BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AVP ADVERTISING GUIDELINES. Issued January 2012

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1 BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AVP ADVERTISING GUIDELINES Issued January 2012

2 Section Page Introduction Trademark 4 BMW Roundel 7 Distressed Messaging 7 Other Franchises or Makes in Dealer Advertising 7 Dealer Websites 10 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 17 Reference Materials 18 2

3 The Added Value Program (AVP) continues to support our goal of being the Number One premium vehicle brand with industry leadership in customer experience, employee competence, facilities and profitability. This document contains the 2012 AVP Advertising Guidelines. These guidelines are one of several components within Brand Standards, and address consolidated advertising, website and trademark standards. It includes the following sections: * Trademark BMW Roundel Distressed Messaging Other franchises or Makes in Dealer Advertising Dealer Websites Search Engine Optimization (SEO) A center not meeting AVP Advertising Guidelines will be subject to a three (3) infraction non-compliance policy over a rolling-12-month period as follows: 1st infraction: Warning letter 2nd infraction: Warning letter 3rd and each subsequent infraction: 20% AVP bonus lost for 3 months with no escrow option available *Infractions are tallied per each section of the AVP Advertising document as stated above. For example, a BMW Center may receive an infraction for distressed language appearing within an advertisement. This would be counted as the first infraction for Use of Distressed Language. The same BMW Center may then receive an additional infraction for Search Engine Optimization. This infraction is then counted as the center s first infraction for Search Engine Optimization, not as a second infraction. To receive a second warning and subsequent loss of AVP, three infractions must fall within the same category. The aforementioned items will be monitored regularly by the following Agencies. Dealers may also find it necessary to bring infractions of others to the attention of BMW NA. Please reach out to the contacts below and your Area Manager. BMW Legal Department Renate Kulnik renate.kulnik@bmwna.com Trademark Ansira Bridget Miller bridget.miller@ansira.com (for print, radio, online banners, billboards, etc.) BMW Roundel Distressed messaging Advertising that contains other makes Williams Forrest Holly Scott holly.scott@williams-forrest.com (for dealer websites) Distressed messaging Advertising that contains other makes Dealer Website Search Engine Optimization (SEO) To learn more about the 2012 Added Value Program, including Brand Standards, please visit Centernet (Center Development Portal > Added Value Program). 3

4 01 Trademark The BMW Roundel and all other registered BMW trademarks are protected worldwide and may be used only by BMW AG, BMW NA, BMW FS, BMW Motorrad, other BMW Group companies and BMW Centers. Authorized BMW Centers can use the BMW Roundel only pursuant to the licenses in applicable dealer agreements and only in connection with authorized vehicle lines. BMW trademarks must always be used in a manner that is consistent with BMW NA s trademark guidelines. BMW Trademarks The BMW Trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Figurative marks (Logos). For example: The BMW Roundel logo, M logo, and CPO logo Word and letter marks. For example: BMW, Steptronic, M Power, idrive and Sports Activity Vehicle Numbers (also in combination with letters). For example: 750, 3 Series, M3, X5, and K 1200 LT Advertising Slogans. For example: The Ultimate Driving Machine. Color Combinations. For example: The BMW Motorsport colors, as well as special distinguishing features, such as the BMW kidney-shaped grilles 4

5 01 Trademark Graphic Use The BMW Trademarks may not be modified in any way, including the colors, proportions or lettering. No additions to the trademarks, including their combination with other graphic elements, are permitted. All BMW trademarks must be set apart from other designations. The use of the BMW trademarks in conjunction with other trademarks, when promoting BMW products and services, is not permitted. Dealer Agreements BMW trademarks can never be used as part of a corporate name. The BMW wordmarks may be used as a part of a business name only with the expressed prior written approval of BMW. Branding No one may take any action to dilute or attempt to dilute the BMW brand, BMW trademarks or BMW trade names. Prohibited actions include, but are not limited to, using a non-bmw brand, trademark or trade name in a manner that is not acceptable to BMW NA, not approved by BMW NA, not approved by BMW NA in writing, or inconsistent with BMW branding policies. 5

6 01 Trademark Promotional Items BMW Centers may not offer for sale, promotional or accessory items with the BMW trademarks, unless those items were purchased from BMW NA. Use by Third Parties Manufacturers may produce products bearing the BMW trademarks only with the prior written consent of BMW NA. BMW Centers may not manufacture products for resale to the customers. Copyright on Written Materials All Service Bulletins, technical communications and promotional literature distributed by BMW NA to its authorized BMW Centers are protected under copyright laws. Copyrighted materials cannot be reproduced for any external use without the approval of BMW NA. Use of BMW Trademarks Pictures of new and Certified Pre-Owned BMW products can never be shown with non-bmw products. 6

