Sunday, November 21, 2010

Follow Sunday...

Alright, it doesn't roll off the tongue like Follow Friday does, but none the less, here are some BMW newsgroups and twitter profiles I follow:

BimmerFile
BimmerFile has a vast array of BMW reviews, articles, and media outlets to tickle your weiss mit blau fancy. The editors at BimmerFile are concise and unbiased when it comes to their reviews, just the way it should be. If you have an interest in any BMW vehicle, you are apt to find it on their site. You can also follow BimmerFile on twitter.

BimmerPost
Like BimmerFile, BimmerPost offers reviews, news articles and lots of pictures and videos. BimmerPost offers one more feature that is definitely worth mentioning: a forum. This is where BMW enthusiasts such as myself go to voice our opinions for various topics. Check out their forum here over the E90s (current BMW 3 series models, including the 330i I did a video review over last week.)

BMWBlog
This is my favorite out of the BMW info groups, namely because I know instantly when there's a new article on the site via twitter. I also have the ability to subscribe to RSS and E-mail feeds. BMWBlog is dedicated to posting current news, photos and other bits of interesting info about the BMW world. Their ultimate goal is to bring BMW enthusiasts together and create a unique BMW community.

Take a look at these pages and happy following!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

2006 BMW 330i Video Review

I had the opportunity to test and review a friend's BMW over the past weekend. I had a great time filming with Eric and Michael, and thanks to Lisa for letting me drive your BMW. Check out the vlog and let me know what you think and if you're now thinking of buying one!



Sunday, November 7, 2010

BMW M3 Sedan Review

This week, I present to you one of my favorite beemers: BMW M3. Produced as a 2008 model, this M3 is the first saloon debut in a decade. Driving Television produced a great video blog about this 2008 model. The review is very informative, presents factual information, and the driving shots are great. The best part about this review is the comparison within the same brand: BMW M3 vs. BMW 335i. Check out the video and comment if you'd rather have the M3 or the 335i and why.



Sunday, October 31, 2010

On Another Note...

This past week, I had the opportunity to create a podcast with 3 of my classmates about Social Media. Elyse, Taylor, Kylie and I quickly went to work on our tips to creating an effective online presence. Listen to the podcast guys, you'll be glad you did. Happy Halloween!

7 Social Media Tips for Creating an Effective Online Presence

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Blast from the Past: BMW Podcasts

I've recently discovered podcasts from BMW. According to the website, you can listen to the stories direct from BMW. These stories cover BMW models, innovations and various technologies. These podcasts contain interviews with individual BMW experts about innovations and their personal impressions. The site also includes various audio books. Unfortunately, they all are about 4 to 5 years old. This would be an interesting concept for BMW to market along with their viral videos, but nonetheless, true enthusiasts would be more than willing to listen to the podcasts anyway. I listened to a couple podcasts, more news about BMW products than audio books. Of course, the information was dated, but they were accurate and a joy to listen to. I'd advise any enthusiast to listen to any of the podcasts here.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

BMW Films

In my first post, I told you guys that my love affair began with a viral video BMW produced to show their cars in action. Let me give you a background to BMW's viral video campaign.

The BMW film series, The Hire, was a series of eight short films. These films were produced for the internet in both 2001 and 2002. Each video consisted of actor Clive Owen as the driver and highlighted BMW vehicles. Each short film was directed by a world renown director, with actors such as Forest Whitaker, Mickey Rourke, Ray Liotta and James Brown.

BMW premiered the first short film, Ambush on April 26, 2001 on the BMW Films website. BMW then featured Ang Lee's Chosen two weeks later. Films The Follow and Powder Keg rounded out the first year of the series. After the series began, BMW saw their 2001 sales numbers go up 12 percent from the previous year. The movies were viewed over 11 million times in four months. Two million people registered with the BMW Films website and a large majority of users posted links on blogs and other social mediums. The German automaker created DVDs and gave them to those who bought a BMW.

These viral videos were a great success for BMW, and loved by all beemer fans, including myself. The series had been viewed over 100 million times in four years and had changed the way products were advertised. Here are the first four films in the series, including my favorite, Star.


Ambush


Chosen


The Follow


Star

Sunday, October 3, 2010

The Ultimate Ownership Experience.

"The ownership experience doesn't stop when you get out of your BMW."

This is the tagline on the Owners Overview page on BMW's website. This section is dedicated to keeping the owner involved beyond just driving their beemer. There are owner's manuals, video tips, and many more links to make the BMW ownership experience more than just keeping up with with scheduled maintenance and mileage. They also keep track of your vehicle and where the nearest BMW authorized dealership is located.

Another personalized part of the BMW website is located under the Experience tab. There is a media collection of BMW videos, imagery, news and articles. You can also find out about driving programs, events, BMW sports, and the BMW community. There, you are linked to different driving clubs, including BMW's Car Club of America. There are different enthusiast websites and forums to go in more depth on your BMW.

I personally follow @bmwblog, @CooperBMWltd, @BMW_Group_News and @BMWNA_news, just to know what's going on with BMW. All were found by connecting to BMW's page. BMW is doing something that other car companies are catching on to, and their tagline sums it up. By using these social media tools, BMW is able to keep their owners involved with the company and with each other. These tools also lure enthusiasts, such as myself, to be a part of their world. Check out some of the links above and maybe you'll be hooked too.