Finding the right price-performance ratio at the concept stage and delivering customer-centred innovations: An earlier article explained why both matter for mechanical engineering companies, and why neither is enough on its own, especially in difficult times.
The industry’s market leaders demonstrate the answer: the decisive difference comes from a form of ‘protection against copying’ — a well-managed brand, including individual, outstanding and consistent design.
While the first article on this subject focused on an injection moulding machine company and a major fan manufacturer, here I share what I learned from conversations with Stephan Niehaus, Head of Corporate Product Design at Hilti, and Ulrich Hamme, a managing director at Liebherr.
For Stephan Niehaus of tool manufacturer Hilti, design identity necessarily follows from brand identity. Over time, however, customers recognise this design identity so intuitively that it, in turn, influences the brand identity. He sees this as a positive development: ideally, brand and design work together like a one-two passing move in football, advancing towards their shared goal. For him, both brand identity and design identity are primarily building blocks of the emotional relationship with customers. They communicate a product’s premium qualities on a level that pure function no longer can.
Stephan Niehaus therefore says: ‘Everything we do is ultimately aimed at creating lasting enthusiasm for the product and fascination with the brand.’ Alongside good usability, this includes extensive and intensive involvement of engineering, which reinforces the brand image when implemented collaboratively and to the required quality.
Liebherr managing director Ulrich Hamme emphasises that a positively perceived corporate brand gives customers orientation. It works like a signpost: customers know that a ‘safe harbour’ awaits them there. Successful brand work of this kind requires trust, security and reliability built over many years as the basis for products’ sustained value creation. Products that are successful both for customers and for Liebherr provide this foundation. According to Hamme, offering such products requires forward-looking thinking rather than a focus on competitors. Liebherr therefore relies primarily on its diverse network, especially its customers.
Once established, the brand saves the company a great deal of questioning because it conveys solidity and stability to customers. It also makes it easier for customers to reach an informed decision.
For Ulrich Hamme, design is an integral part of the brand: a brand is never just a name, but always an image too. Anyone talking about an image in connection with a brand is automatically talking about design. It is much easier to recognise a signpost as a signpost when design makes the brand recognisable. Hamme says: ‘Brand and design work closely together and complement each other.’
‘This is also how we approached our latest mobile crane project for and with Liebherr: our task was to inspire the user — the crane operator — to feel proud of operating a Liebherr crane. We achieved this through the product experience, user-friendliness and functionality of the workplace, combined with the distinctive design that points to Liebherr and creates strong recognition,’ says Hamme.
One thing struck me over the course of the four conversations: all four people, regardless of their area of responsibility, believed that consistent brand and design management was a factor in their company’s success. They understand that every single product represents the brand: it has to fulfil the brand promise of unique benefits and customer-centred innovation. All four also recognised the considerable influence that R&D departments have on the brand.
If every product represents the brand, product developers directly influence it too: they keep their company’s brand in view at all times, and every innovation makes them active shapers of that brand.
This awareness opens up a value-creating view of opportunity. I am convinced that it would offer market leaders in mechanical engineering — and companies aspiring to join them — an entirely new dimension in delivering the decisive advantage for their customers.