Product Strategy, UX & Product Development
It’s not just about motorbikes. Experiences as part of a brand strateg
For years, BMW Motorrad has been building its reputation not only through the development of motorbikes, but also by fostering a community centred on a passion for riding on two wheels.
The ‘Make Life a Ride’ strategy aims to build relationships with users at every stage of their motorcycling adventure. As the range of trips, training courses, events and partner services has expanded, there has been a need to create a platform that combines inspiration with the ability to book specific experiences.
Our task was to design an environment that supports the development of a new sales channel and fosters engagement within the BMW Motorrad community.
The challenge
How can you sell emotions in the digital world?
Selling a motorbike is a process that is relatively easy to describe. The customer compares the features, familiarises themselves with the product specifications and makes a purchase decision.
When it comes to experiments, the situation is completely different.
Motorcycle tours, training courses, events and motorcycle hire are driven primarily by emotion. Customers aren’t buying a physical product, but rather the promise of experiencing unique moments, acquiring new skills or discovering places they wouldn’t be able to reach on their own.
That is why one of the project’s greatest challenges was to create an environment that would serve both as a source of inspiration and an effective sales tool.
One platform, many different kinds of experiences
BMW Motorrad’s range of activities is extremely varied — from multi-day motorbike tours, through training courses and track days, to motorbike hire and events organised by the brand’s partners.
Each of these areas has its own specific characteristics, booking process and target audience.
The platform had to enable users to easily find the offers they were interested in, regardless of their level of experience, budget or location.
Global availability and scalability
From the outset, Fuel for Life was designed as a solution to be developed on an international scale.
This meant that a platform had to be created that was capable of working with multiple partners, serving various markets, and continuing to expand its offering to include further categories of experiences and new organisers.
Selling experiences requires a different approach to selling products – inspiration and emotion are just as important as the booking process itself.
Our approach
We began by supporting BMW Motorrad in defining the platform strategy and designing the user experience.
The key objective was to create an environment that would not function like a traditional directory of offers. We wanted to combine the inspirational elements typical of lifestyle brand communication with the functionality of a platform that allows users to quickly find and book the right activity.
Together with the BMW Motorrad team, we defined customer journeys and how to present the various categories of experience. On this basis, we developed a concept for UX, a user experience design and a front-end prototype of the platform.
At the same time, we developed a content strategy designed to foster emotional engagement among users and present our offers in a way that reflects the brand’s character.
This approach has enabled the creation of a solution that supports both the business objectives relating to the development of the range of experiences on offer and the long-term strategy of building a community around BMW Motorrad.
The platform has been designed to guide users from inspiration right through to booking an experience in just a few simple steps.
How the Fuel for Life platform works – from inspiration to booking motorcycling experiences
Solution:
Fuel for Life – experience commerce for BMW Motorrad
The solution to BMW Motorrad’s needs was Fuel for Life – an experience commerce platform enabling users to discover, plan and book brand-related experiences.
The aim of the project was not to create yet another catalogue of offers or a promotional website. The platform was intended to serve as a central point of contact between users and the extensive ecosystem of services and activities offered by BMW Motorrad and its partners.
Fuel for Life brings together in one place a range of offers including, amongst other things, motorbike tours, training courses, special events and motorbike hire. This allows users to easily browse the available experiences and choose those that best suit their interests and skill level.
The key aim of the project was to combine inspiration with the opportunity to take action. The platform was designed to enable users to move seamlessly from discovering new possibilities to booking a specific activity.
Experience Finder
One of the most important elements of the solution is the Experience Finder – a mechanism designed to help users find suitable offers.
Rather than presenting an extensive list of activities, the platform helps users narrow down their choices based on key criteria such as location, budget, date or type of experience.
This approach significantly simplifies the process of searching for offers and enables users to find activities that match their individual preferences more quickly.
Once they have selected an offer that interests them, users can proceed directly to the booking process handled by BMW Motorrad’s partners.
Experience Finder helps users find and book motorcycling experiences tailored to their budget, dates, location and type of activity, combining inspiration with an intuitive booking process.
Content as a sales tool
When selling experiences, the way the offer is presented is just as important as the platform’s functionality.
That is why Fuel for Life is based on rich visual material, inspirational content and a narrative that reinforces the brand’s emotional character. Each offering is presented not only as a service, but above all as an opportunity to enjoy a unique experience.
This approach helps to build user engagement and strengthen the relationship between the brand and the motorcycling community.
At the same time, we developed a content strategy and information architecture to support both the process of discovering offers and the achievement of the platform’s business objectives.
Fuel for Life expands BMW Motorrad’s digital services ecosystem, enabling users to discover and book trips, training courses, events and motorbike hire all in one place.
The Result
The project has created a new experience commerce channel, expanding the BMW Motorrad ecosystem beyond the traditional model of motorcycle sales and servicing.
Fuel for Life has become a new digital channel for selling experiences, supporting the implementation of the ‘Make Life a Ride’ strategy in the online environment. The platform enables users to discover and book trips, training courses, events and motorbike hire, combining inspiring content with an intuitive process for searching for and booking offers.
By combining the user experience with an extensive partner ecosystem, Fuel for Life helps to build long-term relationships with motorcyclists and develop a new area of business for BMW Motorrad based on selling experiences.
The results achieved in the platform’s first few months of operation confirmed the potential of the new sales model and users’ interest in the range of experiences developed by the brand.
Project results
In its first three months of operation, the platform achieved:
- 81% user engagement rate,
- 130,000 unique visits,
- 300,000 euros worth of confirmed bookings.
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We help brands design and develop digital platforms that align user needs with business objectives. Whether you’re building an e-commerce platform, a marketplace or a digital services ecosystem, we support organisations in creating experiences that engage users and build long-term business value.
