Tuesday, 22. June 2010
Bring it on...
A few weeks ago, Mini took out a full page ad in The New York Times challenging Porsche and their ‘pastel sweater’-wearing owners to go ‘mano a mano’ in a race. The President of Mini USA (also the former Director of Marketing for Porsche) said he was ‘tired of losing the best valet spots to Porsche’. Porsche politely declined the offer, welcoming them to race on any one of the professional tracks ‘where there is more at stake than just t-shirts and parking spaces’.
The sparring continued with more taunts from Mini including a parody of the montage from Rocky IV. Undeterred by Porsche’s condescending rejection, Mini beckoned private owners to step in and race instead. Just as it looked like everything was coming up Mini, suddenly Hyundai piped up, ‘if Porsche won’t play, we will’.
Context
This is not the first time brand altercation of this nature. Previously, BMW and Mercedes exchanged billboard banter, but sadly it never galvanized beyond facile marketing rhetoric. Fiesta and Lamborghini also went head-to-head when Fiesta challenged the giant on cornering and handling. The Fiesta stunt ran like a product comparison and it didn’t feel like Lamborghini were involved. This campaign is different, however; it is open, social media-orientated and in a way, rather quite exciting.
But can Mini lose?
Not really. Porsche, however, have everything to lose and nothing to gain. Sketching out the possible outcomes, it’s obvious why Porsche declined:
1. Mini wins – The Porsche 911 looks like a monumental rip-off.
2. Porsche wins – As expected; a boring, predictable outcome with Porsche to blame. As one commentator described it, it’s like ‘beating up a girl’.
3. Porsche decline – Porsche look like a stick in the mud, a chicken, a scaredy cat, and any other playground taunts you care to throw into the mix.
Ultimately, the risk of loss is not worth the perceived benefit of winning, so Porsche had no option but to decline.
Mini know this. Attacking their direct competitors would make Mini appear serious and plain. Instead, by attacking a competing philosophy of luxury and privilege, they become the underdog in a battle that didn’t previously exist. In the end, Mini lost by two seconds, which by their reckoning, accounts for a $38,000 per second difference. The pre-race build up inevitably dwarfed the actual race – which was somewhat of an anti-climax. Ultimately, Mini triumphed, as expected, with a stream of sentimental comments from spectators, “Mini, even though you still lost, I’d still buy you.” Although some apparently failed to see ‘the point’, “You stacked the deck in your favor, and the 911 still smoked you????? This is the New Coke of automotive PR disasters.”
Insights and opportunities
Playing on the self-deprecating trend, have Mini created a brand that has all the endearing characteristics – and flaws – of a human. They are brave, silly, over-ambitious and fun. The Facebook group now has close to 200,000 members and is filled with fervent debate. There was a response group from Porsche owners called ‘Let’s go to Road Atlanta and shut Mini up’ which is, admittedly, only 1,141 members strong – something which is perhaps indicative of the fragmented competitor.
In reality, Mini is competing with other cars in the same range, but their marketing strategy doesn’t have to; consumers are not one-dimensional. ‘Mini is better than Porsche’ is a far more interesting proposition than ‘Mini is better than Fiesta’ yet it’s just as relevant. Being honest about their brand, Mini admit that while consumers dream of owning a Porsche, many know it’s simply not realistic and so they compromise. Not anymore.
Mini have changed ‘I want a Porsche, but I can’t afford one. Bummer.’
Into
‘Sure, a Porsche would be fun, but who wants to be a pastel sweater-wearing Porsche owner when you can have just as much fun – if not more – in a Hyundai!’
I mean Mini…
Related on Canvas8
Jenny Winfield, ‘Surprise and its role in brand affinity’, 17 May 2010. Available
here
Debbi Evans, ‘Can self-deprecating branding work?’, 25 September 2009. Available
here
Not really. Porsche, however, have everything to lose and nothing to gain. Sketching out the possible outcomes, it’s obvious why Porsche declined:
1. Mini wins – The Porsche 911 looks like a monumental rip-off.
2. Porsche wins – As expected; a boring, predictable outcome with Porsche to blame. As one commentator described it, it’s like ‘beating up a girl’.
3. Porsche decline – Porsche look like a stick in the mud, a chicken, a scaredy cat, and any other playground taunts you care to throw into the mix.
Ultimately, the risk of loss is not worth the perceived benefit of winning, so Porsche had no option but to decline.
Mini know this. Attacking their direct competitors would make Mini appear serious and plain. Instead, by attacking a competing philosophy of luxury and privilege, they become the underdog in a battle that didn’t previously exist. In the end, Mini lost by two seconds, which by their reckoning, accounts for a $38,000 per second difference. The pre-race build up inevitably dwarfed the actual race – which was somewhat of an anti-climax. Ultimately, Mini triumphed, as expected, with a stream of sentimental comments from spectators, “Mini, even though you still lost, I’d still buy you.” Although some apparently failed to see ‘the point’, “You stacked the deck in your favor, and the 911 still smoked you????? This is the New Coke of automotive PR disasters.”
