BMW, Mercedes and the Race to Keep Top Clients Sweet

How do you retain the customer who has it all?

It’s not rocket science: the only way to retain a customer who has it all is to offer them something that they can’t actually buy.

VIP status and of course, exclusivity.

For me, this is fairly obvious and I’m not quite sure why it wasn’t realised some time ago, but there you go.

BMW Excellence Club

In any event, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW to you and me) first began offering their “super-perks” programme to keep their more “exclusive” German clients happy last July.

The “BMW Excellence Club” is complimentary and membership is granted to anyone who is buying a 7-Series; perks include VIP event tickets and exclusive celebrity-laden occasions.

Mercedes-Benz Circle of Excellence

If you think that Mercedes-Benz are resting on their laurels then think again. They are still very much dedicated to outselling BMW by the end of the decade.

The Mercedes-Benz “Circle of Excellence” club was started soon afterwards and this, too, allows members access to exclusive events and VIP status when checking in at some of the world’s most prestigious hotels.

Mercedes are also not just focused on Germany, either; their programme is available in 25 countries and the lucky participants are granted membership when buying selected AMG and Maybach cars.

The whole “exclusive club” concept is an interesting one indeed and one that we reported on when we took a look at the new Ford Vignale brand last month. But could it actually work?

Well, yes. If it is done right, then there is no reason why not. Then again, don’t be surprised if other manufacturers jump on the bandwagon too; nobody can say that Jaguar don’t mean business at the moment.

I know that if I were in the market for a car like this, I would certainly be drawn to any client reward scheme that got me into exclusive Formula One races and London Fashion shows.

After all, if you aren’t in the know, these aren’t the sort of things you can get your PA to buy on eBay (or anywhere else, for that matter).




Written by @MotorMistress
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