Marketing Case Study: Building the Mini Brand Culture môn Principle of Management | Trường Đại học Quốc tế, Đại học Quốc gia Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN MARKETING SEMINAR 2
CASE STUDY: Building a Mini brand culture (Parsons et al. (2023: pp.28-29))
Like the Volkswagen Beetle, the Mini is an iconic car that dates back to the rebel culture of
the 1960s. Just like the mini-skirt and the Beatles, the little car is an enduring symbol of the
‘swinging sixties’. The Mini was designed by the British Motor Corporation in response to
the increasing popularity of the smaller and fuel-efficient German ‘bubble cars’. Sir Alec
Issigonis, the Mini’s designer, has become a legend in his own right, famed for his innovative
design that allowed both performance and space despite the limitations of size. Sir Alec’s
history intertwines with that of the Mini and many stories circulate around him that contribute
to the Mini’s brand culture and reinforce it as a triumph for British design. Fans relate how
Pininfarina, a famous Italian carmaker, once asked Issigonis why he did not style the Mini a
little. The reply that Issigonis made to this competitor’s taunt has now become part of the
Mini myth: ‘It will still be fashionable when I’m dead and gone’ (Beh, 2008).
The Mini was marketed as a fun car with a cheeky image. ‘You don’t need a big one to be
happy’, ‘happiness is Mini-shaped’ and ‘small is beautiful’ are some of its famous straplines.
Its brand culture has evolved around this image, an image that made it ‘cool’ to drive a small,
unpretentious car. In challenging prevailing notions of respectability, the Mini was very much
a part of the countercultural movement that emerged during the 1960s. Heralding the idea of
the ‘rebel sell’ that we have previously referred to, it stood for a youth culture that was
hedonistic and fun-seeking. The Mini was continually associated with major celebrities
throughout the decade. This enhanced its brand culture significantly, giving it celebrity status
by association with stars such as Peter Sellers, Ringo Starr, Britt Ekland, Lulu and fashion
designer Mary Quant. When Marianne Faithful drove to Mick Jagger’s drugs trial in her
Mini, and George Harrison’s psychedelic Mini appeared in the Beatles’ Magical Mystery
Tour, the Mini’s subversive connotations were enhanced (wikipedia.com). Well-known dare-
devil racers such as Niki Lauder, Enzo Ferrari and Steve McQueen drove Mini Coopers. In
1969 three Minis featured as getaway cars in The Italian Job. The car chase that ensued, with
its daring stunt driving that included descending a set of steps, has become a classic. In 2003
three new BMW MINIs featured in a remake of this film.
Like other iconic brands, the Mini addressed certain tensions in society at the right time.
During the postwar 1950s in Britain and the US, size was regarded as a marker of status and
this was particularly so in the case of cars. The Suez crisis of 1956 meant that oil prices
soared and the size–status equation came under pressure from the need for fuel economy. The
Mini car addressed this contradiction and, at the same time, countered the postwar climate of
continued austerity with its message that linked fun and size (Beh, 2008). The Mini
symbolised a unique blend of hedonism, small size and Britishness, core values that
consumers quickly responded to. They bought the Mini not just for its fuel-saving capacity,
but also because they were buying into these core values. In doing so they were using the
Mini to say something about their own identity: they were cool!
Over the years, although it was a mass-produced car, the Mini brand culture evolved to
include a highly individualistic element. This was aided by its many endorsements from
celebrities who had specially designed models. It became the custom for individual owners to
decorate their Minis in unique ways. Some painted Union Jacks on the roof or on the bonnet,
while others painted colourful stripes or motifs on the bodywork. Still others kitted out the
interior in fanciful décor, sometimes running a theme throughout the car’s interior and
exterior. This element of creativity and individual self-expression was added to the brand
culture by consumers themselves and has now become an important part of the brand’s evolving history.
The Mini car finally ceased production in 2000, having become a legend in its own right. A
huge following of loyal fans still mourn its loss and remain committed to guarding the Mini’s
heritage in brand communities around the globe. Many fans also deeply resent the launch of
the new BMW MINI in 2001 (BMW bought the Mini brand as part of their takeover of
Rover) and argue that it is not an authentic Mini. They perceive one of its core values,
Britishness, to have been violated by association with a German manufacturer. In terms of its
size also, the design of the new MINI can no longer be regarded as particularly small. There
is thus a clash of brand cultures between the values of the old Mini and the new Mini –
between old and new brand communities – that is still being played out in the marketplace.
Many of the classic Mini clubs that exist will not permit new MINI owners to join and refuse
to admit that the new model has any links to them. Despite this opposition, there can be no
doubt that the launch of the new Mini has been highly successful. The new design has taken
one of the Mini’s core values, fun, and used this value very successfully in conjunction with
the theme of individualisation. As far as the new MINI manufacturer, BMW, is concerned,
there is no disjuncture between the old Mini and new MINI and the brand has simply
evolved. The new MINI website (www.mini.co.uk) invites customers to design their own
MINI from hundreds of different combinations, alongside the claim that:
Over the years MINI has changed. However, the foundations of this small car; its character
traits, have remained unchanged from its inception in the 1950s until today. Be it old Mini or
the present-day MINI, people just can’t stop talking about it. Because it’s in the genes!