STIHL’s Brand Strategy: Consistency and Customer Focus
Interview with Sarah Gewert
You were awarded the honorary prize „Brand Manager of the Year“ at the 2024 German Brand Award. In your opinion, what makes a good brand manager?
It certainly helps when you manage such a great brand as STIHL, as the enthusiasm is naturally high. The key is to transfer this enthusiasm to our customers. We need to understand their needs precisely and be familiar with their daily lives with our products to align these insights with our brand identity. This cannot be achieved alone but only as a team.
That is why you accepted the award on stage together with Hillary Roche, your colleague, and successor in the marketing communication department. How important is teamwork for you personally and professionally?
Hillary took over my previous position as department head last year, and I am very glad to have her on the team. Therefore, it was immediately clear to me that we would accept the award together. For me, teamwork means not only working together but also celebrating successes and overcoming difficult times together.
That certainly also provides „the power to grow.“ Can you tell us what this claim is about?
At STIHL, it’s not just a claim but much more. “The power to grow” is our brand core, the big idea around which everything revolves and reflects our roots. We come from forestry and thus from nature, which is our life and work foundation. We provide our customers with the right tools to manage the growth of nature with passion, joy, and responsibility. This drives foresters, people in gardening and landscaping, and even hobby gardeners every day. It challenges them and allows them to grow through these challenges. The great thing about “the power to grow,” in my view, is that with everything we do, we are always very close to nature and our roots.
How does „the power to grow“ translate into STIHL‘s marketing strategy and brand appearance?
For us, “the power to grow” means putting our customers’ challenges at the center. For example, how they manage to tackle daily challenges at work or in their private gardens. In our entire brand presence, the task and the person are always at the forefront, not the product itself. We offer our customers a lot of content and inspiration for working in nature that goes far beyond just product use.
Can you give an example?
We go beyond traditional advertising and find new ways to make our values, such as quality, reliability, and precision, tangible. These values are especially reflected in our own STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® woodcutting competition, which evokes strong emotions. But that’s not the only thing that makes STIHL a true love brand. We also want to reach those who may not yet have their own garden. Therefore, we offer a wide range of products in the STIHL brand shop – our toy equipment, in particular, is in high demand. In this way, the next generation can discover their own enthusiasm for working in and with nature at an early age.
In your opinion, what are the most important elements for building and maintaining a strong brand presence in today‘s competitive market?
To engage our customers content-wise and emotionally, we must always listen closely to their needs – along the entire customer journey. At every touchpoint involving STIHL we aim to create an outstanding customer experience. These positive experiences – from the first contact to usage – naturally lead to genuine enthusiasm and recommendations, which in return build trust and ignite passion for the brand.
How important is design for differentiating products?
Today, even the purchase of everyday utility goods is influenced by design. STIHL has relied on our distinctive color branding, striking orange and gray, since 1971. It has enormous recognition value. But a color brand alone is not enough – we have a holistic approach to make our promises of quality, performance, and customer-centricity visible and tangible. The differentiation lies in the added value for the customers. The chainsaw must look as appealing as the car in the driveway. At the same time, it must withstand hours of hard work and be ergonomic. Small details play a significant role: How does the pressure point of a switch feel? How understandable and intuitive are displays and interactive elements? These nuances make a crucial difference.
You introduced direct online marketing at STIHL. How did you succeed, even though haptics and trying out play an important role in work equipment?
Haptics and trying out still play a significant role. Therefore, the specialized trade remains a very important partner for us. Advice and purchasing must also be possible outside of store hours – our customers have this desire, and we want to meet it. Our website is a central point for information, inspiration, and shopping. We offer just as good advice as in specialised shops with extensive product information and individual advice via chat – all to best support the purchase decision. Ultimately, STIHL’s brand image helps us here as well: Our customers trust that they will receive quality, even if they haven’t tested the product. Nevertheless, most of our equipment worldwide is still sold over the counter. Online, products, accessories, or spare parts are often purchased. Our customers know exactly what they need and place orders while still in the garden or forest.
How do you integrate sustainability into STIHL‘s brand work?
The term sustainability comes from forestry and has always been part of our brand – we already talked about “the power to grow.” Sustainable work with and in nature is our company’s survival guarantee. As a family business, we have been thinking across generations since our founding in 1926 – this is evident not only in business decisions but especially in the quality of our products: STIHL devices are not disposable but often real heirlooms because they work reliably for so long. Sustainability is an important brand value we are committed to. Therefore, the quality aspect of our solutions plays a significant role in our brand work. A STIHL device is not only durable but also repairable. And we keep the necessary spare parts available for a long time. Sustainability is a fundamental attitude reflected in all areas of our company
