Can someone help me to understand BMWs odd marketing policy, please?
In my experience, the Dealership network know little or nothing about the R56 and BMW have chosen to disseminate details of the new car through inviting selected journos, to rag, sorry drive them and report back to the public, that way.
We all know that the word of the journo - however biased, opinionated and misguided (Clarkson vs Vauxhall Vectra, Nader vs Jensen Interceptor), is gospel and, whilst the dealers know nothing, minds will be made up, based on the press reporting.
Surely, this is all wrong. The dealers actually sell the things, look after the customers in the front line. They should know more than the press - models, variants, what is available when, driving impressions etc. I would be well p***ed off, if I was a dealer, sitting on £xM invested in MINI and some press hack was given preferential treatment to me (who would inevitably thrash the thing and still make stupid comments about cup holders or some such). It smacks of disloyalty. Or, are BMW so **** sure that they contend that they have created/will create the market, using the press, amongst other means and the dealers will just box shift the things?
I made my mind up on the photos, rightly or wrongly and have a month old
MCS JCW210 (again, in deliberate preference to a GP). I don't like the R56 headlights, grille or the interior (what little seen.........), so my R53 will have to last!
I am sure those, with more knowledge than I, or an inside line, will comment. I will read that with interest.