Branding Insights: VDM Metals

Arndtteunissen: At the start of every brand process is the crucial question of “why”. How did it come about back then that you fundamentally restructured the corporate design of VDM Metals?

Silke van Os: You have to know the history: we were part of ThyssenKrupp for a long time. After the sale, we were to develop a new name and our own design. At last we were free to position ourselves. The steel industry is very conservative, dominated by blue and grey – we deliberately wanted to appear more modern, because VDM is innovative, forward-looking and at the same time steeped in tradition. VDM was a “hidden champion” in its specialist field, despite billion-euro revenues.

Philipp Verbnik: True, after around 25 years in the group, it was a break. Identification with ThyssenKrupp was high, but we were not allowed to keep the name. Suddenly the question was in the air: what will we be called in future, how will we present ourselves? For marketing, it was an exciting opportunity.

Silke van Os: We absolutely wanted to keep the name “VDM”, an abbreviation of “Vereinigte Deutsche Metallwerke”. It is well known in the industry and employees identify strongly with it. The question was: how do we make it more modern and distinctive?

Benjamin Arndt: What at first looked like a standard tender quickly developed into a shared understanding that it was about more than design proposals – namely about strategic foundations. And I believe that is what convinced you back then. It was also decisive that the management team got on board with enthusiasm. That certainly took a good deal of groundwork on your part. But you managed it well – everyone worked on it with commitment and contributed their topics.

Arndtteunissen: A brand relaunch needs backing from the very top. How do you succeed in convincing the management of such an undertaking?

Silke van Os: You should mirror your own brand against the competitive environment: if everything is changing but your own brand looks old, a false picture emerges. A logo or design is a clear signal to the outside world – it shows whether a company is modern and forward-looking or not. That is why a relaunch is not a luxury but necessary if you have been working with the same look for decades and risk being perceived as “old-fashioned” even though you are not.

Arndtteunissen: Before a new design is created, a clear strategy is needed. How did you approach this phase back then, and which steps were particularly important?

Silke van Os: We decided early on where we wanted to go and involved colleagues from all areas – management, sales, production. That way identification was high and we received input from different perspectives – nothing was imposed from above.

Philipp Verbnik: Exactly. You need good arguments and you have to be convinced yourself. Don't cave in at the first counter-argument. We approached change management almost by the book: employees from all hierarchy levels and locations were involved – a key approach that Arndtteunissen strongly emphasises and that has proven its worth.

Arndtteunissen: A new design has to meet many expectations – strategic, emotional and very practical. What requirements did you place on the new brand presence back then?

Philipp Verbnik: Once the name was settled, we were able to define the brand values together in a workshop: experience, innovation, customer proximity, reliability. Even mundane questions such as “Is VDM round or angular?” were discussed. In the end it was clear: we are round, open, approachable. We deliberately did not rely on tradition and history. The ancient VDM logo from the 1950s, the so-called Triangel, no longer fitted either.

Silke van Os: We wanted a design that works in practice – from brochures to trade fair walls. It was also important that the typefaces are available everywhere without great technical effort.

Benjamin Arndt: The design essentially emerged directly from the product. We asked ourselves: how can the rolled coils that are produced in manufacturing be translated visually? That idea was the starting point – and it is what makes the result special to this day. Compared with the usual industrial design, which often feels very interchangeable, something distinctive has been created here. The colour scheme also contributes: orange stands for the hot phase, blue for the cold phase of the metals. This became a strong story that can be told worldwide – to this day.

Arndtteunissen: A brand relaunch is exciting, but in implementation it often brings stumbling blocks – from internal resistance to detailed design questions. What particular challenges did you experience in this process?

Philipp Verbnik: Exactly, not everyone was enthusiastic from the start, quite the opposite: the colour orange in particular was very controversial and also drew criticism from many colleagues. We defended it, of course – the story helped a great deal. We also ran a roadshow – at all locations, with prize draws, small goodies, conversations. It took perhaps a good six months, and then people were behind it. I would say that precisely this process led to a considerable extent to the emergence of a corporate identity, to a new loyalty and to a repositioning of VDM.

Benjamin Arndt: True, I still remember the roadshow well: when people came to the plant in the morning for the shift change, there was a goodie bag, including a helmet sticker. It was precisely such small actions that made the brand immediately tangible. It got people talking, and that was important. I believe that this half-year, considering the brand as a whole and its worldwide reach, was an absolute sprint. So it succeeded perfectly.

Arndtteunissen: A consistent brand presence is a particular challenge in internationally operating companies. How did you organise and implement the global rollout?

Silke van Os: We provided materials in several languages – brochures, CDs with templates, giveaways. The local teams could thus design their own rollouts. In addition, before the rollout we trained the respective managers in the countries and supported them with advice and practical help. But all in all, it went quite smoothly.

Philipp Verbnik: Fortunately, it became self-propelling. In the USA, for example, meeting rooms were even painted in our colours. We had taken the requirements of the large Asian markets such as China, Japan and Korea into account from the start, for example in the choice of typeface family.

