Maximize the experience focus on the essentials, the Mini motto that ensures the design team
stay true to the spirit of the MINI brand and from 1959 to present day, they have been doing
just that.
“MINI is not only a successful car brand, it is a lifestyle.”
The secret behind the success and attractiveness of this lifestyle brand and what gives them the edge
over their competitors is the constant innovative changes that are implemented to keep the MINI
aficionado interested. The MINI is so much more than just being an enjoyable, cheeky and fun car,
it has a character that will always deliver an experience to the driver and passengers of the car
whatever their ages. MINI does not target a specific age group, this is a car that is suitable for
whatever stage of life you are at.
To hear first-hand why MINI retains a premium position in the market place, MiND met with the
energising force of Marc Lengning, Head of Brand Management at the MINI Headquarters in
Munich.
“We are a forward thinking brand and we are evolving all the time, which is important to stay
attractive to our target groups. We are looking for modern people, as they are permanently looking
at what is new and upcoming. Therefore, it is important to stay true to our values and that we stick
to our brand’s long history, that way we are always recognizable.
“… we stay true to the values of our brand…”
“The character of the Mini brand has always been very inventive, therefore it is important for
everyone to know exactly where we came from and what we stand for.”
The classic Mini’s creator, Sir Alec Issignois, thought of himself as a designer foremost as opposed
to a car engineer. Sir Alec was the one to raise the level in automotive design. His mission was to
“Leave out anything unnecessary and focus on the essentials.” The first Mini was born and met this
brief – a small lightweight car, to fit four people with luggage space and highly efficient fuel
consumption.
“Sir Alec Issigonis created the Mini in 1959 during the first oil crisis and the closing of the Suez
Canal. Oil became more expensive but people still wanted to own big cars, it became an issue. Sir
Issigonis wanted to create a fuel efficient car that the middle class could also drive. Issigonis
considered himself rather a creative designer than an engineer. What he was able to do was
completely rethink that automotive design. He created a car to fit four people with enough luggage
space and fuel efficiency.”
“Four people with luggage in the smallest space possible.”
Sir Alec with the first Mini
The classic Mini was small and lightweight enough that it was fuel efficient. Marc notes that Sir
Alec designs were effective and seamless, never incorporating anything that wasn’t necessary.
“He created space in the trunk and the interior by turning the engine 90 degrees, pushing the wheels
into the corners and cutting out anything that wasn’t necessary. For example, heating was seen as
an additional weight therefore as an option. Another interesting creative use of space is the position
of the speedometer. The speedometer is placed in the middle so you can change the wheel from left
hand drive to right hand drive within 30 minutes. He had a mission to design the smallest car, the
most efficient and he left out everything that wasn’t necessary.”
“Leave out anything unnecessary and focus on the essentials”.
“Then came along John Cooper. John Cooper, the famous auto racer, saw an opportunity to
transform the classic Mini into the perfect race car. With the lightweight and fuel efficient design, it
was perfect for speeding around corners. He worked on the Mini changing the engine and surprised
everyone by winning the Montecarlo rally. The strong tension and contradiction between the two
guys is what makes the brand so special. We always ask ourselves to focus on the essentials and to
maximize the experience.”
“We are a lifestyle brand because for us it is more than just a car, it is a philosophy of life.”
John Cooper and the racing Mini
As the classic Mini was so successful, there was never much need for change. 2001 was the first
time that Mini was revamped, adding a premium feel to the car. This was also an opportunity to
adjust the brand’s perceptions.
“It was the start of the new Millennium, people wanted to enjoy life with the mind set of shopping
in the day and partying at night. This mindset could be found in the brand’s communication at that
time, which was full of bold colours on a black background. The slogans always had a twinkle in
the eye. This was 14 years ago and MINI is ready to reinvent itself again. In 2015, people still want
to enjoy life and maximize their experiences but not at every price. You have to make sure you are
sustainable, that you don’t overdo it and you focus on the essentials whilst enjoying life. That is our
philosophy. This new zeitgeist fits very well to the core of the Mini brand: Maximize the
experience, focus on the essentials. It reflects on all stages of marketing communications.
“What we first did was changed the Mini Logo. We changed it from 3D to 2D, then we still felt we
needed to change it even more to make it authentic and crystal clear. Another reason for this
everyone is going to mobile devices and we needed a really strong logo.
The 3D Mini Logo
“In 2001 we launched first the Mini, then the Clubman and later on the Countryman, however we
have a problem not everyone knows about the other cars. They only know the first Mini and
therefore we need to change our communication. We need to focus on the strong characters of Mini,
whilst conveying the premiumness and showing that we have matured over the years.
