales exceeded 54,000. Mini kept adding new models, such as a sporty roadster, the Countryman and the two-door Paceman SUV. Sales peaked in 2013 at more than 66,000, but as gasoline prices fell, so did sales. In 2015, Mini's sales of 59,000 accounted for about 15 percent of BMW Group's U.S. total.

    Fuel economy used to be the No. 2 reason people bought Minis, after sporty driving. Now it's reason No. 12, Noble said.

    Mini owners who still want a fast car with race-track credentials can get the high-performance John Cooper Works edition of the Cooper, and there will be a JCW Clubman coming, Schwarzenbauer said.

    The move to roomier cars is finding new buyers, Schwarzenbauer said. The four-door Mini Cooper, which debuted in late 2014, is the brand's hottest vehicle, with 75 percent of its buyers new to Mini, he said.

    The Paceman will go away and Mini will have four vehicles: the Cooper, Clubman, Countryman and Cooper convertible. He said Mini will add a fifth vehicle, but he has hadn't decided what it will be. The car will be something that can sell to a broad audience, he said.

    Smashing stereotypes

    The Mini is known first and foremost as a small car, Noble said. But it's also thought of as a vehicle for young women or for gay people. That's why the automaker decided on a Super Bowl ad that would try to dispel stereotypes about the brand.

    The ad featured superstar athletes and entertainers who defiantly challenge the conventional wisdom. "It's a chick car," says tennis star Serena Williams, looking tough. "It's a gay car," says lesbian soccer star Abby Wambach, looking disgusted at the notion. "This is a short man's car," says the Randy Johnson, a tall baseball player, who can fit in the Clubman.

    At the end of the spot, tough-guy actor Harvey Keitel says, "This car doesn't care what you call it." The point: Mini can be for anyone with discerning taste.

    The ad got a lot of buzz. In January, before it ran, 2.6 percent of new-car shoppers considered Mini. As the commercial has run through March, that number has grown to 3.4 percent, according to YouGov. During the same time, the percentage of television viewers who have seen Mini's advertising doubled to 10 percent.

    Noble said the Clubman is evidence that Mini is maturing. Some original Cooper buyers now have families, so the company made the car more luxurious inside. Some core buyers may still only want a fast two-door Cooper, Noble said. But the brand will continue to go bigger, and the next Countryman could test the limits.

    Schwarzenbauer said the car will definitely grow in size but added that the brand is hitting its limits both in terms of what kind of cars it is selling and how big they can get. "With the Clubman, we have about reached the maximum size for Mini," he said. "Otherwise, the name doesn't fit."

    Automotive News Europe contributed to this report

    Source - Mini tries to go maxi without losing fans who saved brand
     
  2. minirab

    minirab Well-Known Member

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  3. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    As MINI morphs into MAXI, one way you make a bloated car zippier is to crank up the HP.....
    And that would be more than just sticking GP stickers on every lineup...

    Can't do that.... Encroaching into BMW territory...

    So we will end up with a bloated version of a fun car it usetabe...
     
  4. wmwny

    wmwny Well-Known Member

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    Get ready for BMW's latest creation...the MAXI MINI...what a freaking oxymoron! :frown2:
     
  5. Red Bull

    Red Bull Active Member

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    :idea: You can drive it to get some jumbo shrimp for dinner.
     
  6. fishmonger

    fishmonger Well-Known Member

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    I guess they know they will never make a lot of money of the crowd who wants a small Mini. There's a lot more money in a Gucci sedan that has a different "image" from other cars, but ultimately is the same old boring basic design everything else out there is based on. New car buyers don't seem to think much about the kind of things that go through my head. they want new, free maintenance, cool color combo, be different from all those Toyota and Hyundai drivers, and Mini still offers that, even if they are only Mini when compared with a Suburban.
     
  7. Gil-galad

    Gil-galad Club Coordinator

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    I find it odd and a bit one-sided that this article leads off with acknowledgement of the "fans who saved the brand," even attempting to convey the initial attraction that led to the big demand in the early years. So why didn't the author seek out one or more of these "fans" for their perspective? That thought gets summarily dropped with a dismissive statement that anyone in that category can satisfy their needs by purchasing an F56 JCW. Poppycock.

