With BMW celebrating its one hundredth birthday this year it’s one of the oldest and most respected automobile manufacturers in the world. However, this wasn’t always the case. To understand why BMW fits so well into the discourse of modern globalization and, at the same time, is an exception, one must understand its history and core values. The company’s path to globalization began after World War II and in the beginning of the state led era of globalization. The time after the war was volatile and the company didn’t gain a solid footing and achieve the global status it holds today until the 1970s. It was during this time of globalization that the company developed the principles that it stands for today and began the creation of a global …show more content…
The history of BMW has to be inspected like any automobile manufacturer, in that they are a product of their time. BMW was born in the era of regression from globalization, at a time when people sought to purchase domestically and support their local economy. Despite the company really only being able to service Germany’s devastated post-war economy, it survived. It would make the most logical sense to think that BMW’s experience after World War II would be like its experience after World War I, rough at first but steady growth. However, this was not the case. Because BMW was restricted by the allied powers post-war it was at a severe disadvantage to compete in the automotive industry when it would be allowed to a few years later. BMW’s success in the late 1940s and early 1950s came from its motorcycle sales, because the allied powers allowed it to manufacture motorcycles and because the post-war economy of Germany was devastated again people couldn’t afford cars and many opted for motorcycles instead. This was clearly not sustainable because the German and European economies would eventually recover and people would go back to buying cars. When this occurred and BMW tried to pivot back to the automotive industry, it struggled. While it was able to position itself in the “luxury” status to some degree it was still not in a prime position. BMW was trying to sell BMW quality (although BMW quality of the 1960s was significantly lower than it is today) vehicles at Ferrari prices. The company cared greatly about its image and sought to delve further into the luxury vehicle market, but at the same time realized that innovation (really, globalization) was
Kiley, David. Driven: Inside BMW, the Most Admired Car Company in the World. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley, 2004. Print.
Achieving world class business performance is a major challenge in today’s society. Manufacturing companies continue to face increased competition and globalization from its competitors. (1, p. 148). The automotive industry is one of the most volatile manufacturing industries that we have, which was evident in the 2008 – 2010 automotive industry crisis. (2) This global financial downturn served notice to the American automotive manufactures to raise the bar, in order to achieve word class business performance. General Motors, one of the country’s largest automotive manufactures, had to receive a government bailout to survive. During this time many with the corporation asked themselves, if we were a world class business, would we be facing this pending crisis. The answer was a resounding “NO”. General Motors has come out of bankruptcy and is focused on being a world-class business organization.
BMW soon realized that many threats impacted its market share in U.S. The Japanese auto manufacturers started building plants in the U.S. to deal with the increased U.S. demand at a lower cost than importing their cars. BMW's U.S. export situation was made even worse by the appreciation of German mark and additionally the higher German labor costs. As a result, the decision was made in 1991 to bui...
BMW has captured the attention of automobile drivers from all around the world with their “Ultimate Driving Machine.” The BMW Company was originally established in Germany and has extended nationally reaching over 12 countries. With Germany and the United States being the top two target countries, BMW has established their products as a combination of luxury, safety, and comfort with product lines to suit all styles of living. Revenues have been increasing each year since before 1996 with profits coming from product line of automobiles and motorcycles. In 2001, BMW came out with a new product group, the Mini. The Mini also contributed to the revenue increase in 2001. BMW has current developments in their sports cars, the Z8. BMW has created a trustworthy name for the automobiles they produce and has all the potential to continue their success in the future.
For over fifty years, Toyota has established over 50 bases in 26 different countries and regions. Their automobiles have found their way into over 170 countries across the entire globe. In addition, Toyota has design and R&D bases in nine locations overseas, with this they prove that they have achieved consistent globalization as well as localization. The most important part in any Toyota base is the quality assurance. They don’t stamp their product with “Made in the USA” or “Made in Japan”, but instead opt for one label for all: “Made by TOYOTA.” This shows that the product is made in the “Toyota Way.” To achieve this, the company minimized support that comes from Japan to let each of their foreign locations become self-reliant. For example, a Toyota plant recently began production in Texas has made maximum use of its sibling’s experience in Kentucky which has been cultivated over the past 20 years. Toyota believes that in order to reach their goals is through educating people. Multiple Global Production Centers have been built within Motomachi Plant in Toyota City, in United States, the United Kingdom, and Thailand to carry our corresponding activities in the Asia-Pacific, European, and North American regions. To promote the “Toyota Way”, the Toyota Institute established an internal human resources development organization in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. As you can see the pros of the globalization of Toyota are endless. This company alone has created millions of jobs across the world. Winners are not only the workers, but also the buyers, without globalization Toyota automobiles would only be available in Japan. Many people, including me, see globalization of this kind as a beneficial and advantageous result. Toyota companies have not only created jobs for thousands if not millions of people, but their
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, shortly known as BMW, is a German manufacturer of luxurious automobiles and motorcycles. BMW group is not simply one name: it is also the parent company of other premium brands such as the MINI, the Rolls-Royce and the motorcycling company Husqvarna. For the purpose of providing a maximum of details, this essay will just focus on the automobile part of BMW as it is more significant than the motorcycle segment and since they have a lot of overlapping factors.
