Munich. An emotional, authentic brand, with
attractive products and distinctive brand communications: The
systematic realignment of the MINI brand is proving a success. In the
current Best Global Brands ranking compiled by the agency Interbrand,
the value of the MINI brand climbed 18 per cent – the highest increase
of any premium automotive brand in the top 100, with only two others
able to match this strong rate of growth. With a brand value of around
4.9 billion US dollars, the British premium brand climbed ten places
to number 88.
MINI continues its strong growth in brand value. In 2014, the brand
was yet to break into the top 100, but debuted at number 98 in 2015
and has now climbed ten places to number 88 in the space of a year.
Sebastian Mackensen, Senior Vice President MINI, explains what makes
the brand successful: “Brand growth is a consequence of making people
happy – which means delivering on their needs and passions.”
This strong growth in brand value stems from the systematic
implementation of the brand realignment announced in 2015. Design,
authenticity and intrinsic value define the new brand identity, which
is reflected in the visual appearance and new tonality of
communications. The new brand philosophy dispenses with all that is
unnecessary, leaving more room for what is important and focusing
attention on key messages, communicated in an authentic manner. “The
brand is evolving; we are currently in the process of a major
repositioning,” underlines Sebastian Mackensen, Senior Vice President
MINI. “MINI is not only a highly-emotional automotive brand, but also
an authentic, urban lifestyle brand that is positioning itself in a
number of new fields.”
MINI seeks to provide answers to the real issues of living together
in cities worldwide. With the presentation of its ground-breaking MINI
VISION NEXT 100 Vision Vehicle in June 2016, the brand offered a
glimpse into its thinking. MINI aims to continue to actively shape the
zeitgeist and connect with young, urban target groups. To achieve
this, MINI is also active outside of the automotive world. In 2016,
MINI Fashion participated in the PITTI Uomo menswear event; while MINI
Living made appearances at the Salone del Mobile and other shows. In
late 2016, the brand will open an ambitious centre for designers in
Brooklyn, New York with the name A/D/O. Through the start-up
accelerator URBAN-X, it is also investing in entrepreneurs who want to
make living in cities more attractive. Esther Bahne, head of Brand
Strategy und Business Innovation: “This year, we started engaging more
deeply in the fields of urban architecture, design, fashion and
entrepreneurship – developing and investing in products of high
relevance to people living in cities globally. This will drive MINI
brand growth over the medium to long term, ensuring that we continue
to build a pipeline of attractive products and services and keep on
conquering new target groups.”
The steady growth of the MINI brand is accompanied by corresponding
growth in product sales. In the first eight months of 2016, sales rose
5.7% year-on-year to reach a total of 223,913 vehicles. The biggest
growth drivers for the premium brand are the MINI Clubman – including
its most sporty variant, the newly-released MINI John Cooper Works
Clubman –and the new MINI Cabrio introduced in the spring.
“Best Global Brands” 2016 is the 17th edition of the report published
annually by global brand consultancy Interbrand, which explores how
brands determine the success of a company. The evaluation is based on
the financial success of the products and services belonging to the
brand, the role of the brand in customer decision-making and its
impact on company pricing. The value of the top 100 brands has
increased by an average of 4.8 per cent since 2015.
If you have any questions, please contact:
BMW Group Corporate Communications
Bernhard Ederer, Corporate Communications, Press Spokesperson,
Marketing and BMW Welt Bernhard.Ederer@bmw.de, Tel:
+49 89 382-28556, Fax: +49 89 382-24418
Media website: www.press.bmw.de
Email: presse@bmw.de
The BMW Group
With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the
world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles
and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global
company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly facilities
in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and
nearly 137,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the
financial year 2015 was approximately € 9.22 billion on revenues
amounting to € 92.18 billion. As of 31 December 2015, the BMW Group
had a workforce of 122,244 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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