BMW selects Accenture for digital marketing

Accenture has been selected by premium German car manufacturer BMW to manage the rollout of a custom-built web platform to BMW's major markets by 2014. Accenture will also manage the rollout of BMW's global digital marketing campaigns and work with each local market to maintain the content.

Under the first agreement, Accenture will manage the rollout of BMW's new platform to 100 BMW markets. Accenture is managing all aspects of the rollout, including the agencies involved, scoping digital requirements, training local content managers and agencies on the new platform and coordinating testing and post go-live support. The rollout of the new web platform allows for enhanced digital customer interaction using customer relationship management (CRM) technologies and web analytics.

Under a second agreement, Accenture will be responsible for taking BMW's centrally-created online marketing campaigns and overseeing the implementation and content distribution to each major local market through country sites.

Accenture will manage content localization for each market, including deployment to social media channels, starting with Facebook, as well as deployment to mobile versions of the site. The agreement also covers CRM campaign support. Finally, Accenture will provide related training to BMW's local market teams.

"Accenture's global presence, automotive experience and efficient delivery models were key to designing an approach which supports BMW's deployment of this market-leading website and the rollout of future digital marketing campaigns," said Luca Mentuccia, global managing director, Automotive.

Accenture was chosen because it has the right combination of digital marketing and technology experience in all the countries in which BMW operates. These global content, campaign management and e-commerce services, helping BMW deliver the right experiences to the right consumers at the right times, are delivered by Accenture Interactive, Accenture's digital marketing services arm.

Anatoly Roytman, managing director of Accenture Interactive's practice for EMEA said, "In a recent survey of 13,000 drivers in 11 countries, Accenture found that consumers believe the car-buying process could be simpler and quicker. More than three quarters (80 percent) of the respondents said they wanted more intuitive, customized content made available to them, while 77 percent want car makers to provide them with a simpler way to configure a vehicle. The research highlights the need for a stronger digital presence and better integration of digital marketing by automotive manufacturers to address consumer demand. "