7 02 BMW Roundel Always use the BMW Roundel in the three-dimensional format. 03 Distressed Messaging The use of distressed messaging does not meet AVP Advertising Standards. Distressed messaging also includes 3rd party lead sources that promote heavily discounted / below invoice pricing and messaging. Examples of distressed messaging include, but are not limited to: clearance, blow-out, closeout, liquidation, overstock, inventory reduction or any similar phrases or language. Correct Placement of Manufacturer Logos on a Billboard 04 Other Franchises or Makes in Dealer Advertising No other franchise or make is permitted Exceptions: The BMW logo and word mark may appear with the logos and word marks of other manufacturers for billboards, part supply trucks and automotive group websites with the following conditions: Clear separation is required between logos. Only DBA specific information is permitted for BMW and other manufacturers. Incorrect Placement of Manufacturer Logos on a Billboard Clear separation of logos is required 7

8 Correct Ad 8

9 Incorrect Ad Any distressed advertising or statements implying that BMW products are difficult to sell is not allowed. Always use the BMW Roundel in the threedimensional format. The BMW Roundel may not be used as a design element 9

10 05 Dealer Website Roundel Treatment Top navigation ID box placement is required to be anchored right 9 pt BMW Type Global Pro Bold Top line = black additional line = # ID boxes 183x90px (90x90 each) The BMW Roundel is the core of all BMW Communications. Do not manipulate, stretch or change it. Only one Roundel can be used on a page. An exception can be made if the Roundel also appears on merchandise or if it exists in a vehicle image or on a building. It is also acceptable to include one Roundel on a visual overlay featuring an actual vehicle in inventory and also within videos. 30px to 50px free space 20px to 50px ID Boxes If the website uses a top navigation, ID boxes are required to appear on the right. If the website uses a side navigation, ID boxes are required to appear on the left. Side navigation ID box placement is required to be anchored left A dealership logo may appear on the page but it may not appear in the masthead and may not be larger than the double ID boxes. 9 pt BMW Type Global Pro Bold Top line = black additional line = # ID boxes 183x90px (90x90 each) The double ID boxes appear in the same position at the top of all pages and are required to appear exactly as shown here. The double ID boxes are a required element and must be over a gray (#808284) background. In the left ID box, Your Center Name Here is required to appear in black on the top line using 9 pt BMW Type Global Pro Bold formerly known as BMW Bold Type. Authorized Center should appear in color # using 9 pt BMW Type Global Pro Bold. 20px to 50px 30px to 50px free space The right ID box is required to always contain the Roundel and the tagline The Ultimate Driving Machine positioned as shown here. 10

11 05 Dealer Website Page Masthead Standards Primary site navigation is required to be on the top or left side. There may not be any rounded corners on buttons. Personal dealer logos cannot be present in the masthead. The masthead should state at most the dealer s name, address and phone number(s). It is required to comply with BMW color palettes. Please see page 12 for reference. Top Navigation Masthead Standards Navigation 13 pt BMW Type Global Pro Bold #FFFFFF : # : # Home is REGULAR Total width 980px Center name, address and phone number(s): 10 pt - 12 pt BMW Type Global Pro Regular #FFFFFF Gray bar (#808284) 70px tall Side Navigation Masthead Standards Navigation 13 pt BMW Type Global Pro Bold #FFFFFF : # : # Home is REGULAR Total width 980px Center name, address and phone number(s): 10 pt -12 pt BMW Type Global Pro Regular #FFFFFF Gray bar (#808284) 70px tall 11

12 05 Dealer Website Color Palette The BMW color palette is made up of these twelve colors and shades. Black and shades of gray dominate. Vehicles and company logos are exempt from the color standards. # # #4C4C4E # # # #A2A3A5 #E6E7E8 #FFFFFF #1C69D4 # #FF0000 Body text Body copy BMW M Links Graphic elements Graphic elements Footnotes Legal BMW M copy Footnotes Legal text Graphic elements Reversed text Background Graphic icons Rollover states Selected states Highlight states Rollovers Usage limited to Error Messages Typography To meet typography standards, greater than 75% of the homepage is required to comply with BMW s global fonts. The approved BMW font family is Helvetica, Arial and Sans Serif. The font size may range from 9 pt to 24 pt. 12

