Page 45 - Miele D The Magazine 2018

Kitchen experience beyond limits
Sustainable marketing activities have contributed to the worldwide perception of Miele as the most desirable kitchen brand. Dr Axel Kniehl, Executive Director for Marketing and Sales, explains the strategy behind this.
Dr Kniehl, your co-operation with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants seems to
be a high priority for Miele; you also have a personal involvement. What singles this initiative out?
This is all about culinary excellence and world-class stylish indulgence, in conjunc- tion with high-octane events and networking of the very best connoisseurs of their subjects. The aim is to recog- nise trends early, to learn from one another and so to improve ourselves constantly. That
ts perfectly with our brand motto Immer Besser and contributes to positioning Miele as THE Kitchen Experi- ence Brand of our industry.
In many countries though, Miele stands primarily
for indestructible washing machines and vacuumclean- ers. Isn't that a contradiction? No, absolutely not. However, it is correct that the sales shares of our product groups differ from one country to another. Miele grew big with laundry, oorcare and dishwashers before the rest of the built-
in kitchen appliances came sharply into focus during the 90s. The later we came into a market, the more successful Miele was from the outset, or even rst and foremost in the kitchen.
Which markets are you thinking of?
This particularly applies to North America and Asia.
But also in countries like Germany, Austria and Swit- zerland, today Miele is the leading premium brand for large domestic appliances in the electricals trade as well as the kitchens trade.
How can such diverse products as vacuum cleaners and steam ovens be grouped together for one and the same brand presence?
By common values: no matter which appliance a customer buys from Miele, they ex- perience top quality, results and convenience. Miele sets standards in both energy ef- ciency and stylish indulgence. We want to inspire people to enrich their lives by offering them that certain little extra that they will only get with Miele. Because Miele makes the apparently impossible pos- sible – with clever details with laundry and vacuum cleaners, as well as for a whole variety of pleasures and timeless elegance in the kitchen.
What role do the co-opera- tions and events generally play for the Kitchen Experi- ence Brand Miele?
There's a lot going on here too, that started in 2016 with our futuristic scenario The Invis- ible Kitchen in the Milanese Designer Mile Zona Tortona, parallel to the Eurocucina kitchen exhibition. And since last year exclusive launch events have been spurring
the debut of the Dialog oven in the most spectacular way.
Through co-operations of our subsidiaries, for example in Germany with the Berlin Food Week, we put great emphasis not just on premium, but also fundamentally on a sustain- able common engagement. In fact the strengthening of our co-operation with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is cur- rently playing a signi cant part in this.
And what is Miele doing differently from its competi- tors with the Kitchen Experience?
For inspiring kitchen experi- ences, rst of all you need innovative appliances that are unparalleled in the market.
An example of that is our Dialog oven, which caused a sensation at IFA in 2017. The latest highlight is the Genera- tion G 7000 dishwasher that starts and dispenses detergent by itself. Keyword design: no other appliance manufacturer pursues the idea of the handle- less kitchen as consistently as Miele, for pure elegance in
the premium kitchen-living landscape.
So much for the appliances ...
... with only a few examples of many. In addition to this, Miele also offers cleaning
and care products and coffee specialities perfectly matched to the appliances and now,
the unique Gourmet Service MChef with top-quality meals to prepare in the Dialog oven. Kitchen experience at its
best then ...
Axel Kniehl establishes Miele as the No.1 Kitchen Experi- ence Brand.
... that can only be conveyed in a limited way via brochures or YouTube ...
For feel, touch and taste we have approximately 90 Miele Experience Centres in more than 50 countries, where customers can experience
the brand with all their senses. Customers, dealers, larger building companies and archi- tects can all draw inspiration on the subject of Kitchen Experience by Miele.
You have broken new ground with your current marketing campaign ...
... yes, and indeed in two re- spects. On the one hand, with the international campaign #LifeBeyondOrdinary we are sending out a particularly pow- erful and emotional statement. Miele pushes the limits, makes the seemingly impossible pos- sible. And on the other hand the campaign has a face: “Lim- its? There are none” – this very self-con dent claim is incom- parably personi ed by Russia's Marina Kazankova, world record holder in freediving. Of course Miele is also making use of this extraordinary personal- ity in real life.
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