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G4EBT > CARS 13.02.08 20:53l 127 Lines 5013 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 507918G4EBT
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re: German Cars (KB2VXA)
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<DK0WUE<GB7FCR
Sent: 080213/1830Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:61465 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:507918G4
From: G4EBT@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : CARS@WW
Warren, KB2VXA wrote:-
> Oh German products have a long history of quality
> but I guess it's a matter of perspective.
Yes - perceptions and brand image are everything. Sometimes it's style
over substance and marketing hype triumphing over comminsense and
objectivity.
Cars (and motobikes) are chosen more for emotional rather than rational
reasons, certainly so called "prestige" brands, which - in the UK, would
include BMW and Mercedes.
BMW promotes every model of its range as the "ultimate driving machine" in
it's category, aiming to encapsulate the brand promise in a memorable way.
Be that as it may, BMW's in the UK tend to have a "boy racer" image, and
in the poorer inner city areas where few people earn high amounts of money
legitimately, BMW's are often seen as the favoured cars of drug dealers -
not at all the sort of image BMW would wish to seem propagated.
If I see a flash car cruising round the streets of Hull with loudenboomer
speakers vibrating the windows with rap music, I just assume that it's
someone who's up to no good.
That assumption may or may not have any validity.
A widely used colloquial term for BMWs was recently quoted by a senior
police officer who now faces disciplinary action over claims of racist
remarks at a leaving 'do'.
The Police Superintendent allegedly referred to a model BMW car
as "Black Man's Wheels" during a farewell speech to colleagues.
Now the West Midlands Police force's former 'Head of Training for
Targeting Black Criminality' is set for a misconduct hearing.
Two fellow officers (probably trying to improve their "PC PC" credentials)
complained about his "joke" when he was presented with the car as a
leaving gift before a scheduled transfer to Coventry - which has now still
to take place.
A source said:
"When he saw the miniature BMW he just joked, 'Oh, Black Man's Wheels' -
this is complete over-reaction." The force's internal inquiry has the
support of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Ho hum...
If everyone in these parts who used that term were to be
taken to task, they'd probably fill a football stadium.
But any chance that the police service gets to find sacrificial goats to
be slain on the alter of ridding itself of its "institutionally racist"
tag,
it will go for.
I don't have any experience of BMW cars but until a year ago I'd owned
an 800cc R80RT BMW motorbike for 15 years. It was an air-cooled "boxer" -
so-called because the twin pistons were horizontally opposed and literally
punch out an in like a boxer's fists.
It was really and updated version of a 1930's design.
A lovely bike to ride but no street-cred - in motorbike circles BMWs in
the UK are looked upon as invalid carriers ridden by "BOFs". I only sold
it because I did little more than 2,000 miles a year on it and spent more
time tinkering with it than riding it.
I was a member of the BMW Motorbike Owners' Club and the letters columns
of the monthly journal were always full of complaints about poor quality,
unreliability, lack of concern by BMW, and poor residual values of the
bikes when traded-in. Maybe the letters columns of all makes of bikes
will have similar moans and groans.
Harley D, knows how to woo customers and cultivates its mythical bad-ass
biker image, even though they're often ridden by stumpy little arthritic
men with beer bellies, short legs but big egos.
The seat height is so low that it can accomodate those who can't swing
their leg over a proper big boy's motorbike seat - ideal for foegydom.
They think that if they wear bandanas they look cool and mean but everyone
knows it's really cos they're bald-headed. By a cruel quirk of fate, just
as they get to an age when they can get senior citizens' discount for
haircuts the last vestiges of their comb-overs fall out. So they buy a
Harely to console themselves.
But still, HD manages to cultivate its "ride to live - live to ride
image".
Brilliant marketing.
Harley's short promotional film "Creed" is probably the most powerful
example of image-building of any brand in the world today. It's in the
form of a prayer, ("we believe in the man upstairs") which will appeal
the the religiousity of its US fan base.
Paste this link into your browser and watch it here:
http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/Riders/Creed_Video.jsp?HDC
WPSession=qtnzHzwR2wqVwBTRQS1NnnDGtvv6MCbgtqSW24zvPpn8Yxn9qz05!1213988950!1
484843062&locale=en_US&locale=en_US&bmLocale=en_US
In contrast, I don't think BMW has much idea how to nurture goodwill
amongst bike owners. They even stopped the BMW Club from using the BMW
logo on the front of the Club magazine.
Huh? Objecting to a free advert for your brand - alienating your keenest
customer base in a one-badge national biker Club. How dumb is that?
Dribbled G4EBT.
Best wishes
David, G4EBT @ GB7FCR
Cottingham, East Yorkshire.
Message timed: 18:17 on 2008-Feb-13
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