FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[darwin dali]

F1live:
Given Brawn's dominance and McLaren's struggles, Mercedes-Benz is considering adding corporate branding to the championship-leading BGP 001.

Brawn GP's use of the Stuttgart marque's engines this year is simply a customer deal, but the package has won four out of the five races so far this season, and is leading the drivers' and constructors' championships.

A three-pointed star was not in Mercedes' original plans for the Brawn linkup, but Norbert Haug said after the Spanish Grand Prix that the scenario is now being ‘considered’.

"We have possibilities and options and it has been offered to us," Mercedes' competition boss, is quoted as saying by the broadcaster RTL.

However, the 56-year-old added that Mercedes does not want to ‘divert’ from its works relationship with McLaren, winner of the 2008 drivers' title with Lewis Hamilton.


The grass is greener on Brawn's lawn, ain't that the truth?

No big surprise. If it will sell more cars, then they will do it. No brainer

ok No because Mclaren are invloved.

This is not like Renault either for the reason above.

Renaualt Make the engines and the car

But in VMM Merc make the engines , Mclaren make the car.

The only car to wear the merc badge is the Mclaren it should not be put on the Brawn car.

Maybe they should rethink it and rebadge the engine. Daimler or Maybach or Smart or Mitsubishi Fuso or somtin'

[scotty]

Renaualt Make the engines and the car

But in VMM Merc make the engines , Mclaren make the car.

The only car to wear the merc badge is the Mclaren it should not be put on the Brawn car.

Erm, what have i missed here, that doesn't make sense! Merc can do what they want with their engines and branding, it's not like McLaren have shares in them and can dictate what should be done... so why should it only be on the McLaren?

[bud]

Scotty it's he other way around Mercedes own McLaren in majority! Their sponsors care what Mer exes does with their branding!
And you're totally disregarding what I have said about the marketing strategy behind it! If there were no issues then Force India and Brawn would have had the branding at the start of the year!

[texasmr2]

Yup, although not as bad as the betting ring, and hooker related posts going down on the 'Brawn hates Barrichello' thread

So I went off topic in one thread just trying to add in alittle humor dont burn me at the stake for it.

[EwanM]

Its going to happen sooner rather than later, read any of the press releases from Mclaren when Brawn win, Haug always states "congradulations on the Brawn victory, powered by Mercedes Benz"

[scotty]

Scotty it's he other way around Mercedes own McLaren in majority! Their sponsors care what Mer exes does with their branding!
And you're totally disregarding what I have said about the marketing strategy behind it! If there were no issues then Force India and Brawn would have had the branding at the start of the year!

40% = majority shareholding?

Anyway, that's what i said, Mercedes have shares in McLaren, not the other way round, and there must be potential benefits to them if they are considering doing it.

As for your point on the marketing (i think i found the post you mean anyway), the only issue may arise if Mercedes become more deeply involved with Brawn, a mere sticker on the engine cover is not a big deal because it would not be as intense coverage for Mercedes as they gain from their McLaren partnership. The original article posted said "Mercedes-Benz is considering adding corporate branding to the championship-leading BGP 001" which is a pretty broad term, so any debate about marketing impact is relevant to how involved they will be, but we don't know how much they will be... For example, if they changed the offical team name to "Virgin Brawn Mercedes" like McLaren does with "Vodafone McLaren Mercedes" then that is a potential conflict of interest on several levels, but that also requires a much higher level of involvement - and i don't think that'll be the case, i think any involvment will be quite subtle, hence my view on this.

As for running some branding from the start of the year, it would appear that the only issue at the start of the season was an element of uncertainty over how competitive the Brawn would be, and there would be absolutely no benefit at all to Mercedes from associating themselves in this sense with backmarkers. Also, consider the rush with which Brawn got properly up and running before the first race.

[Jensonb]

Of you're a marketing guru are you?

IF Mclaren was just called Mercedes F1 team it would be very easy to label the brawn or Force india but Its not and isn't

I'm better at it than you'd probably like to think.

The Mercedes name appears on McLaren cars to sell Mercedes cars off the back of McLaren. Likewise, Vodafone appears on McLaren cars to sell Vodafone services off the back of McLaren. Mercedes appearing on the Brawn serves to sell Mercedes cars off the back of Brawn. There is zero overlap with the Vodafone (And other sponsor) brands.

