In a broad-based joint project, General Industries has introduced a rigorous brand and communication strategy for its Freudenberg and Dichtomatik products.
At Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST), the abbreviation CISO has stood for “Combination of the Individual Strengths of the Organization” for several years. It refers to the gradual organizational integration of Dichtomatik into FST, a goal achieved in 2021. Dichtomatik no longer exists as a company; it has been totally integrated into FST, and now lives on solely as an FST brand. That means Freudenberg is now offering its General Industry customers a uniquely broad portfolio of products and services in the sealing fi eld. Under one umbrella and from a single source. And under two brands, Freudenberg and Dichtomatik.
But what do the brands stand for. Or rather what is their relationship to one another? A project team has been working hard on their “market positioning,” a term of art in the business world. Four Divisions (Oil Seals Industry, Fluid Power and O-rings) have joined Digital Sales & Marketing, Sales General Industry and the Industrial Services Division in the project. “Until now, there has been no clearly differentiated, mutually coordinated positioning of the two FST brands. Overlaps in their profiles have led to a lack of clarity – in sales and among customers. Now, for the first time, we have teamed up to basically shape the positioning of our two product brands and harmonize them with one another,” summed up Mira Beck, Global Marketing Director, Industrial Services.
Daniel Blender, Vice President, Digital Sales & Marketing, added: “It was a special challenge to clearly defi ne the range of services for the two product brands to differentiate them more sharply.” The team worked out where their respective strengths and advantages lie.
Freudenberg: Excellence in technology and service
Based on their technical data alone, the products of the two brands often seem comparable. But only at fi rst glance. For example, seals from the premium Freudenberg brand stand out for their exceptionally long operating life. The products and their materials are tested extensively before they reach the market. That means FST has enormous expertise when it comes to durability and longevity. The Lead Centers know their own developments, including their materials and processes, inside and out. So they can off er customers fi rst-class service on all product-related requirements and questions. They can also off er additional services such as testing or expert reports. That creates reliability in the eventual application. In short, the Freudenberg brand stands for the highest quality, longevity, reliability, and excellence in technology and service in all applications – from the moderately demanding to the safety-critical.
The Dichtomatik brand complements this extensive array of products and services. In sealing technology’s mid-segment, it is ideal for customer applications where cost-effectiveness and good value for the money are the priority. Of course, Dichtomatik also offers popular services such as online ordering, fast availability in the region, excellent delivery performance and customized packaging. Whatever the brand, this is a component of good customer service – incidentally, this is something that FST has only rarely highlighted in its customer communications so far.
Everything from a single source
“At FST, we now have a clear differentiation between Freudenberg, the higher-level premium brand, and the complementary Dichtomatik brand,” said Robert Podgorschek, Global Segment Director, General Industry. The “single source” approach offers many advantages. One example: Suppose a company has always been satisfied with Dichtomatik quality until now. But growing technical requirements and expectations for a long operating life are creating the demand for seals of ever-rising quality. Now its usual contact person can off er it Freudenberg-brand premium products and services. When necessary, they can even be developed especially for the customer.
“There are countless applications with countless requirements. FST can handle all of them – from cost sensitive, less technically demanding applications all the way to those that are technically complex and safety-critical. With our unique portfolio, we can gain market share long-term,” Beck said.
But the project alone is not enough for the two brand strategy. “The project was just the kickoff to get our strategy rolling and create competitive advantages. We fi nd ourselves in a process of ongoing change. The new positioning must be learned and applied. And it must have a place in our communications – whether on the website or in the sales discussions of our sales organizations,” Blender said.
Podgorschek added: “We have to create awareness of our newly defi ned two-brand strategy in the entire organization. That includes training our staff and distributors. Everyone has to be aware of the clear differentiation and positioning of our two brands.”