13 05 Dealer Website Image Rules Crops of images that hide large sections of the vehicle or obscure the area of the vehicle the user is viewing do not meet image standards. Copy placed over a vehicle within an image does not meet image standards. All copy on images is required to be legible. Correct use of type on vehicle image Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Incorrect use of type over vehicle image Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Vehicles cropped through the Roundel or the kidney grille do not meet image standards. European model shown. Only one Roundel can be used on a page. An exception can be made if the Roundel also appears on merchandise or if it exists in a vehicle image or on a building. Correct use of type Incorrect use of type It is also acceptable to include one Roundel on a visual overlay featuring an actual vehicle in inventory. The visual overlay is required to follow BMW global fonts and color palette. There must not be any images, logos, and/or text of non-bmw vehicles, including MINI. The only exception is the used vehicle search & compare vehicle section which may show non-bmw vehicles. Clarification: Vehicles featured on the website must reside on the BMW center lot. When using Certified Pre-Owned vehicle images, do not show damaged vehicles. Correct Vehicle Image Usage Incorrect Vehicle Image Usage The European model disclaimer is recommended for images depicting a European model; however, it is no longer a requirement. 13

14 05 Dealer Website Pop-Up Standards Pop-ups are classified as content that appears without a user s call-to-action. Pop-ups may not exceed a pixel range of 800 x 800. They may only appear once per user session. They may not cover ID Boxes, unless they are a lead-generating form. They may not cover the Roundel, unless they are a lead-generating form. All pop-up messages are required to comply with the BMW color palettes. Please see page 12 for reference. Live Chat Standards A live chat may not exceed a pixel range of 400 x 400. It may not cover ID boxes. It may only appear once per user session. It may not cover the Roundel. If a live chat does exist, it is required to comply with BMW color palettes. Please see page 12 for reference. 14

15 05 Dealer Website Offer Page Standards Direct links to all current BMW FS finance, lease and CPO offers are required to be present on the homepage. Specific offer pages are required to include all current BMW FS finance, lease and CPO offers and comply with BMW s color palettes. Please see page 12 for reference. The preferred website providers have incorporated the offers within their templates. Other website providers may also implement the iframe or Web Service Solutions. Please refer to Bulletin V2-US-B Please note, it is not a requirement to implement the iframe or Web Service Solutions. It is possible for a center to update the information on its own. European model shown. Certified / Pre-Owned Vehicle Inventory Callout The global navigation is required to display a link to Certified / Pre-Owned Vehicle Inventory. 15

16 05 Dealer Website Design Standards Multiple Website Standards The use of animations or virtual tour guides, which can distract from the premium nature of the brand, do not meet design standards. The use of design elements such as starbursts and glittery signage do not meet design standards. Rounded corners on buttons do not meet design standards. The website URL listed on the BMWUSA.com dealer locator, is the single URL that may be used/advertised. If other URLs exist, they are required to be redirected to the compliant website. The only exception is a service or accessories URL as stated in the Aftersales SEM Co-op Guidelines. CenterNet > Aftersales > Business Development and Marketing Portal > Marketing Tools & Information > Aftersales Co-op > SEM Co-op Guidelines Social Media Logos Social media logos must not exceed 32x32 pixels on BMW Center websites and cannot be in the BMW masthead. If present, they are required to be in the body or footer of the page, never in the masthead. Social media buttons as shown on the right below are also acceptable. 32x32px Company Logos Company logos such as Google or any of the BMW preferred website providers may not exceed 120x120 pixels and cannot be in the BMW masthead. If present, they are required to be in the body or footer of the page, never in the masthead. Personal dealer logos may not exceed 185 x 90 pixels. Footer Standards Footers are to comply with BMW global fonts and color palettes. Font size may not exceed 12 pt. 16

17 06 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Search Engine Optimization (also called Organic Search or non-paid search) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a website from search engines (i.e. Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) via unpaid search results. The current guidelines state: Locations, DBA names and other descriptions used in the site must be consistent with the terms outlined in the dealer agreement. Centers cannot list competing DBA names, locations and/or zip codes outside their PMA within their site source code, page titles, descriptions, and meta data. Centers are not allowed to use Black Hat techniques such as doorway pages or spam tactics in tricking search engines to generate higher results (see the Wikipedia link below to learn more about Black Hat or improper techniques). BMW of North America has taken a self-policing approach for centers to report other centers or organizations that may engage in obvious inappropriate SEO tactics. BMW Centers can report other centers that engage in this way and BMW NA and/or BMW AG will take action as appropriate. If you would like to get up-to-speed on the latest search engine tactics and best practices, please see: or google.com/en/us/webmasters/docs/search-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf 17

18 BMW Legal Department Renate Kulnik Added Value Program CenterNet > Center Development Portal > Added Value Program Ansira Bridget Miller Fonts Download CenterNet > Marketing Portal > Corporate Identity > BMW Fonts Download Williams Forrest Holly Scott Website Assets CenterNet > Marketing Portal > Advertising Materials > Website Assets Preferred Website Providers Cobalt (888) CenterNet Access Please call 1 (800) Dealer.com sales@dealer.com (888) Naked Lime (formerly Reynolds and Reynolds) sales@nakedlime.com (855)