Mercedes is an irrelevance to Vodafone's (To stick with them as an example) decision to sponsor McLaren. They want their name splashed across the hugely popular team's car with a World Champion behind the wheel. Mercedes having their name on that and another car with a Mercedes engine does not affect Vodafone in any way, shape or form. It only affects Mercedes.

[Gaz]

Of you're a marketing guru are you?

IF Mclaren was just called Mercedes F1 team it would be very easy to label the brawn or Force india but Its not and isn't

I'm better at it than you'd probably like to think.

The Mercedes name appears on McLaren cars to sell Mercedes cars off the back of McLaren. Likewise, Vodafone appears on McLaren cars to sell Vodafone services off the back of McLaren. Mercedes appearing on the Brawn serves to sell Mercedes cars off the back of Brawn. There is zero overlap with the Vodafone (And other sponsor) brands.

Mercedes is an irrelevance to Vodafone's (To stick with them as an example) decision to sponsor McLaren. They want their name splashed across the hugely popular team's car with a World Champion behind the wheel. Mercedes having their name on that and another car with a Mercedes engine does not affect Vodafone in any way, shape or form. It only affects Mercedes.

Sorry but You can't say that Vodafone and Mclaren's other sponsors Jonny Walker for example might like the prestige of being on the Mclaren.

They might be unhappy if the Merc badge is associsated with other manufactors.

[Denthúl]

Of you're a marketing guru are you?

IF Mclaren was just called Mercedes F1 team it would be very easy to label the brawn or Force india but Its not and isn't

I'm better at it than you'd probably like to think.

The Mercedes name appears on McLaren cars to sell Mercedes cars off the back of McLaren. Likewise, Vodafone appears on McLaren cars to sell Vodafone services off the back of McLaren. Mercedes appearing on the Brawn serves to sell Mercedes cars off the back of Brawn. There is zero overlap with the Vodafone (And other sponsor) brands.

Mercedes is an irrelevance to Vodafone's (To stick with them as an example) decision to sponsor McLaren. They want their name splashed across the hugely popular team's car with a World Champion behind the wheel. Mercedes having their name on that and another car with a Mercedes engine does not affect Vodafone in any way, shape or form. It only affects Mercedes.

Sorry but You can't say that Vodafone and Mclaren's other sponsors Jonny Walker for example might like the prestige of being on the Mclaren.

They might be unhappy if the Merc badge is associsated with other manufactors.

But they should have no reason to be, they aren't sponsoring Mercedes.

[Jensonb]

Of you're a marketing guru are you?

IF Mclaren was just called Mercedes F1 team it would be very easy to label the brawn or Force india but Its not and isn't

I'm better at it than you'd probably like to think.

The Mercedes name appears on McLaren cars to sell Mercedes cars off the back of McLaren. Likewise, Vodafone appears on McLaren cars to sell Vodafone services off the back of McLaren. Mercedes appearing on the Brawn serves to sell Mercedes cars off the back of Brawn. There is zero overlap with the Vodafone (And other sponsor) brands.

Mercedes is an irrelevance to Vodafone's (To stick with them as an example) decision to sponsor McLaren. They want their name splashed across the hugely popular team's car with a World Champion behind the wheel. Mercedes having their name on that and another car with a Mercedes engine does not affect Vodafone in any way, shape or form. It only affects Mercedes.

Sorry but You can't say that Vodafone and Mclaren's other sponsors Jonny Walker for example might like the prestige of being on the Mclaren.

They might be unhappy if the Merc badge is associsated with other manufactors.

But they should have no reason to be, they aren't sponsoring Mercedes.

Exactly. Even setting that aside, Mercedes being on the Brawn does not devalue the Mercedes badge on the McLaren. Despite what Longbow and bud keep insisting, it's exactly the same as the Renault signage being on the Red Bull. In fact, it has significantly less impact on McLaren's sponsors than that does on Renault's.

[Jamie]

Of you're a marketing guru are you?

IF Mclaren was just called Mercedes F1 team it would be very easy to label the brawn or Force india but Its not and isn't

I see were your coming from, they can class themselves - The 1 & Only Badged Mercedes -
in which would be a one in a million chance to sponsor them.

[Jensonb]

Of you're a marketing guru are you?

IF Mclaren was just called Mercedes F1 team it would be very easy to label the brawn or Force india but Its not and isn't

I see were your coming from, they can class themselves - The 1 & Only Badged Mercedes -
in which would be a one in a million chance to sponsor them.

It still says "Mercedes" next to the team names, no matter what. So that doesn't really get them much.