tunersteve
02-01-2007, 12:57 PM
http://www.msprotege.com/members/tunersteve/mini.jpg
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- When a new billboard in San Francisco scrolls the message "Motor on, Vera!" it's a good bet that someone named Vera is driving her Mini Cooper at that moment.
Or that her car is nicknamed Vera.
A billboard using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology started "talking" Monday. In a new twist on tech-savvy marketing, the board flashes a personalized message as the driver cruises by with a Mini-provided key fob that sends a signal to activate the billboard. It's all part of the flippant, quirky attitude of Mini and its loyal following. "Our owners are sort of pre-trend," said Andrew Cutler, a spokesman for Mini USA. "They appreciate new and innovative things and being on the cutting edge of whatever point of view."
Mini, the BMW-owned maker of small cars, has marketed itself since its 2003 arrival as something of an in-joke, a tongue-in-cheek, we-get-it-and-don't-care-if-you-don't automotive brand. It has been a huge success, selling 40,000 cars a year when many thought Americans didn't want or like small cars and certainly wouldn't pay $18,000 to $26,000 for them. The second-generation Mini goes on sale next month.
"Consumers have come to expect Mini advertising to be groundbreaking, edgy and entertaining. And from the sounds of their latest endeavor, talking billboards, we won't be disappointed," said Lilly Buchwitz, an assistant professor of advertising at San Jose State University.
Now, a billboard near an exit off I-80 in San Francisco speaks to them.
Besides San Francisco, the pilot program is being conducted in New York, Chicago and Miami. About 4,500 Mini owners who live in or near those cities and who were active in Mini chat rooms were invited.
They filled out information on a Web site, including their name, their car's nickname, their profession and details about how they drive. Mini will send them an electronic key fob, which the company calls a Mini motorboard, that works within 500 feet of the billboard.
Once they're in range, personalized messages using their name ("Hi Kate, nice day for your convertible") or their career ("Moving at the speed of justice!" for a lawyer) will appear.
Cutler said about one-third of Mini owners name their car, with Coop, Spike and Sparky among the most popular monikers.
The billboards will stay up for a year, and Mini will evaluate how they're being used and whether it should expand the program. In the future, Cutler said, Mini dealers might use RFID technology to welcome customers to service appointments or to let them know of events when they are near a showroom.
Greg Martin, who owns a 2006 Mini Cooper, likes the talking billboard concept.
"A lot of Mini's marketing is centered around the feeling that you're unique, that you are in a club. This ties in perfectly," said Martin, 41, who works for a semiconductor company in San Jose.
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- When a new billboard in San Francisco scrolls the message "Motor on, Vera!" it's a good bet that someone named Vera is driving her Mini Cooper at that moment.
Or that her car is nicknamed Vera.
A billboard using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology started "talking" Monday. In a new twist on tech-savvy marketing, the board flashes a personalized message as the driver cruises by with a Mini-provided key fob that sends a signal to activate the billboard. It's all part of the flippant, quirky attitude of Mini and its loyal following. "Our owners are sort of pre-trend," said Andrew Cutler, a spokesman for Mini USA. "They appreciate new and innovative things and being on the cutting edge of whatever point of view."
Mini, the BMW-owned maker of small cars, has marketed itself since its 2003 arrival as something of an in-joke, a tongue-in-cheek, we-get-it-and-don't-care-if-you-don't automotive brand. It has been a huge success, selling 40,000 cars a year when many thought Americans didn't want or like small cars and certainly wouldn't pay $18,000 to $26,000 for them. The second-generation Mini goes on sale next month.
"Consumers have come to expect Mini advertising to be groundbreaking, edgy and entertaining. And from the sounds of their latest endeavor, talking billboards, we won't be disappointed," said Lilly Buchwitz, an assistant professor of advertising at San Jose State University.
Now, a billboard near an exit off I-80 in San Francisco speaks to them.
Besides San Francisco, the pilot program is being conducted in New York, Chicago and Miami. About 4,500 Mini owners who live in or near those cities and who were active in Mini chat rooms were invited.
They filled out information on a Web site, including their name, their car's nickname, their profession and details about how they drive. Mini will send them an electronic key fob, which the company calls a Mini motorboard, that works within 500 feet of the billboard.
Once they're in range, personalized messages using their name ("Hi Kate, nice day for your convertible") or their career ("Moving at the speed of justice!" for a lawyer) will appear.
Cutler said about one-third of Mini owners name their car, with Coop, Spike and Sparky among the most popular monikers.
The billboards will stay up for a year, and Mini will evaluate how they're being used and whether it should expand the program. In the future, Cutler said, Mini dealers might use RFID technology to welcome customers to service appointments or to let them know of events when they are near a showroom.
Greg Martin, who owns a 2006 Mini Cooper, likes the talking billboard concept.
"A lot of Mini's marketing is centered around the feeling that you're unique, that you are in a club. This ties in perfectly," said Martin, 41, who works for a semiconductor company in San Jose.