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MAke the MoSt of
Your heating type
innoVating in purmo germany
A helPiNG
hAND to fiND
the perFect choice
We all naturally look for patterns in life,
and instinctively group things according to
their similarity, be that in shape, colour, size,
smell, texture, taste, sound or any number of
different variables. this evolution of ‘grouping’
helps us process the constant input from our
surroundings, make sense of it, and define
our own place in it. this can, of course, be
extended to personality types, allowing
us to recognise people who are outgoing,
likeable, passive, confident and so on. Now,
Purmo Germany has taken the logical step
of extending this idea, with the help of a
hamburg media agency and architectural
psychologist riklef rambow, to help
customers find which radiator fits the pattern
of their life. Martin hennemuth, Marketing
Manager, Germany, takes up the story.
“Justpublish!” is an award-winning media
agency in hamburg, with thousands of
articles in hundreds of home and lifestyle
titles for the consumer. over their years of
experience, they have a unique insight into
interior décor and furnishing, with a wealth of
interviews and lifestyle data on people across
Germany.”
the stroke of genius came with the realisation
that the countless ‘profiles’ available could
be separated into four distinct groups, as
Martin explains. “the agency interviewed
homeowners, architects and psychologists,
and found that home owners are generally
one of four types: romantic, traditional,
experimental or rational. from these types,
we created home profiles, and from these,
we created our innovative product selector,”
says Martin.
the “Justpublish!” home profiles explain the
connection between people’s fundamental
needs and the preferences they demonstrate
in their home world, their furnishings and
their choice of products. Now, German
customers can go to the purmo.de website
and find out which profile matches them
most closely, and then see which radiators are
suited to that profile.
Which heating type are you?
“there are ten questions,” explains Martin.
“i particularly like the first one, because it
is so unexpected. instead of asking what
radiator the customer prefers, they are asked,
‘Which room seems most comfortable to
you?’” the options: a cosy attic room, an
impressive room with stucco mouldings and
bay windows, a loft in a former factory or
a living hall with exposed concrete walls. A
number of further questions helps narrow
the customer into one of the four groups,
in much the same way as a personality test
helps define your personality type. And the
similarity goes further than you might think,
as architectural psychologist riklef rambow
says, “the connection between interior décor
and self-confidence is strong. Your own living
space can be seen as an extension of your
identity, a mirror of yourself.”
the question remains of course whether
comfort is a cultural phenomenon. the
“Yourown
livingspacecan
beseenasan
extensionof
youridentity,
amirrorof
yourself”
research has helped identify German trends
and preferences, but whether these could
be extrapolated to other countries remains
to be seen. for now, we wait with interest
to hear the feedback of customers using the
online tool, whether alone or with the help
of their installer. “We aren’t suggesting that
this is the end of the friendly consultation
process of course,” laughs Martin. “But this
online tool is an important step in helping us
show customers that we are going to great
lengths to understand their needs, and to
meet those needs.”
personality snapshots
romantic: German customers in this profile decorate their doors with a seasonal wreath, and
are driven by the need for harmony and security. family is central to their life and they prefer
warm colours. Suggested:“DeltaColumnBench,”awelcomingentrancetoanyhome.
rational: An affinity with technology is combined with a preference for a purist style in
their home. Suggested:“NarbonneV”verticalradiator,oranindividually-controlledPexPenta
underfloorheatingsystem.
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