Arndtteunissen: A new brand presence is immediately noticeable, both internally and externally. What reactions did you experience from employees, customers or partners?

Philipp Verbnik: Internally, pride rose enormously. Those who live the brand internally automatically radiate it outwards. Externally, we were perceived as more innovative and of higher quality. When you come to our trade fair stand now, you can also see visually that this is an innovative company.

Silke van Os: We still receive positive feedback to this day. For me, the greatest value is the pride of the employees. When they identify with the brand, that is priceless.

Arndtteunissen: Ten years is a long time in corporate design. Why do you think the design still works today?
 

Silke van Os: In my view, the design is appealing, simple and timeless. We have clear guidelines and definitions, but the system is not rigid – it can be flexibly adapted to modern requirements. For example, we were able to transfer it seamlessly to social media, even though this requirement did not yet exist ten years ago. 
 

Philipp Verbnik: That's right. We set up few but clear rules – this provides orientation and at the same time plenty of room to manoeuvre. It is manageable – easy to remember and quickly understandable for external parties too. That is exactly what makes the system so successful.

Benjamin Arndt: Today, a colour accent from VDM is enough to be recognised in the industry. I believe that when you develop a design that lasts this long, you can eventually speak of an iconic brand within an industry – and that despite several sales and investors over the years. A very large intangible value has been created for the company, which is hard to measure. So I believe that should the company be sold again, it will always be possible to say that it is a very, very valuable company, not only in terms of commercial figures but also in terms of brand awareness. Marketing spend is often the cheapest investment with the greatest long-term effect, and that is often underestimated.
 

Arndtteunissen: A strong brand is more than a logo and colours. Where does its true secret of success lie for you?

Silke van Os: It creates trust and pride – inside and out. And it lives from the people who carry it. An employer branding agency confirmed to us: our employees are proud to work at VDM Metals – and that is probably the highest value of a brand. They know they have security and at the same time do what they do best.

Philipp Verbnik: A strong brand is priceless – yet especially number-crunchers find it hard to measure its value. Fighting for budgets for such processes therefore requires a lot of persuasiveness.

Silke van Os: The decisive question is: what does it cost if we don't do it? An unknown brand finds it hard to place products successfully on the market – especially in conservative industries such as aerospace, where trust and certifications are decisive. This is exactly where a strong brand pays off.

Benjamin Arndt: A strong brand like VDM thrives on reduction and clarity – that is what keeps it adaptable. Individual touchpoints can be modernised, for example through a website or new technologies. But the core form – typography, colours, logo – should remain unchanged. Adjustments are more a matter of content.

Arndtteunissen: Surely others can also draw lessons from your experience. What would you recommend to companies or marketing departments facing a similar brand relaunch?

Silke van Os: From the beginning, it was important to us to involve as diverse a range of employees as possible in the brand strategy process – especially when determining values: what do we stand for? What stays, what can go, and where do we want to go in future? The key is to meet people in their own area of interest, take their questions seriously and address fears and uncertainties. We were very well prepared for that. We faced the questions and discussions and did not avoid them. In the end, those involved feel taken seriously and act as internal brand ambassadors, since they were part of the creation process.

Arndtteunissen: A project like this only succeeds if agency and company work well together. What makes a successful agency-client relationship for you?

Philipp Verbnik: Trust, openness and a willingness to resolve conflicts constructively too. I believe trust was decisive. You didn't present a quick logo draft, but proposed the route via workshops. In the end it was also about the question: do we trust you to do this on a personal level as well? It was also important to be able to speak openly – conflicts and feedback loops were part of it too.

Benjamin Arndt: Absolutely, it is a joint struggle for the best solution. Sometimes one side prevails, sometimes the other. The necessary trust on the client side is decisive. Probably the most beautiful moment was when the then head of department Jan Bender, without us having agreed it beforehand, presented the brand perfectly to the CEO in our presence. That was one of the greatest moments, in which you could feel that we had grown together and were running for one cause together and were all really up for it.

Arndtteunissen: After all the discussions, decisions and implementation: which moments or results still fill you with pride today?

Silke van Os: I had a proud “aha moment” at the “Capital Markets Day” of our current parent company Acerinox two years ago at VDM in Unna. Journalists and financial experts were there in a hall that we had set up and were to be given a tour. And there stood our team, all of them in blue and orange work clothes – that image is so formative for me –, wearing helmets with a VDM logo, waiting for their ten people whom they then guided through production. And I thought: “That is a strong team, you belong to it, great!” Everything simply fitted, and it was clear: they live the brand.

Philipp Verbnik: I think the relaunch was the spark for a new self-image. Today people carry the brand at all locations. There was also this slogan, “We are all VDM”, which our managing director once coined, and colleagues sprayed it on the wall with a stencil. These are examples that make you truly proud, in small and big ways. Marketing at VDM  today has a completely different status than before. Today other departments actively approach us and ask for support so that their materials match the brand presence. That shows a new brand awareness.

In this series, we talk to companies that have dared a brand relaunch in recent years. Why did they take this step? What challenges did it bring? And how does the brand work today – internally and externally? This time: VDM Metals.