Even more FORMAT for PREMIUM: In June, the E/D/E distributor community set the course for a successful future with various strategic decisions. One key: optimizing the external image as a high-performance group – with the established exclusive brand as an anchor.
At the PREMIUM general meeting in Treuen, Saxony, advisory board spokesman Josef Bröckling, Managing Director of Ullner u. Ullner, and the E/D/E Managing Director Dr. Christoph Grote (Managing Director Goods), Dr. Arno Lammerts (Business Division Marketing), Michael Behling (Business Division I = Tools) and Dirk Paßerah (PREMIUM Key Account) presented ideas for the new direction to distributors. Bröckling’s summary: “We had intensive discussions and ultimately received a high level of approval. The willingness of our colleagues to actively work on our joint success was demonstrated not least by the fact that the PREMIUM group was fully represented.” The event was hosted by long-standing E/D/E contract supplier Dr. Gühring KG, which has been operating a production facility for the development and manufacture of rotationally symmetrical tools in Treuen since 2013.
The most obvious PREMIUM change of direction concerns the realignment of the company’s external image: in future, the joint venture will be called PREMIUM FORMAT. “So far, the Group has worked intensively and successfully on developing and expanding its services. Now it’s time to present our image as a strong community to the outside world. We want to be perceived as a supra-regional brand,” says Josef Bröckling. E/D/E Managing Director Dr. Grote: “One of the reasons for these considerations is the increasingly fierce competition with PVH groups operating throughout Germany and internationally.”
The exclusive FORMAT trademark is well established on the market and stands for quality and solution expertise. After a detailed status quo analysis and consultation with the Hamburg office for brand development and E/D/E Group marketing, the group decided to use this potential to give the PREMIUM brand a positive boost.
“This will also strengthen the regional dealer brand, which will continue to be a priority,” says Dr. Arno Lammerts. The E/D/E Head of Marketing on the roadmap: “We now know where we stand and have defined the brand core and content on this basis. We will derive the visualization as well as instruments and measures from this. These will be implemented when the new catalogues are published in spring 2017.”
In addition to saying yes to the improved brand architecture, the PREMIUM group also decided to restructure the dealer advisory board. With immediate effect, each of the four PREMIUM pillars – in addition to tools, these are power tools, factory equipment and personal protective equipment – will have an operational advisory board. A strategic advisory board will drive forward the overarching topics. “This allows us to reflect the complexity and diversity of PREMIUM sales concepts and at the same time efficiently process strategic changes,” says Advisory Board spokesperson Bröckling.
The four-pillar model provides for holistic marketing of PREMIUM in the four product ranges and was adopted two years ago as part of the PREMIUM 2020 strategy. “Since the PREMIUM WERKZEUG HANDEL group was founded in 2001, these high-performance distributors have continued to develop in close cooperation with E/D/E. We will continue on this path together,” emphasizes E/D/E Managing Director Dr. Grote. We will continue on this path together,” emphasizes E/D/E Managing Director Dr. Grote. [daf]
