BMW strengthens co-creation communication at IAA Mobility 2021: brand and its ambassadors produce content together and engage in discussion with their community.

Munich. BMW is setting new standards in co-creation
communication at the IAA Mobility 2021. At the trade fair, the brand
brings together a global network of ambassadors with a total range of
more than 100 million followers to collaborate on creative content and
ideas. “The automotive industry is currently engaged in a global
transformation. BMW itself is undergoing a process of rejuvenation and
finding new forms of communication. Partnership with BMW co-creators
supports this change,” explains Stefan Ponikva, Head of Brand
Communication and Experience.

For BMW, the IAA Mobility 2021 is all about electromobility and the
circular economy. BMW has become a driver of innovation in both these
areas and is seeking to engage in debate on these subjects with
existing target groups as well as new ones. Getting young people
excited about the mobility of tomorrow is very important to BMW. One
promising way to achieve this is through co-creation. Credible
collaborations between the brand and its ambassadors are key to
authentic storytelling. Co-creation builds on long-term and trusting
cooperation with personalities and opinion leaders from various
sectors of society such as art, music, fashion, lifestyle,
sustainability and technology.

BMW has already been very successful in the past with this approach,
and it is something that has been boosted by the pandemic: as part of
the #NextGen campaign 2020, BMW generated over 300 million impressions
on social media through strategic collaborations. Highlights include
the co-creation with Dude with Sign on the sustainable BMW i series, a
virtual MINI Vision Car for a virtual influencer, a YouTube talk show
with Alex Hirschi aka Supercar Blondie and a 3D print premiere of the
BMW iX.

Creative content and high-reach social media activities are
being developed for the IAA Mobility 2021 in collaboration with
opinion leaders

At the IAA Mobility 2021, BMW turns its attention even more to the
needs and preferences of a digital audience. The co-creators provide a
plausible presentation to their digital target groups of what the
circular economy is all about and how BMW is making use of it to
become even more sustainable. Co-creation involves partnership with
BMW on an equal footing, whereby the ambassadors themselves take the
lead in (co-)producing the content: “We actively involve them in the
design of communication so as to open up new perspectives not only for
the BMW brand, but also for our partners and their audience. In this
way, we’re establishing BMW as a relationship brand and expanding
co-creation as a strategic component of BMW brand management,” says
Stefan Ponikva.

A good example of creative collaboration is the cooperation with
sustainability ambassador and journalist Gemma Styles. She will be
discussing the urgency of sustainable innovations and technologies
with BMW CEO Oliver Zipse at the presentation of the “BMW iVision
Circular”. “I really enjoyed working with BMW on such an important and
challenging issue. BMW was totally open to co-creation and feedback.
It’s great to see a major brand showing authentic interest in a more
sustainable future – and I learned a lot, too.” The meeting in Munich
will also be used by some of the opinion leaders involved for the
exclusive production of social media content featuring the two BMW
electrically powered vehicles BMW iX and BMW i4 as well as the digital
IAA experience of BMW JOYTOPIA.

The international co-creator community includes other well-known
personalities such as Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer, music producer
Steve Aoki and Brooklyn Beckham. Commenting on his collaboration with
BMW, the British photographer and Gen Z advocate says: “The years I’ve
spent with BMW have been a wonderful partnership. With its
forward-thinking design and innovative ideas, BMW embodies exactly
what it means to be an automobile brand. As a BMW global partner and
co-creator, I really enjoy sharing the brand’s stories through my own
eyes.” The co-creators also include highly acclaimed newcomers such as
singer Zoe Wees, skateboarder Nyjah Huston, actor Luka Sabbat, Alex
Hirschi – also known as Supercar Blondie, longstanding brand
ambassador Lena Gercke and well-known TikToker Younes Zarou.