MINI Makes Its First Marketing Move In The U.S.
Launches Search For Brand Partner 
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MINI Cooper

Photo: Automotive Intelligence

WOODCLIFF LAKE, NEW JERSEY - MINI, a division of BMW of North America, Inc., has retained Roth Associates to consult in the brand's search for a Brand Advocacy Partner(s) to manage the launch and on-going support of the MINI brand in the U.S. "This is not your run-of-the-mill agency search. In fact, it's not an ad agency search at all. MINI is a very special and authentic brand that deserves a non-traditional approach to marketplace communications," said Kerri Martin, the MINI Marketing Communications Manager. "We're looking for more than just the standard agency relationship. The words radical and unprecedented come to mind."  

The MINI COOPER made its world debut at the Paris International auto show on September 28th, 2000 representing the car's first total design evolution since MINI's introduction in 1959. "The MINI is a piece of automotive history, combining the emotional power of the original model with the technology of the future", says Frank Stephenson, the Chief Designer of the MINI. The MINI is a 21st century innovative interpretation of a classic car that, in many countries, has been making its distinctive appearance on the streets for more than four decades.  

MINI will be marketed as a unique, independent brand within the BMW Group, and will be sold globally. It will be built at the BMW Group's Oxford plant in the UK to the company's exceptional quality standards. Full production will start in 2001 and the first cars will go on sale in the US during the first quarter of 2002. The MINI will be sold in the US via a select group of dealers currently affiliated with the existing BMW retail network. Each MINI dealer will have a sales environment and staffing exclusively dedicated to the franchise.  

(23. October 2000)