Caverion has taken up the banner of “Building Performance” and thus stands for technical building equipment in all trades, from office complexes to hospitals to congress centers. We talked to Head of Marketing & Communication Holger Winkelsträter about marketing learnings from 2020 and found out what the must-have weapon for successful brand management is in the new year…
Holger Winkelsträter, thank you very much for being with us today! We’ll start as usual: Which was your favorite brand in your childhood and which one is it today?
If you think of brand as a bundle of perceived qualities, my favorite brand as a kid was: Zorro. Why? First of all, because his visible trademark definitely corresponded to my ideal idea of everyday clothing at the time, and secondly, because his brand activities were fulfilling in every way for a 5-year-old with a kitchen knife in his hand and alone at home.
And today? Makami. Known for their Santoku knife which is made of 67 layers of steel and has a Rockwell hardness of 60.
Imagine meeting a brand fairy who can fulfill your every wish. What would you wish for Caverion?
A higher marketing budget.
What are your most important learnings in the area of brand from 2020?
I learned that the why, and thus the meaningfulness of what we do, is important not only for the mission and vision of a company, but also for personal decisions. In addition, 2020 has strengthened my conviction that a positive attitude and curiosity are superpowers.
What role does digitalization currently play in the brand sector? And how do you see the influence of the pandemic here?
Digitalization is certainly particularly visible in the brand experience at the moment. We are experiencing this above all where real brand experiences are being eliminated as a result of the pandemic. Examples of this are trade shows and events such as product launches. Nevertheless, I believe the importance of brand strength will increase, especially in the wake of digitalization. However, this goes hand in hand with the increasing challenge of controlled brand management.
What challenges do you see in the areas of brand and marketing today as opposed to, say, 10 or 20 years ago? And what do you see in 10 years’ time?
Brand management today is much more complex than it was a few years ago. On the one hand, there is the increasing number of touchpoints. On the other hand, brand messages often develop a momentum of their own that can only be controlled with great effort. In addition, we as Caverion are now also encountering increasing market dynamics with new participants, new fields of action and development, and also new target groups who, as if it were not challenging enough already, are displaying rapidly changing media usage behavior. In parallel with this complexity, however, the opportunities to attract and retain customers and those who want to become customers are also increasing. And that makes me very expectant of what lies ahead in the coming years. I’m convinced this will strengthen marketing departments in the future.
What tips would you give to someone trying to establish a new brand in the market in 2021?
- Patience.
- common sense
- a rapier.
