Introduction

Modernizing their dealer network retail space by aligning it with their campaign, “Make Life a Ride” meant that BMW Motorrad USA would need to ensure that their 240+ US based dealers updated their retail spaces to reflect the brand’s new style standards.

With this new direction and a visual corporate identity to be represented in-store established, BMW Motorrad sought out the expertise of LOOK Marketing to:

• Provide guidance in designing the in-store brand style guide.
• Implement the merchandising updates to generate greater soft good and accessory retail.

Train the dealership staff on maintaining the retail space in adherence with the style guide and merchandising best practices.

Inspired by the creative direction defined by BMW Motorrad and a visit to several dealerships to be used in the pilot for the program, LOOK Marketing developed a 30-page Visual Merchandising Standards Guide. This ADDY award-winning visual brand guide provided:

• Graphical illustrations depicting the proper merchandising layouts with tips on best merchandising techniques.
• Instruction on use of specific display fixtures to maintain the brand look and feel throughout the commercial space.
• Best practices to reinforce the BMW branding and to encourage greater soft good and accessories sales at time of motorcycle sale, and after sale.
• An easy reference for ordering visual merchandising hardware, fixtures, and other display items.

In-Store Visual Branding

Members of the LOOK Marketing Visual Merchandising team under the creative direction of Michele Chenard, Director of Design and Visual Merchandising, visited various dealerships throughout the United States to help them design their spaces to BMW Motorrad’s brand standards as defined in the Visual Merchandising Standards Guide. The goal was to have a turnaround time of two and a half days for the merchandising design and staff training.

Upon arrival at the individual dealerships, members of the LOOK Marketing team met with the dealer management team to explain the merchandising design plan to be executed. Questions regarding the retail space and observed consumer behavior in the specific retail environment were asked of each dealer. This important step helped customize the implementation to best suit each dealer showroom while respecting brand guide style directives.

Dealership owners/managers were very pleased with the successful transformations their retail venues experienced.  Mike Milian of BMW Motorcycles of Miami noted that their, “showroom look has changed dramatically” and it “looks more appealing and organized!”  LOOK Marketing’s retail design acumen is well-established in the powersports industry with their various projects for premium brands such as Can-Am, Ski-Doo, and Sea-Doo, so when multi-brand dealer Wayne Bedeaux learned that the LOOK Marketing team would be merchandising his showroom – BMW Leo’s South – he had this to say, “We’ve had several different merchandisers in store over the years, some were good, some not so good. LOOK Marketing was here for BRP a couple of years ago, and we were very impressed with their results.” After reviewing the changes made to his store to bring it in line with BMW Motorrad’s vision, he shared that LOOK Marketing, “did an excellent job again this time!”

Visual Merchandising Training

The LOOK Marketing team provided training to dealership staff on techniques required to maintain the retail environment per the style standards guide.   Some of the dealerships had staff working alongside the LOOK Marketing team to learn the process as they merchandised the retail space. Mike Milian echoed the sentiment of other dealers when he explained, “We were trained in every segment including style and gender. We were shown how to properly set up layouts on each segment.”

After the training, the dealership staff was left with the skills and knowledge to maintain the merchandising and displays on their own or if they chose to, they could call on LOOK Marketing again.