We got a mailing from MINI this week. It is what I would call a “Welcome Pack”. The MINI Excitement Center sent it. It was really a surprise.
So let’s look at what we got.
- a letter from Ulrike
- a folder with what’s called “30 seconds of MINI Clubman Diesel facts”
- a booklet (42 pages)
- an info leaflet about the Amex MINI Excitement Card
- a personalized calendar
- a questionnaire and return envelope
Ulrike seems to be heading up MINI Customer Service and put all the welcome pack together. So let’s take a closer look at some of the contents.
The MINI Welcome Pack
The booklet provides an introduction to the MINI brand and overview of additional offerings.
The first few pages are about a personalized website you can sign-up for as a owner. Then they tell me all about the MINI International magazine. And I hope they will also send me copies from now on – it’s not clear whether it comes for free or whether I need to subscribe somewhere. What follows are pages about the MINI and the Mini heritage. Then the next pages are all about the MINI Challenge race series. Promptly followed by advertising the possibility of doing a MINI Driver Training. And of course there are pages talking about accessories, the MINI Collection, the Amex Excitement Card (again), and a friendly reminder to fill in a questionnaire and send it back to Munich.
The one really nice give-away is the personalized calendar.
Typically a calendar’s first page is the January page. Not here. Because the mailing was sent in March, the first page is the April 2010 page – and the last is for March 2011. But what is really nifty is that the cover and each month’s page is personalized with my name. Not as simple as printing my name somewhere, no. It’s included into the pictures for each month. Either as a graffiti in the background, stitched floor mats, stickers on a Challenge MINI, neon lights of a building etc.
And in July, when it’s my birthday, there is a picture of a MINI Clubman with a cup cake and candle. And my birthday is circled.
In case you want to see the calendar and all the other pieces in more detail, please feel free to see more pictures after clicking here.
Thanks Ulrike for sending this. It’s one nice mailing. Only two suggestions.
I would be nice to improve on the time between ordering the car and getting this pack. Quite some time has passed since we welcomed our MINI. Actually it’ now a full 15 weeks after we picked up our MINI Clubman Diesel at the dealer. I guess it takes MINI some time to process everything and include new car buyers into what must be a batch of mailings to go out the door.
Advertising the Amex Excitement Card in a welcome pack is probably a good idea. But I already owned a MINI before and got the card back then. You should have me on file. Why not include something different for those who have the card already? (Or simply leave out the leaflet and save a tree?).
What do you think? Did you get a welcome pack as well? For your MINI or maybe another car?
Your comments are … you guessed it … welcome!
Our MINI Clubman Diesel 
nice!! In the US they don’t send you any of these nice personalized items. I did receive a “let go motoring” or some such mailing with stickers, a die (for my antenna), road atlas; but would’ve preferred the calendar. Wasn’t aware of a MINI magazine either, VW & Audi sent me their magazines.
You can find more about the MINI Magazine here.
You can also order a free issue on the website.
I think the AMEX card stuff is odd? When I visit Europe, especially Holland, it’s hard to find anyone that excepts it though I will say that during my visit last year saw more who did.
Since I buy my MINIs secondhand I wouldn’t know if there is such a thing in the USA.
Just as well you’re not called something profane. I’m not sure some of the names people choose for their digital/online presence would work terribly well with the personalised calendar.
But then I guess they got your details direct from the dealer and unless you bought your Mini using your online persona I guess it works.