Latest / Community Marketing with Fexingo: Discord, Slack Groups, and Brand Communities / How BMW Motorrad Built a 200,000-Member Brand Community
Transcript
- Lucas: So BMW Motorrad — that's BMW's motorcycle division — has a brand community with over 200,000 members. And I think it's one of the more underappreciated community marketing stories out there. Luna: 200,000 members for a motorcycle brand. That's not tiny. But it's also not a mass-market play. How do they build that? Lucas: Right, it's not about volume. It's about intensity. BMW Motorrad calls their community the 'BMW Motorrad Community' — it's a dedicated online platform, separate from their social media pages. Members get access to exclusive events, rideouts, and even product development input. Luna: Wait, product development input? Like, they let members influence motorcycle design? Lucas: Exactly. There's a famous example with the BMW R 18 — that big cruiser they launched a few years ago. Before it hit production, BMW Motorrad invited a group of hardcore community members to a closed-door event where they showed early prototypes. Those riders gave feedback on everything from the seat height to the exhaust note. Luna: And they actually changed things based on that? Lucas: Some of it, yes. The final bike had a different handlebar setup and a revised suspension, both directly influenced by community input. It's a textbook example of co-creation — but the key is that BMW didn't just ask for feedback online. They created an experience. Members felt like insiders. Luna: That's smart because it turns a purchase into a relationship. You're not just buying a motorcycle; you're joining a club. Lucas: Exactly. And that club has tangible benefits. Members get access to exclusive ride events — like the BMW Motorrad Days, which happen in different countries. They also get a loyalty program where they earn points for attending events, referring friends, or even just engaging on the platform. Luna: Points for engagement. That's classic gamification. But does it actually drive sales? Lucas: BMW Motorrad hasn't published a direct ROI number, but there's some compelling indirect evidence. For one, the community has a Net Promoter Score that's significantly higher than the general customer base. And members who are active in the community spend about 30 percent more on accessories and apparel than non-members. Luna: So the community becomes a retention engine. And probably an acquisition one too, if members are bringing friends. Lucas: Exactly. Referral is a big part of it. The platform has a built-in referral program where members get bonus points for every friend who joins and buys a bike. But the real acquisition driver is the events. When a member hosts a local ride and invites non-members, that's a low-pressure, high-touch introduction to the brand. Luna: And those events are organized by members themselves? Or by BMW? Lucas: Both. There are official BMW Motorrad events, but the community platform also lets members create their own ride groups. They can schedule a ride, set a route, and open it up to other members. BMW provides some resources — like branded ride kits and safety materials — but the members do the organizing. Luna: That's a huge trust signal. The brand is letting members be the face of the community, not some corporate marketing team. Lucas: Exactly. And it's worth noting that BMW Motorrad didn't build this overnight. They launched the community platform back in 2016, and it's been iterating ever since. Early on, they focused heavily on exclusive content — behind the scenes videos and interviews with engineers. That built initial interest. Then they layered in the events and the loyalty program. Luna: So it was a phased approach. Content first, then interaction, then rewards. Lucas: Right. And one of the smartest things they did was tie the community to the actual motorcycle ownership experience. When you buy a BMW motorcycle, you're automatically enrolled in the community — but you have to opt in to the full platform. So it's a gentle nudge, not a forced registration. Luna: And that opt-in probably increases engagement. People who have to click 'yes' are more likely to actually participate. Lucas: Exactly. It's the same principle as those email pop-ups that ask 'do you want to receive updates?' — the ones who say yes are genuinely interested. The community has about a 40 percent active rate, which is high for this kind of platform. Luna: Forty percent active — meaning they log in and engage at least once a month? Lucas: I believe that's the metric. And the most active members — the top 5 percent — generate a huge amount of content. They're posting ride photos, writing trip reports, and organizing local events. BMW Motorrad even features some of that user-generated content on their official social media channels. Luna: So it's a content engine too. They're getting free, authentic content from their most passionate customers. Lucas: Exactly. And that content performs better than branded content because it's real. A photo of a member's R 1250 GS at sunset in the Alps is going to resonate more than a studio shot. It's aspirational but attainable. Luna: I want to zoom in on that loyalty program for a second. You mentioned points for events and referrals. What do those points actually get you? Lucas: Members can redeem points for BMW Motorrad merchandise, accessories, and even discounts on service or riding gear. But the most coveted reward is probably the 'Community Experience' — things like a guided tour of the BMW Motorrad factory or a VIP spot at a racing event. Those aren't things you can buy. Luna: So it's not just discounts. It's access. And that's a much stronger motivator for a passionate audience. Lucas: Exactly. Discounts are transactional. Access is emotional. And that's the core insight of this whole community: it's not about selling more motorcycles in the short term. It's about creating a deep, lasting relationship that makes customers loyal for decades. Luna: And loyal customers also become the best salespeople. Do you know if BMW Motorrad tracks how many new bikes are sold through referrals from the community? Lucas: They do track it, but they haven't published a specific number publicly. What they have shared is that community members have a significantly higher lifetime value than non-members. And the referral rate among active members is about three times higher than the average customer. Luna: Three times higher is huge. So even if they can't attribute every sale, the community is clearly paying for itself. Lucas: And the cost to run the platform is relatively low — it's mostly software and a small community management team. The big investment is in the events, but those are also revenue drivers because members pay to attend. Luna: Yeah, if you're doing a ride event, members probably pay for their own travel and maybe a registration fee. So the events could even be profit centers. