The Challenge: Differentiate a regional BMW dealer from traditional price-oriented and fast-pitched automotive marketing in Southern California. Catalyst designed and launched a new advertising campaign supporting a primary feature of BMW automobiles, that of safety. Central to this campaign was the establishment of media and organizational partnerships with area businesses and non-profit organizations designed to promote a select cause and leverage a $250,000 advertising budget in a market where competitors spend between 2 and 4 times that level.

The Opportunity: After researching auto safety issues and programs, Catalyst discovered an enormous safety risk for area children, child seat safety. In 1998 Children’s Hospital in San Diego initiated a new program that focused solely on children’s safety issues. This interest and focus evolved into a sixty-member organization called the San Diego Safe Kids Coalition. Their number one goal is to reduce the number of children killed and injured in vehicle crashes.

The Solution: Catalyst launched a cause marketing based advertising and promotional campaign combining brand and dealer positioning with a cause message that reinforces BMW’s leadership in safety and Harloff BMW’s commitment to the community and its customers. The creative campaign combines BMW North America images of select BMW vehicle performance figures and appeal with super/voice-over of BMW’s industry leading safety attributes. This combination of performance and safety were then combined with a cause-oriented message, that of Harloff BMW’s support of child safety seat education. A series of public service announcements provided by media partners expanded Harloff BMW and San Diego Safe Kids Coalition promotional time and associated the safety issue with the Harloff name in consumer’s minds to build County-wide awareness.

The Partnership: San Diego County Safe Kids Coalition including over 60 community organizations including the San Diego Police, California Highway Patrol, all area hospitals, Buckle Up San Diego and all San Diego PTA groups. San Diego broadcast media act as media partners, not just outlets for traditional advertising buys. KGTV, (San Diego’s ABC affiliate), Cox Communications (various targeted stations), XEWT (Televisa, Canal 12), and radio stations KyXy and The Planet incorporate public service announcements and leveraged advertising with clinic presence of the Children’s 10 Mobile, a health and safety information vehicle. Major Shopping Centers – Westfield (seven regional malls) provided “Go to…” promotion and mall-based locations for clinics and Harloff BMW vehicle promotions. Additional corporate partners included; Evans Tires / Goodyear, 21st Century Insurance, and Babies R Us.

The Outcome: Catalyst leveraged Harloff BMW’s $250,000 investment in the Project Safe Seat campaign into over $1,000,000 in all external marketing, advertising and promotional exposure. The campaign resulted in an overall 13% increase in sales during the recessionary downturn of 2000-2002, combined with on-site service, customer promotion and service follow-up resulting in greater overall customer satisfaction levels. Harloff BMW Project Safe Seat clinics resulted in a 4.4% sell in rate, over twice the average for BMW North America events including the Drive for the Cure™.