“We are creating the character world around this car”.
In this respect, Marc explained the importance of authenticity and originality in marketing and
branding, allowing them to showcase the Mini in way that will engage and attract the audience.
“We give the image the maximum space, we have a colour bar that creates a stage which reminds us
a little of the original frame, however it is just one line. The colour is the same colour of the car. We
prepare the stage for the picture which tells the story. We want to show the premiumness our brand
has, and how we have grown up and we are no longer that cheeky small car.”
“We want to show our maturity.”
“We want to be as authentic as possible. No headlines, we force ourselves to focus on the picture as
we believe with a strong picture and logo you should know where it comes from, the rest can tell
the story.”
Looking to the now and the future, Marc notes that the Mini mind set really fits perfectly into the
2015 point of view – the focus is always on people, their lives and their experience.
As the brand is constantly changing, Mini’s are getting bigger. Would you ever consider
changing the brand’s name?
Marc Lengning: Mini is a philosophy. We always call Sir Issigonis a Minimizer and Cooper the
Maximizer. We still want focus on the essential, maximize the experience and minimize everything
else. Even though Mini has always been about the smallest car which fits four people and luggage,
we want to offer a car for everyone, one that suits a family. By this, individuals have the
opportunity to mature together with the brand they love.
“We want to offer a car for everyone.”
We want to show people we are not only a one car brand anymore, that each model has its own
character. For the clubman a mature, grown up character and with the convertible a more
extroverted free spirited one.
In regards to the evolution of retail and the evolution of Mini as a brand, how was the
experience with the MINI pop up? What did you want to achieve? What was the retail
strategy behind this?
Marc Lengning: We currently have a pop up in Rome and we currently have a brand store in
Amsterdam. 10 years ago I think a person would go at least 4 times to the dealer. Now it’s 1 to 2
visits before they buy the car. It is going down, which means the dealer has one shot to seal the
deal.
We also understand that many of our customers live in the city and do not travel outside of the city
to get to the dealers. We understand we need to find a way to interact with our large target groups in
the cities. So with our pop ups and brand store in Amsterdam, we focus on the atmosphere,
allowing them to experience the brand in all five senses. We are currently investigating different
formats about how to reach out to people and get the Mini experience across.
“We want to find a very emotional way that the people can experience the brand rather than the
product.”
MINI at PITTI 2015
Do you use technology as a way of interaction?
Marc Lengning: It is funny you are asking that. When you look back again to the history of Mini,
Issigonsi wasn’t a high tech guy. What we always say is yes, technology is important, but we are
not jumping on new technologies for the sake of new technologies, that’s not Mini. We carefully
look at all technologies out there and once we find something interesting and that is of massive
value, only then do we jump on it. If you look at the Clubman for an example, the craftsmanship is
equally important to us. High tech has to come with a customer benefit, for example like the HeadUp display.
“We don’t want to blend with high tech, that isn’t us”
Do you agree with “People are owning less and sharing is becoming more important?
Marc Lengning: It is true. We also see that people want to own less. That is why we created
DriveNow in 2012 within the BMW Group. 70% roughly are Minis, it perfectly fits to the Mini
brand as sharing a Mini feels very natural. The DriveNow app is totally public and perfect for those
you can’t afford a Mini or can’t get access to one. You can download the app and sign up for the
service. You can pick what Mini or BMW you want, automatic or gear. You can reserve the car and
see where the nearest Mini available is.
We also gave every car a name, we didn’t have it at the beginning but now we find they treat the
cars better. DriveNow is in five cities in Germany, we are also in Vienna, London, Stockholm and
Copenhagen and we have plans to expand worldwide. The first time you are behind a Mini, the
experience is amazing and only then can you understand what it is all about.
“DriveNow has been established for 2 years, I totally believe in it.”
The DriveNow App
What should we expect next, not so much for the car but in terms of lifestyle?
Marc Lengning: Mini is a full experience company. Focusing on the essentials and maximizing the
experience – both of which don’t only refer to cars. It shows a mind-set, we have always been a
lifestyle brand. We are obviously able to make cars, we also have services such as DriveNow and a
capsule collection in fashion. It is very natural and perfectly fits in with the Mini brand.
“We are currently trying to do even more.”
Perhaps there is another area where our philosophy can be applied too. If the brand is strong enough
and has a clear vision and core, then you can always evolve further.