Luxury Carmakers Overhauling Marketing Efforts To Reach Critical Millennials

handling,” he said, seeking technology, connectivity and sustainability. But “technology must be humanized to resonate,” he said. A car packed with the latest technology “means very little to them unless that technology supports their lifestyle,” he said. They also want their world to be “customized for them,” said Willisch of millennials. “None of what they own should be generic or predefined." He cited Coca-Cola’s marketing strategy to make soda cans with different names on them. Millennials also want the products they own to be discovered, “not dictated,” he said. BMW has an alliance with GoPro through an integrated app that allows a driver to use a camera through vehicle controls, Willisch said, an example of meeting millennials on their terms. BMW Connected Drive allows drivers to lock their doors with a smartphone app. BMW is also targeting urban millennial drivers who can’t afford or don’t want to own a BMW at this stage of their lives with mobility solutions through a global effort, Willisch said. That includes a parking app that “takes the hassle out of finding a parking space.” Joe Eberhardt, CEO, Jaguar and Land Rover, said connectivity is a requirement in the luxury market, citing the company’s collaboration with Intel to develop next-gen digital vehicle prototypes that connect the car, mobile devices and the cloud. Connectivity isn’t just a hot button for millennials but is “a requirement in the luxury market” today, he said.