    In the end, this article just highlights how disconnected the MINI brand strategy is from any attempt at addressing, or even acknowledging, the desires of those "fans."
     
  8. WolfGTI

    WolfGTI Active Member

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    Yup and as they 'broaden the appeal' - they definitely have lost my consideration for pretty much anything they might create.
     
  9. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Dead on Gil-galad! BMW is lost. Schwarzenbauer does not have a clue what attracts people to this brand! They are only going to see new buyers in the short term, but as mini gets more lost they will move to other brands. Mini can not compete in the long run in the segment they are moving it into. Get a clue BMW
    If I were buying a car now I would not even consider Mini. If I wanted performance I would get a RS its faster and less expensive. If I wanted luxury Their are defiantly better choices for the money out their.
     
  10. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    They keep it up and the MINI will no longer be able to fit and navigate all of the youropeen roads.... Then... Just like that they will loose an entire continent of buyers,,,,

    [​IMG]
     
  11. vetsvette

    vetsvette MINI Alliance Ambassador

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    Sounds like they have an ass in the drivers seat instead of pulling the cart.

    A JCW Clubman? WTF? What's next? A Corvette branded Suburban?

    If they continue down this road, this will likely be my last Mini.
     
  12. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    [​IMG]

    Mice "reinvent" themselves as Elephants, hope to retain cats' brand loyalty.
     
  13. whaap

    whaap New Member

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    I don't worry too much about it. If Mini ends up loosing my interest there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
     
  14. whaap

    whaap New Member

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    Why not? Porsche did it!
     
  15. mrntd

    mrntd Well-Known Member
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    Be interesting to see what their 10 year brand loyalty numbers are.

    I didn't the first gen Clubman was only 2 doors.... wait there wasn't a first gen Clubman. When writers can't get simple things right their credibility goes right out the 3rd door.
     
  16. Qik

    Qik Well-Known Member

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    I think they're slowly killing the brand. I'm hoping after they get done crapping out big turds, that are currently getting engines replaced when they're still new, someone else buys MINI and brings it back to the basics, which (I think) a brand like MINI should be. It's not meant to appeal to the masses. That's why we like them. Everyone's chasing that dollar instead of chasing loyalty and quality. If MINI keeps heading in the direction I won't purchase a MINI unless it's a 1st or 2nd gen(currently looking to add an R53 to the stable). No new MINI's for this cat.
     
  17. Grizld700

    Grizld700 Well-Known Member

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    ^I see what you did there :wink:
     
  18. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    I would like to dedicate this to BMW

    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx1XtKbEtfE"]ROBERTA FLACK KILLING ME SOFTLY LEGENDADO EM PORTUGUÊS BR - YouTube[/ame]
     
  19. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    The previous clubster could be had in JCW guise. What really got me was the JCW Countryguy & JCW Pacman? That just seemed so odd to me. JCW was once something special, but now it's just badges & stripes on any car you want.

    My plan was to move to the next gen F'n MINI, but what I saw stopped me dead in my tracks. Too bad, but oh well I like what I bought instead. So no brand loyalty for me.

    Going outside now to try & find that third door on Babs clubster. :idea:
     
  20. LostDenverite

    LostDenverite New Member

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    I'm already on my last MINI. I got rid of my Subaru Outback Wagon when I got down to one kid having to ride with me (and big enough for the front seat). I got a MINI because I wanted a small kick-arse car that represented me, not everybody else (cue "youification"). No offense meant to F-series and Paceman/Countryman owners, those of you here aren't the same as the majority who aren't on the forums. But if I wanted something that big, I'd buy a Honda. At least I'd get the reliability

    A tell-tale sign of the death of this brand: how many waves do you get? I thought it was low with my first MINI, but it's gotten downright non-existent. Heard the story of a MINI owner waving to another (she had a 3rd Gen 4-door) and when she rolled down her window to find out what he wanted, he explained the wave to her. Her response: Don't do that. Don't wave at me. I don't know you.

    She should've been driving a Honda, which was probably her former car.
     

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