Insights and opportunities
Playing on the self-deprecating trend, have Mini created a brand that has all the endearing characteristics – and flaws – of a human. They are brave, silly, over-ambitious and fun. The Facebook group now has close to 200,000 members and is filled with fervent debate. There was a response group from Porsche owners called ‘Let’s go to Road Atlanta and shut Mini up’ which is, admittedly, only 1,141 members strong – something which is perhaps indicative of the fragmented competitor.
In reality, Mini is competing with other cars in the same range, but their marketing strategy doesn’t have to; consumers are not one-dimensional. ‘Mini is better than Porsche’ is a far more interesting proposition than ‘Mini is better than Fiesta’ yet it’s just as relevant. Being honest about their brand, Mini admit that while consumers dream of owning a Porsche, many know it’s simply not realistic and so they compromise. Not anymore.
Mini have changed ‘I want a Porsche, but I can’t afford one. Bummer.’
Into
‘Sure, a Porsche would be fun, but who wants to be a pastel sweater-wearing Porsche owner when you can have just as much fun – if not more – in a Hyundai!’
I mean Mini…
Related on Canvas8
Jenny Winfield, ‘Surprise and its role in brand affinity’, 17 May 2010. Available here
Debbi Evans, ‘Can self-deprecating branding work?’, 25 September 2009. Available hereA few weeks ago, Mini took out a full page ad in The New York Times challenging Porsche and their ‘pastel sweater’-wearing owners to go ‘mano a mano’ in a race. The President of Mini USA (also the former Director of Marketing for Porsche) said he was ‘tired of losing the best valet spots to Porsche’. Porsche politely declined the offer, welcoming them to race on any one of the professional tracks ‘where there is more at stake than just t-shirts and parking spaces’.
The sparring continued with more taunts from Mini including a parody of the montage from Rocky IV. Undeterred by Porsche’s condescending rejection, Mini beckoned private owners to step in and race instead. Just as it looked like everything was coming up Mini, suddenly Hyundai piped up, ‘if Porsche won’t play, we will’.
Context
This is not the first time brand altercation of this nature. Previously, BMW and Mercedes exchanged billboard banter, but sadly it never galvanized beyond facile marketing rhetoric. Fiesta and Lamborghini also went head-to-head when Fiesta challenged the giant on cornering and handling. The Fiesta stunt ran like a product comparison and it didn’t feel like Lamborghini were involved. This campaign is different, however; it is open, social media-orientated and in a way, rather quite exciting.
But can Mini lose?
Not really. Porsche, however, have everything to lose and nothing to gain. Sketching out the possible outcomes, it’s obvious why Porsche declined:
1. Mini wins – The Porsche 911 looks like a monumental rip-off.
2. Porsche wins – As expected; a boring, predictable outcome with Porsche to blame. As one commentator described it, it’s like ‘beating up a girl’.
3. Porsche decline – Porsche look like a stick in the mud, a chicken, a scaredy cat, and any other playground taunts you care to throw into the mix.
Ultimately, the risk of loss is not worth the perceived benefit of winning, so Porsche had no option but to decline.
Mini know this. Attacking their direct competitors would make Mini appear serious and plain. Instead, by attacking a competing philosophy of luxury and privilege, they become the underdog in a battle that didn’t previously exist. In the end, Mini lost by two seconds, which by their reckoning, accounts for a $38,000 per second difference. The pre-race build up inevitably dwarfed the actual race – which was somewhat of an anti-climax. Ultimately, Mini triumphed, as expected, with a stream of sentimental comments from spectators, “Mini, even though you still lost, I’d still buy you.” Although some apparently failed to see ‘the point’, “You stacked the deck in your favor, and the 911 still smoked you????? This is the New Coke of automotive PR disasters.”
Insights and opportunities
Playing on the self-deprecating trend, have Mini created a brand that has all the endearing characteristics – and flaws – of a human. They are brave, silly, over-ambitious and fun. The Facebook group now has close to 200,000 members and is filled with fervent debate. There was a response group from Porsche owners called ‘Let’s go to Road Atlanta and shut Mini up’ which is, admittedly, only 1,141 members strong – something which is perhaps indicative of the fragmented competitor.
In reality, Mini is competing with other cars in the same range, but their marketing strategy doesn’t have to; consumers are not one-dimensional. ‘Mini is better than Porsche’ is a far more interesting proposition than ‘Mini is better than Fiesta’ yet it’s just as relevant. Being honest about their brand, Mini admit that while consumers dream of owning a Porsche, many know it’s simply not realistic and so they compromise. Not anymore.
Mini have changed ‘I want a Porsche, but I can’t afford one. Bummer.’
Into
‘Sure, a Porsche would be fun, but who wants to be a pastel sweater-wearing Porsche owner when you can have just as much fun – if not more – in a Hyundai!’
I mean Mini…
Related on Canvas8
Jenny Winfield, ‘Surprise and its role in brand affinity’, 17 May 2010. Available here
Debbi Evans, ‘Can self-deprecating branding work?’, 25 September 2009. Available here
