The Fun Side of the MBCA

Three years ago, the Mercedes-Benz Club of America engaged a marketing firm to conduct a study of the club and its relevance to the membership. The results of that study provided the Board with many valuable insights and included recommendations for the inclusion of five core attributes: inclusive, contemporary, quality, expertise and fun. In Board members’ view, if the MBCA culture reflects these elements that characterize member value, the organization will be relevant to its members.

One of the most attractive core elements of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America is that members have fun. Sections are hosting rallies, car shows, defensive driving programs and Sunday drives. Members are enjoying wine-country tours, visits to national parks, automobile museums and technical sessions. Every MBCA event enhances the Mercedes-Benz experience by bringing enthusiasts together, including a social component and promoting friendships.

When I joined the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, I expected to receive regular issues of the award-winning Star magazine and to meet other members who were enthusiastic about the Mercedes-Benz brand. The club provides a menu of membership benefits, it hosts national events and is the largest organized group of Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts in North America.

MBCA was a great member value. I knew that I would enjoy reading the Star. I valued the parts and service discounts provided to MBCA members by the authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer network. I did not know that participation in MBCA events would be so much fun.

Of the five nonnegotiable core elements defining the MBCA culture, fun may be both the most meaningful and the most difficult to describe. We all know that we like to have fun. We recognize it when we have had fun. We look forward to having more fun but we cannot go to market and buy a case of fun. Fun is intangible but it is recognizable. In order to recognize fun, you just have to “experience” it.

The first MBCA event that I attended was an evening social gathering that focused on welcoming new members. I didn’t know anyone in the Section and I was a little reserved about attending. The event planners included social games that encouraged current members and new members to mingle. The event soon became a gathering of friends with a common interest and I was part of it.

Section, Region and National MBCA activities and events are a source of both fun and friendship. If you want to have fun and enjoy your membership, now is the time and MBCA is the place.

I anticipate making new friends and having fun at each event I attend. I look forward to participating in StarFest this fall. It is really going to be fun!

Let’s drive ‘em,
                                        Steve

(StarFest is a registered trademark of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America)