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the beauty of a well-designed brand community — it can generate value on multiple fronts: retention, referral, content, feedback, and even direct revenue. Luna: You know, this reminds me of something we talked about on the show a while back — how Harley-Davidson built their owner's group. But BMW Motorrad seems to have taken a more digital-first approach. Lucas: That's a great comparison. Harley's HOG community is famously offline — local chapters, physical rides, real-world meetups. BMW Motorrad has that too, but they've layered a digital platform on top that makes it easier to organize and engage year-round. It's a hybrid model. Luna: And probably more scalable. Not every member can attend a physical event, but they can still engage in the online forum or earn points by sharing a photo. Lucas: Right. The digital layer also allows for better data collection. BMW gets insights into what members care about — which events they attend, what content they engage with, what products they're interested in. That data feeds back into marketing and product decisions. Luna: So the community isn't just a marketing channel. It's a feedback loop. Lucas: Exactly. And that loop closes when they actually act on the feedback. Like with the R 18 prototype. Or when they introduced a new accessory line based on popular requests from the forum. Luna: I think that's the key that a lot of brands miss. It's not enough to just create a community. You have to show members that their input matters. Otherwise, it's just a branded forum with no soul. Lucas: Totally. And BMW Motorrad has been doing this for nearly a decade now. They've had time to build trust and prove to members that their voice is heard. That's hard to replicate quickly. Luna: So if a smaller brand wanted to start something like this, where would you tell them to begin? Lucas: I'd say start with a small, dedicated group of your most passionate customers. Invite them into a private space — a Slack group or a private Facebook group — and ask them what they want. Don't try to build the whole platform at once. Listen first, then build. Luna: And once you have that core group, then you can start thinking about what exclusive benefits you can offer. Lucas: Right. And the benefits don't have to be expensive. Early access to new products, a monthly Q&A with the founder, a shoutout on social media. The BMW Motorrad example shows that the most valuable rewards are often the ones that make members feel like insiders. Luna: You know, speaking of listening — I think that's what we're trying to do here on the show too. We keep the podcast ad-free because we want it to be a resource that's genuinely useful, not interrupted by sponsors. And if listeners find value in it, there's a small way to support us. Lucas: Yeah, exactly. It's the same principle — if what we're doing is worth something to you, we've set up a very low-key option. You can buy us a coffee — literally, at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, no rewards, just a way to keep this thing going. Luna: And we mean it when we say no pressure. If the show has helped you think differently about community marketing, that's already the win. But if you do want to chip in, that link is the only way. Lucas: Alright, back to the road. So one more thing about BMW Motorrad that I think is worth highlighting — they also use the community to test new marketing messages. Before launching a big campaign, they'll share early concepts in the community and gauge reaction. Luna: So it's like a focus group that's always on. And because the members are already loyal, you get honest feedback without the artificial environment of a traditional focus group. Lucas: Exactly. And they've caught some misses that way. I remember reading that they tested a tagline that was too aggressive — it didn't resonate. The community told them, and they changed it before the campaign went live. Luna: That must have saved them a lot of money. A bad campaign can cost millions. Lucas: For sure. And it's another example of how the community pays for itself in ways that don't show up on a balance sheet. The feedback, the content, the referrals — it all adds up. Luna: So if we're summing up the BMW Motorrad playbook: start with a dedicated platform, offer exclusive access, empower members to create events, and close the feedback loop. Lucas: That's the nutshell. And the final piece is patience. They've been at this for almost a decade. The community didn't hit 200,000 members overnight. It grew slowly because they focused on quality over quantity. Luna: Which is probably the hardest lesson for marketers to follow. Everyone wants the quick win. Lucas: But the quick win rarely builds a community. The slow, steady approach builds something that lasts. Luna: Well said. And maybe that's the takeaway for today — build something that people want to be part of, not just something that pushes product. Lucas: Exactly. Next time, we'll look at how a very different kind of brand — a B2B software company — built a community that drives actual product adoption. That one surprised me. Luna: I'm looking forward to it. For now, thanks for riding along.