Ford’s production plants rely on very high-tech computers and automated assembly. It takes a significant financial investment and time to reconfigure a production plant after a vehicle model is setup for assembly. Ford has made this mistake in the past and surprisingly hasn’t learned the valuable lesson as evidence from the hybrid revolution their missing out on today. Between 1927 and 1928, Ford set in motion their “1928 Plan” of establishing worldwide operations. Unfortunately, the strategic plan didn’t account for economic factors in Europe driving the demand for smaller vehicles. Henry Ford established plants in Europe for the larger North American model A. Their market share in 1929 was 5.7% in England and 7.2% in France (Dassbach, 1988). Economic changes can wreak havoc on a corporation’s bottom line and profitability as well as their brand.
This paper examines the expansion of General Motors overseas in its various phases, as well as triggers for internationalization and the problems faced during the process. The paper also considers what benefits have been achieved through international growth, and how the company can be classified with regards to Bartlett and Ghosal’s 4 typologies. Finally, the paper discusses the concept of a “world car,” meeting the demands of customers across the globe.
In the modern world of conducting business, any company that wishes to succeed must differentiate its products or services from others in the industry. Differentiation makes it possible for consumers to point out notable differences between one company’s products as compared to those of competitors. Differentiation helps companies build brand loyalty as the uniqueness keeps customers fixed on a particular product. BMW is one of the most popular automakers in the world today. It definitely uses differentiation as a strategy to beat off competition by building products that are innovative, detailed and incomparable to those of competitors.
The history of BMW is one of ground-breaking innovations and exceptional automobiles, including motorcycles and aircraft engines. It has a history with people of vision and of pioneering creation in the world of aviation engineering. Already we can begin to see that the BMW group is a well known and significant player in its market.
Spatz, J., & Nennenkamp, P. (2002, January). Globalization of the automotive industry-traditional locations under pressure. Retrieved January 14, 2012, from http://www.uni-kiel.de/ifw/pub/kap/2002/kap1093.pdf
In conclusion, BMW is a well-known and respected international company. The company has been reporting record sales year after year, which proves the stability of the company and its growth potential. The recall hiccups on the new 3-Series line will soon stabilize. BMW is a brand with strong consumer loyalty and group of enthusiasts who market and advertise their vehicles to family and friends in order to share their love for these fantastic vehicles; this would inadvertently increase’s BMW’s new client base.
BMW- differentiation strategy, high price, breadth of product line is moderate, known for their cars being in the shop constantly and high maintenance bills.
The global company Mercedes-Benz is considered one of the most successful and well-known automotive companies worldwide. Since 1886, the company’s founders Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz made history with the invention of the automobile, including the Daimler Group, which is one the biggest producers of premium cars and the world’s biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles globally (Daimler, 2013). Their main focus is innovation, safety, technology, style, brand image, expansion, and superior automobiles by offering the best of the best to consumers worldwide. The brand’s philosophy is to continuously create radically new products to advance the cause of human mobility. It is also the number one luxury brand in the United States and Germany while continuously expanding in China and Russia as well (Interbrand, 2013). Mercedes-Benz has a great selection on divisions such as cars, trucks, vans, buses, and financial services offered to any consumer or business. Their global reach has increased tremendously by including production facilities in 17 countries on five continents and having 93 locations worldwide. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, their strategy is to continue the same pioneer role with the ongoing development of mobility, especially in the areas of safety and sustainability (Daimler, 2013). It is very essential for the company to focus on consumers’ needs and their highly well known brand in a competitive global economy. That is why the company Mercedes-Benz releases a brand new model every year to stay on top of its competitors by improving previous models. Some strategies practiced are global marketing, global product development, global product pricing, global advertising, global distribution, an...
Market Segmentation, Positioning and targeting for BMW 1.1 Introduction This report aims to examine the market segmentation, positioning and targeting of BMW (automobile company). BMW will be examined giving information about the company and where it is now and any recommendations that we feel are appropriate. 1.2 BMW Company Profile BMW was formed in 1917, from the merger of two small aero engine makers. Their famous blue and white symbol stems from the colours of the Bavarian Luftwaffe and is said to resemble the view of the one of their plane through a propeller. BMW is renowned for its sporty, sophisticated & luxury image which has been built up since the 1970's with many motor sport victories ranging from Touring Car to Formula 1.