Bold Moves in Marketing
For many years, Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod has worked for various BMW Group brands, from BMW Motorrad to Rolls-Royce to MINI. When asked about her “boldest move,” she talks about her transition from the lifestyle department into market research. That was her first real experience with the core product, the car – and she learned how crucial it is to listen to customers worldwide and feed their wishes directly into design and product development.
When it comes to bold brand work, MINI stands out for her in particular: playful, creative, and rebellious by nature, qualities that make the brand especially approachable and unique.
Diversity as DNA
One defining example of bold marketing at MINI is the brand’s approach to diversity and Pride. Instead of treating them as one-off campaigns, Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod decided to integrate them permanently into the MINI DNA:
“We decided not to treat diversity and pride as one-off instead of having it constantly in our brand work because it is part of the DNA of MINI … everyone is welcome … sometimes that was not easy also internally, but we pushed this forward.”
Even though there were internal and external discussions, she chose clarity and authenticity. The outcome: strong positive resonance and confirmation that a clear stance has more weight than short-term trend adjustments.
Failure Culture as a Driver of Innovation
Bold decisions require room for experimentation and failure. That’s why Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod fosters matrix teams, joint project briefings, and open debrief sessions after campaigns:
“We set up matrix teams … after the project we have like a debrief and there we have a learning session … that’s to try out things and to transform the culture much more that they really innovate.”
She also leads by example:
“I had one topic for myself … we invested time and budget, but it didn’t deliver the results. And I had to admit in front of my team, this one was my idea … and I think that’s also very important … to say, yes, I failed with my idea, but it’s okay.”
Creativity Without Permission
A particularly bold project emerged when the MINI team executed a campaign referencing British Airways – without prior approval. Even though the billboards had to be taken down after a short time, the response was tremendous:
“I had one topic for myself … we invested time and budget, but it didn’t deliver the results. And I had to admit in front of my team, this one was my idea … and I think that’s also very important … to say, yes, I failed with my idea, but it’s okay.”
For Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod, such actions are the essence of the MINI DNA: rebellious, charming, and always a little provocative.
Leading with Boldness
What does “bold leadership” mean to Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod?
“For me bold brand leadership is about making MINI unforgettable. We don’t want to be conformists … we want to challenge conventions … and also to be bold enough to say, to accept failure in a huge company.”
She cites Patagonia as a source of inspiration: “Don’t Buy This Jacket” is, to her, one of the boldest campaigns ever because it shows how taking a clear stance can be placed above short-term profit.
Takeaway for Marketer
In the end, Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod sums up her key message like this: “Be bold, try things out, and stand fully behind your ideas—even when speaking to the board.”
Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod will be speaking at the CMO Summit at DMEXCO 2025 on “The Reboot of the System.” Don’t miss it!
Don’t miss any important news from the world of digital marketing, both nationally and internationally! Subscribe to the new DMEXCO newsletter “Digital Digest” and receive the latest information directly in your mailbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
