Press Release
Award-winning innovation and marketing strategy
Bosch receives the German Marketing Prize 2007
Confirmation of the customer-oriented strategy used for power tools
More than 40 percent of turnover in the DIY segment is achieved with
products launched onto the market less than 24 months beforehand
Turnover with European home improvement stores has increased by
around 60 percent in the past five years
Stuttgart – Bosch receives the German Marketing Prize 2007 for the
innovation and marketing strategy it uses for power tools. A major reason
for the decision made by the jury of Deutscher Marketing-Verband (German
Marketing Association) was the economic success of the Bosch Power Tool
Division in a hard-fought competitive environment. The turnover of Bosch
Power Tools has been growing considerably faster than the world market
for many years. This achievement is in large part due to innovative
marketing.
The jury praised in particular the consistent strategy of innovation with
many new products that make DIY easier, more professional and faster all
over the world. Moreover, it emphasized the new Point-of-Sale activities,
the consistent brand positioning and the consulting and services offered by
this Bosch business division. The German Marketing Association has been
awarding the prize for outstanding marketing achievements since 1973.
The prize will be handed to Bosch Power Tools on 24 October 2007 on the
eve of the German Marketing Day as part of a celebratory gala. Uwe
Raschke, President of the Power Tool Division of the Bosch Group, will
present the prize-winning Bosch success story to the participants of the
trade congress on 25 October. The congress is based on the slogan
"Marketing in a changing society – Making use of opportunities – Showing
responsibility" and offers numerous other presentations and sessions.
"We see the award as further confirmation for our customer-oriented
strategy", says Uwe Raschke. The successful development shows that
Robert Bosch GmbH
E-mail: Michael.Schmidtke@de.bosch.com Corporate Communications
P.O. BOX 10 60 50
Phone +49 711 758-3132
Vice President: Uta-Micaela Dürig
D-70049 Stuttgart
Fax
www.bosch-presse.de
+49 711 758-2633
August 2007
PI 5939 PT MS
concentrating on innovative products as well as marketing and sales
concepts, combined with high quality, meets the expectations of the
market precisely.
In the year 2006, Bosch Power Tools with its 14,500 associates increased
its growth in turnover by six percent to 2.8 billion euros. Bosch Power
Tools achieved half of its turnover outside of Europe. In 2006, the division
had growth in double figures in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
Bosch has been particularly successful in the intensely competitive and
price-sensitive environment of European home improvement stores, and
has increased its turnover by around 60 percent in the past five years.
Bosch has therefore secured its position as market leader in European
home improvement stores on a sustained basis. 16 out of the 20 bestselling power tools in German home improvement stores are made by
Bosch. Six million of the Ixo cordless screwdriver have been sold, making it
the best-selling power tool in the world for the past three years.
Major factor for success is Bosch's power of innovation
Since 2004, Bosch has made more than 40 percent of its turnover in the
DIY segment with products launched onto the market less than 24 months
beforehand. These include, above all, cordless products with lithium-ion
technology. Bosch was the first manufacturer to use the advantages of this
technology – lighter, smaller and no self-discharge – in power tools. Bosch
has the most versatile range in this product segment – from small cordless
screwdrivers for household use, to 2kg rotary hammers for the
construction site, through to the world's first lithium-ion lawnmower, the
"Rotak LI". New products, such as the laser rangefinders for DIY
enthusiasts and professionals, or the impact drill with dust extraction are
also best sellers. Innovations from Bosch also create new markets. In the
area of DIY measuring tools, Bosch doubled its market share in 2006 and
achieved a position as market leader within the space of only one year.
Since the launch of the handy Ixo cordless screwdriver three years ago, the
market volume of this segment has grown fivefold.
New avenues in marketing
This record of success was only made possible by comprehensively applied
marketing and integrated communication concepts with broad targeting of
groups and emotional claims. An attractive product design, the handy
compact shape, low weight, ease of operation and original packaging, such
as the Ixo cordless screwdriver in a gift tin, open up new target groups:
women and a young generation of DIY beginners. Consulting and service
play an important role at Bosch. For this reason, concepts of event
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shopping have been adopted and transferred to the world of home
improvement stores. There are around 700 Shop in Shops in European
home improvement stores where personal customer consulting is
conducted by qualified Bosch associates. This also drives growth.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of
automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some
260,000 associates generated sales of 43.7 billion euros in fiscal 2006. The Bosch Group
comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 300 subsidiary and regional companies in
over 50 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the
foundation for further growth. Bosch spends more than three billion euros each year for
research and development, and in 2006 applied for over 3,000 patents worldwide. The
company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for
Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering".
The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial
freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term
and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninetytwo percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung
GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch
Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are
carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert
Bosch GmbH.
Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.
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