KITCHEN & BATHROOM
KITCHEN & BATHROOM LIFESTYLE COOKING AND HEATING REFRIGERATION TECHNOLOGIES SMALL APPLIANCES COFFEE CULTURE »HEALTH AND BEAUTY Hall Plan 1 Hall 1.1 - Stand 201 Hall 1.1 1 2 Hall 2.1 - Stand 201 3 Hall 3.1 - Stand 103 Hall 2.1 Hall 3.1 2 3 28
Special Feature Jean-Franck BADAlian Jean-Franck Badalian began his marketing career with Thomson Electroménager in 1997 before joining the cooling division of Brandt in 1997 where he was promoted to European Business Development Director. In 2000 Badalian joined the distribution arm of Kesa Electricals in charge of large appliances before joining Haier in 2010 as Director General White Goods Marketing, Haier Europe. Jean-Franck Badalian Director General White Goods Marketing, Haier Europe Tailored for Europe The fruits of Haier’s local R&D to be seen for the first time at IFA The Chinese brand Haier is establishing its credentials as a quality generalist brand in Europe with full product range, customised with local R&D. Jean-Franck Badalian, Director General White Goods Marketing, Haier Europe tells us about the fruits of Haier's R&D efforts in Europe... [ Interview by Richard Barnes ] We opened an R&D centre in Nuremberg, Germany last year and its first project was with the dishwasher category. We present the results of its first nine months of work at IFA. These include aligning standards with European specifications on energy and water consumption and some important technical evolutions for end user needs. The benefits of localised R&D have allowed us to develop a brand new platform of products in line with regional market trends close to the end user destination and with a much shorter lead-time. We can also anticipate and eventually create new trends. Europe is the most advanced region in terms of dishwasher use whereas in China for example, they do not use dishwashers but hygenisers used to kill bacteria and in the US, performance standards are lower than in Europe. How would you describe or qualify your "leap" into the European market - up against the long-time players here and the Korean and American brands? In terms of quantity, we are the leading producer of household appliances in the world. We know that some of these products are transversal, so a cooling product made in China can be adapted for the European market with minor technical changes. Our global experience means that we are aware of the commonality and of the differences between regions. Product wise, we have a strong base, but there are a lot of valuable brands out there. We are aware that we do not have the image and positioning that our brand deserves, but we do have the product. We need to have a full range of products to show retailers that we are a generalist brand, that we have good R&D and although we are not a European brand we have a strong commitment to developing products specifically for the European consumer. To overcome this perceived lack of brand value we have developed a good product road map. In just two years we have filled the gaps in our product range, which we demonstrated at IFA last year. This year at IFA we show that we are continuing to fill these gaps and for the first time that we have breakthrough products with innovative USP's to develop our brand value. So we have the products with the right technical specifications, quality, marketing and pricing. Now we are working on establishing the value of our brand. How important is IFA as part of your global marketing push, and why? IFA is very important. It is a reference point for our industry in terms of product visibility, showing the direction in which we are going. It is an opportunity to meet all of our existing and potential European retail partners under one roof. IFA is a very important week for us, so it is important to be well represented there. We are to succeed, not just to see and be seen. We can show to the retailers that our product portfolio is totally in line with our strategic goals, that we are not just a customised Chinese brand but that we are building our brand image by developing and producing products that are made for the European market. » HALL 3.1 / STAND 103 “The benefits of localised R&D have allowed us to develop a brand new platform of products in line with regional market trends” THE BAUHAUS KETTLE REINVENTING THE OVEN The fontana5 kettle In the lead-up to IFA 2012, ritterwerk has introduced the fontana5 kettle. “It was our intention to create a perfectly crafted product, and to remain true to the usual language of form and design that our customers already know from our multi-slicers and our toasters,” Michael Schuller, Managing Director of ritterwerk, says. With the fontana5, ritterwerk has stuck to its principles. “Instead of recycling old designs, the user-friendliness defines the look,” Schüller says. “Hence, the kettle features the same Bauhaus elements associated with all ritter products; a reduction to the essentials and construction from quality, durable materials.” » HALL 4.1 / STAND 206 The Belling Induction oven Manufacturer Glen Dimplex Home Appliances has produced a number of innovative kitchen appliances. The Belling BI60i was one of the first built-in ovens to use induction inside the cavity and uses 50% less energy than an A-rated oven when in induction mode. More recently, under cooking brand Stoves, GDHA announced another first in cooking technology: the Professional collection of double ovens, which includes what is believed to be an industry first – an electronicallycontrolled, multifunction gas oven. » HALL 6.1 / STAND 111 IFA International • Tuesday 4 th September 2012 29
