One reason is that trends like this offer certainty, and certainty is not only an essential human need, it also bolsters buying behaviour. Particularly in times of change with an uncertain future – as we are currently experiencing with the energy market – this is perhaps a good argument for pursuing such a strategy. Nevertheless, I take quite a different view.

All market participants are aware that the energy market is undergoing a process of historical change. The past no longer provides us with a suitable blueprint for the future – a situation which harbours both opportunities and risks. Discussions are full of talk about investigating, exploring, cooperating, developing, innovating, changing and realigning. This reflects not only the behaviour or the intentions of individuals, but also that of companies or even an entire industry. In the past, industrial companies were buyers. Today, they are not only customers, they are also energy producers themselves, and in future they may even become brokers or providers of storage capacity. This changes business models, customer relations and the roles of energy companies. So what does that mean for their brands?

It is time to put their brands to the test. When the market environment, customer relationships or the business model change, this has an inevitable impact on the brand strategy and communication. What potential do existing customer relationships offer for new services and products? Is this potential covered by the brand? Should the brand be extended and do new business fields also require new brands? What does this mean for communication?

Independent of the individual brand strategy, the changes in the energy market also necessitate a change in communication, namely in terms of attitude. Now that people and companies are exploring, cooperating and showing a tendency towards realignment, companies need to open up dialogue, offer topics and ask questions instead of suggesting certainties that will barely outlast the next trade fair. Such an approach takes into account the changing framework conditions, increases credibility and is authentic. Authenticity enables trust. And particularly in times of change, trust is a synonym for certainty.

As media artist Nan Jun Paik aptly put it: “When too perfect, God not amused”. I am convinced that mainstream is not a promising strategy for this market environment. The potential for innovation lies not only in the business model but also in the management of customer relationships and thus in brand management – something which many energy companies have yet to understand. 

The study included questions on the fulfilment of expectations, brand loyalties, recommendation rates and likelihood of selling again. It also surveyed aspects such as product segmentation, information sources, competitors and sociodemographic data.
We ensured high survey consistency by using the »Analytic Hierarchy Process«.

For the management team at aleo, the findings of the study provide a solid decision-making basis for evaluating future customer loyalty and customer acquisition measures. A special login for the survey software enables aleo to directly process, filter and reflect the surveyed data. Now that the system has been set up, the company can re-measure customer satisfaction every year.

kleiner und bold was responsible for the survey model, developing and designing the questionnaire, project management and evaluating the survey. In cooperation with project partner pangea labs, kleiner und bold provided the programming for the online questionnaire, including the logic and response management. The online survey was presented using the SaaS survey software Questfox and was implemented in the customer’s corporate design.

MAPA GmbH, based in Zeven, has been the market leader of the condom segment in Germany for years, and it is all thanks to its cult brand BILLY BOY. As a result of the cheeky image we developed and the portfolio of colourful, flavoured and beaded condoms, the brand quickly became the most-bought condom among the young target group of 15-25 year olds. However, due to entry price brands and retail brands, the potential sales market of brand-name condoms has shrunk by 24% and competitors have massively increased the communication pressure. Furthermore, as they get older, BILLY BOY customers switch to rival products. Our challenge was to support the high level of acceptance among young customers and to extend this to the older target group by marketing the brand as a quality product. The continually dwindling sales of the other MAPA brands (Blausiegel and Fromms) ultimately led to them being dropped by retailers. Our brief was to integrate the respective products with their highly specific product features in a single brand strategy.

By extending the brand to the three areas of FUN, classic and special under the umbrella of BILLY BOY, the goal was to extend brand loyalty into older user groups with other needs. »BILLY BOY Fun« continues to address the young target group with a playful attitude to sexuality. »BILLY BOY B2« addresses the older target group who attach great importance to premium quality and have specific needs when it comes to condoms (material, strength, shape). »BILLY BOY white«, in contrast, addresses the female target group who are looking for protection as well as fulfilment with their partner and a pure, natural experience.

