BMW SA uses blogging in marketing mix

Newly-formed Cherryflava Media Company, together with recently established brand activation agency, Thirty Four, announced yesterday, Tuesday, 11 July 2006, that BMW South Africa has included Cherryflava's flagship title, Cherryflava.com, in its online advertising campaign for the new BMW Z4 Coupe - the first time that a big brand in South Africa has included a blog title in a media schedule.

Comments BMW South Africa's interactive marketing manager, Scott Gray, "Moving into blogs as a medium for online advertising is an inevitable progression for South African companies who take online marketing seriously.

"The South African blogging community has grown to the point where it is no longer seen as a space reserved for geeks, but for anyone and everyone with something to say, and BMW is both excited and proud to be involved."

Internationally, online media spend is experiencing rapid growth as marketers track increasing popularity of the Internet above other traditional forms of media. Blogs, as effective niche communication tools, have also experienced massive interest from marketers wanting to tap into independent online social networks.

Says Jonathan Cherry, publisher of Cherryflava.com, "Marketers partnering their brands with appropriate blogs is an innovative way of communicating with a select group of people. Blog readers are generally forward-thinking, highly-educated trendsetters who are selective in their choice of media consumption. BMW are pioneering the use of a blog in their marketing mix and we're very excited about the opportunity."

"Our challenge was to match BMW's commitment to innovation, online, and we believe that the inclusion of a reputable South African blog in our online media selection achieves this," concludes Andrea Mitchell, director of digital, Thirty Four.