Comments on: BMW doesn’t get User Generated Content

By: Damien DeBarra

Damien DeBarra — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:50:03 +0000

What a bunch of twonks.

By: Using consumers to tell your story for you (or “Hey diddle-diddle to the people in the middle”) « Creative Is Not A Department

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:33:24 +0000

[...] could go on, but instead just read this great synopsis of a terribly poor effort on BMW’s part, which sums it up perfectly. Brands need consumers more than consumers need brands. Without them [...]

By: Sarah Blow

Sarah Blow — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:26:27 +0000

BMW probably don’t realise that their choice of PR and advertising agency are damaging their reputation online. I wonder how long it will take for them to realise… I definitely wouldn’t enter into an agreement like that over photographs. In fact if I were the owner of the image I would be tempted to get it set up as a poster that could be bought online

If an agency is after that image I’m sure others would be willing to pay for a copy. What worries me more is that they appear to insult the intelligence of your friend.

I’d be vigilant and look out for the agency just using the image without permission… after all if they don’t get UGC then they may not get Copyright either… :S

By: lolly

lolly — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:25:22 +0000

Crazy – at least they are getting bad PR. You should send this link to their PR agency

By: Richard Galbraith

Richard Galbraith — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:12:04 +0000

i’d very much be interested in hearing the end result as well…wonder how long it will take companies like this to ‘get it’

By: James Whatley

James Whatley — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:19:21 +0000

PLEASE update and tell us what your buddy did…

Did he?

- ignore the email?
- reply with “YOUR’E DOING IT WRONG!”?
- reply with a link to this post?
- contact BMW directly and request the sacking of their PR?

Would love to know what happened next…

By: Jaimesh Mistry

Jaimesh Mistry — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:16:09 +0000

As K Rose and A Albrecht would put it:
Companies like this are just a load of douchebags. You can’t buy community feel and support, you need to earn it.

By: coldclimate

coldclimate — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:10:55 +0000

I wonder if these guys have ever heard the phase “meatball sundae?”

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:55:37 +0000

Oh dear. That really doesn’t sound good. Have they really got it that badly wrong, and if so, how???

By: Dominic Travers

Dominic Travers — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:41:24 +0000

I have both been a professional photographer and worked for an agency with account ties to BMW in the UK. This does not surprise me in the least. Sadly I think this will be the first in a long line of UGC abuses by advertisers looking for that community feel.