The packaging was designed according to the target group analysis and the new umbrella brand strategy convinced retailers, quickly enabling a very high level of distribution for the new range. As a broad campaign to support the product launch of B2 and white was not possible, the packaging alone had to generate sales when compared to rival products on the shelf. Since the launch of the brand, the upwards sales trajectory has remained constant and the repeat purchase rate is high.

The REBRAND 100® Award is one of the most coveted global awards of its kind, honouring the most effective rebranding strategies of companies and institutions. An international, multidisciplinary jury assessed the before and after performance of each brand in the light of its strategic goals. 

www.rebrand.com/2012-showcase

In just eleven years, this corporate law company has developed into one of Germany’s leading law firms and is represented with five branches in the key economic centres.
The firm’s website is largely aimed at the construction industry, including engineering and architecture firms, the public sector, media representatives and applicants. Our brief was to enable quick and specific website access for these target groups. kleiner und bold modernised both the structure and design of the old website, developing it into an extensive and service-oriented presentation of the company.

The clear page layout, current specialist topics and the drop-down navigation provide a quick overview and a user-friendly first impression of the website. Each service area is represented with a striking picture from a reference project. One of the new features is a comprehensive information library, bundling together all current activities, publications and case law to provide information on the latest developments in the field of law and legal practice. By using the filter options, users can display information about specific topics. Many publications can also be ordered via the online service. A seminar manager service handles online bookings and manages in-house seminars and conferences.

Our website design is search engine friendly (onPage) and features integrated sharing functions for social networks. It was technically implemented using Typo3 CMS.

 Website of Leinemann & Partner

The GVL is the organisation established to protect the copyright of performing artists and manufacturers of sound in Germany. It was founded in 1959 as the first German society that protects performing rights, a position it still occupies alone today.

The new Annual Report is designed clearly and generously. The open and inviting design is underscored by a reduced world of colour on violet and grey whose interplay comes into its own on the pages separating the chapters and headlines as well as in the information graphics. Thanks to the high percentage of white space in the Annual Report, the reader perceives it to be inviting and well-structured. As such, the GVL now has at its disposal an adequate medium to communicate the financial year 2010 with self-confidence.

The German Society for Protecting Performance Rights (Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten mbH, GVL) is the organisation established to protect the copyright of performing artists and manufacturers of sound recordings in Germany and was founded in 1959 as the first,and still the only solely German performing rights association. Following a successful pitch, kleiner und bold designed the new image brochure for the GVL, which is to be followed by the 2010 Annual Report.

The rights of artists are not as legally well protected as the rights of authors. Because of this, the GVL was created by the German Orchestra Union [Deutsche Orchestervereinigung]  and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The GVL stipulates that  anyone who renders a performance or service as an artist should be able to decide how their work is used and must also receive part of the resulting income from the further use of these. This is something that is handled by the GVL.

kleiner und bold successfully pitched its concept for the image brochure and Annual Report and is now responsible for creating both.

For many companies, employer branding is gaining importance in their struggle to find qualified personnel. kleiner und bold has taken on the task of developing an employer brand for its client juwi.

The positioning statement and the employer brand value proposition, the company’s performance commitment to existing and future employees, have already been completed. The task now is to communicate the values and boost the image of juwi as an attractive employer and gain a fixed position as such on the market. 

With its HR communication concept, kleiner und bold was successful in a pitch against three other competitors and is now working on implementing all HR communications for juwi Holding AG based on the new positioning. The HR campaign is set to launch in October 2011.

Architects and designers work visually and, when working on the concept development for buildings and interior spaces, they need both attractive and functional solutions for their often demanding projects. That is why the Architecture + Design brochures from SCHOTT only touch on technical details and, instead, work with large-format images that develop their own aesthetics through the interplay of light, perspectives and proportions, thus creating scope for new ideas. Attractively formulated, informative texts provide an initial insight into the special features of the individual products and processing options, while more in-depth information on product specifications and application details can be found in the highlighted info boxes or the attached data sheets.

The result is something of which we are very proud. Eleven very attractive products and image brochures were created, bringing the products and services of SCHOTT Architecture + Design closer to the target groups.

