NewPremium
Miele To achieve their growth targets and secure their premium positioning over the long term, Miele is changing the role that branding plays in their organisation – from guideline centre to business enabler. We worked with Miele to define the company’s first-ever brand model, establishing the brand as a management tool within the organisation. This turns every customer experience into a brand experience.
Miele is a family-run business with an extensive range of products and locations in over 100 countries. Since the company’s founding, the brand promise »forever better« has represented their uncompromising commitment to quality – giving Miele the international reputation of being one of the most trusted German brands.
»Like many other companies, Miele is currently facing the challenge of developing new business models and authentic customer experiences as part of their digital transformation and sustainable operations – while bringing the traditional success strategies of their premium brand into the future. The answer seems to be as simple as it is complicated, especially when one considers the many different products, channels and customer needs involved: Every customer experience needs to become a modern brand experience«, explains KMS TEAM Managing Partner Simon Betsch.
Miele is changing the role that branding plays in their organisation: Instead of being used to maintain static assets and implement design guidelines, it will take on a central management function within the company. The brand is the starting point for inspiration and the establishment of cross-functional teams that will work on designing distinctive Miele brand experiences together – from Product Development to HR and e‑commerce.
Every customer experience needs to become a modern brand experience.
Based on customer feedback from the US, Europe and China, we refined the brand identity and defined the first-ever brand model in the company’s history: It describes the brand’s DNA, how it feels, and how it operates. The new identity provides guidelines for the company’s behaviour as well as a roadmap for the entire organisation.
We worked with Miele to define Premium Experience Principles that build a bridge between the company’s identity and brand experiences. We revised the corporate design elements and components on this basis, and organised them in the Digital Design System.
Brand development happens collaboratively and across the organization, rather than solely within the brand management department. We integrate it with a performance-driven approach into the existing structure and ongoing processes — rather than implementing it through a rollout afterward.
We design and facilitate this involvement process, working together with the teams to develop the relevant operational frameworks for them. Through workshops for approximately 30 organizational units and over 500 multipliers worldwide, we address key questions: What does this mean for my work? What do I need?
Together with KMS TEAM, we have developed a future-proof brand management model that reduces complexity while integrating the brand into the company’s workflows.
We established the Digital Design Collective as a new central organisational entity. The DDC serves as a platform and routine for all Miele’s digital teams to collaborate and align, including the once-separate Product and e‑commerce teams. The goal is to achieve a customer journey that encompasses all products and channels – effectively communicating the Miele brand and its premium positioning at every touch point.
Miele Global Brand Director Andreas Wieser explains: »Together with KMS TEAM, we have developed a future-proof brand management model that reduces complexity while integrating the brand into the company’s workflows. With the right tools and processes, it empowers everyone working with our brand to create a distinctive and consistent Miele premium experience.«
Lucas de Groot designed the Miele typeface. The agency We are Social is handling the company’s social media.
Miele
Miele is considered the world's leading provider of premium home appliances, offering a portfolio that includes kitchen, laundry, and floor care products. Additionally, the company provides machines, systems, and services for use in hotels, offices, and care facilities, as well as in medical technology. Since its founding in 1899, Miele has remained committed to its brand promise, »forever better« — focusing on quality, innovation, performance, and timeless elegance.
With its durable and energy-efficient appliances, Miele helps its customers lead a more sustainable everyday life. The company remains family-owned by the founding families, Miele and Zinkann, and operates 15 production sites, including eight in Germany. Miele employs around 22,700 people worldwide and recently reported a revenue of €4.96 billion. The company is headquartered in Gütersloh, Westphalia.
