BMW True North

The year was 2012, and car clubs in Canada still functioned solely using internet forums controlled by anonymous owners, patrolled by moderators with aliases, and populated by ‘club members’ who no one really knew. It was the best online social interaction the internet had to offer for quite some time, but it quickly got stale and uninteresting for most enthusiasts in the scene; as other more engaging methods of virtual social interaction were becoming the norm. While forums offered a wealth of information, its anonymity prevented it from building a strong and active community outside of the forums. Around this time, the increasing integration of social media had also changed how social communities are created and its members interacted with each other. People spent less

Words by Nick Maroulis President and Founder of BMWTrueNorth www.bmwtn.com nickm@bmwtn.com 20 MotorWerks Magazine

time going to a forum, and more time interacting with mobile applications which fed information to the user in real time. The founders of BMWTrueNorth recognized that the way people communicated online was rapidly changing and that through online applications such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, the club could reach out to people and encourage them to meet in person, drop the forum aliases, and come together in a real social experience outside of the confines of the internet. In 2013, BMWTrueNorth (BMWTN) was registered as a not for profit BMW enthusiast club in Toronto with the goal of building a highly active car club both online and in the real world for BMW enthusiasts across Ontario. Events organized by our staff include club meets at exclusive locations, track events, club cruises across Ontario, as well as private photoshoots and rallies. BMWTN also supports surrounding clubs and car events by taking part in their events and car shows. In fact BMWTN hoisted its flags and tent at over fifty events in 2016, which is impressive when you take into account the length of a Canadian winter. The overall result has been extremely successful with the club amassing over 4,800 members in just over three years. In 2017 the club is releasing its own app that can be downloaded for free and used on all existing phones and tablets. The app will allow club members to interact with staff, sponsors, and participate in events in new ways. Our staff members are constantly investigating how social media is evolving the social experience and how we can

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