The new strategic alignment made it necessary to bundle together the previous three different product brands under the strong umbrella brand. This is now divided into segments: BILLY BOY Fun, B2 and BILLY BOY white. All three can be found on the new Internet portal which addresses the needs of the individual target groups and completes the move from a product portal to a portal where users can experience something. The focus is on special activities and events of the sub-brands, as well as on educational aspects, help and information about ‘Spaß zu zweit’ [‘fun for two’]. Users are guided through what the website has to offer and reach the information they are looking for via product selectors. All pages are integrated into the social media activities of the brand and provide links to the corresponding channels. The new website was implemented with Typo3 CMS. The backend is multilingual and initially linked to seven country-specific pages.

Zolling power station is being extensively modernised to become one of the most efficient coal-fired power stations in Europe.
As part of this process, the rather old information centre had to be redesigned.
Equipped with new technology and an exhibition, the information centre tells visitors everything about the processes in the plant and about the GDF SUEZ Group.
In the bright and circular information centre, lavish graphics, learning stations and digital media lead visitors through the different tasks and challenges of energy generation.
The information centre will act as a starting point for guided tours through the power station and is an important PR tool for the company.

This is the first information centre belonging to GDF SUEZ Energie Deutschland AG that has been developed by kleiner und bold, but new buildings and conversions will follow.

The Bremen Music Festival has relaunched its Internet presence with the help of kleiner und bold.

The audiovisual impact of the renowned music festival and the numerous orientation tools for users have been optimised with state-of-the-art technical features, for example, programme highlights and service information can be accessed faster and more easily, a video showing clips from previous years and audio samples from this year’s programme entice visitors to attend, all events can be sorted according to performance location or category in the concert schedule and the performance sites can be called up on city maps. In this way, the Bremen Music Festival is presenting a virtuoso and virtual online foretaste of what you can experience live in Bremen from August to September.

Website of Musikfest Bremen

kleiner und bold has optimised the corporate design for the corporate publications of this international technology group.

The contract for the new design of SCHOTT’s corporate publications went to kleiner und bold when the Berlin branding agency came out on top in a pitch involving Germany's top ten agencies. The Berlin branding strategists convinced SCHOTT to reduce its previous wide range of play and design elements. This cleared the way for the essential: The distinctive logo appears against a SCHOTT-blue background, thus acting as a ‘blue stage’ that provides the foundations for the new visual appearance.    All brochures are to be reworked in 2011 to bring them into line with the new corporate design.

Broedplaats Collectief offers fixed and flexibly networked workstations and meeting rooms for rent on an hourly, daily or monthly basis. There are areas for quiet and concentrated work, rooms where people can make calls undisturbed and places for creative exchange – individually tailored to different needs. The Broedplaats Collectief, Dutch for ‘breeding grounds’, bring together creatives who do not want to work in the isolated environments of their homes, it creates networks and supports the transfer of knowledge and information. There is a café that encourages visitors to stay awhile and which can be used for events and exhibitions. kleiner und bold designed the brand identity with a focus on modularity and flexibility. The name Broedplaats Collectief stands formeet, connect, share: that is, for synergies.

With its luminescent, dominant and clear strong colours – the transparent cube represents a modular and flexible space. By layering the opaque coloured surfaces one on top of the other, new colours are created as well as new impressions and new connections – just like in networking. As well as the the office stationery with headed paper and business cards, kleiner und bold designed the website, flyers and banners.

In the past 24 months, the worldwide market for photovoltaics has changed dramatically. Production capacities have increased further despite the global economic crisis, the price per watt in the thin-film technology has fallen to 76 US cents, the sales markets have diversified further, there are very few differences in quality among products and the market is now large enough for international technology brands such as BOSCH, DuPont, LG and SAMSUNG. These factors present new challenges for the brand management of new and established photovoltaics companies. Chinese companies in particular have accessed new sales markets by practising an aggressive pricing policy. This places pressure on European producers. On the other hand, what Chinese providers have learned is that when everybody uses pricing policies making them mainstream, this reduces the profit margins but no longer distinguishes you from the competition. What the right brand strategy can achieve under such conditions was discussed  by Johannes Pauen at the New Energy International Summit in Chengdu, China.