electronics

Siemens Works To Build Awareness In U.S.

Siemens

Global electronics and electrical engineering giant Siemens, AG this week launches an U.S.-only extension of its $80 million "Answers" global effort. The new effort extends Siemens' global message detailing how Siemens' technology and engineering prowess supports both customers and society.

The print, online, TV, out-of-home and radio ads are intended to show that Siemens has a major role in the U.S. energy, industry and health-care infrastructure. They also work to portray the company as American by showcasing some of its 69,000 U.S. employees and U.S. projects. The campaign features the first Siemens U.S. TV ads in several years, which will break in October on channels like CNN and Fox Business, with radio spots set to air in markets like Washington, Houston and Chicago.

The effort, via Ogilvy and media agency PhD, launched Thursday with a four-page "manifesto" in The New York Times, with additional print ads to run in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, Forbes, and Business Week, among others and online at sites like HuffingtonPost.com, Time.com, and Economist.com. Out-of-home elements will run in major airports across the U.S., and via Captivate Networks' elevator media platform.

advertisement

advertisement

Bill Stabile, Siemens' senior director of brand and marketing communications, tells Marketing Daily that the effort is not just for decision makers. "We are looking at public opinion leaders and influencers including government audiences, and even though it's not a mass-market campaign, if we are going to encompass all of those groups, it's not just a narrow target either."

He says awareness is the main consideration. "Siemens is not a consumer brand in the U.S., so there isn't the depth of awareness [versus other markets]; we wanted to do more here and get that story out to relevant targets so that Siemens would be seen in a way we haven't been perceived in this country. We create jobs here -- we have 69,000 employees here -- these things not broadly known."

Tom Haas, CMO of Siemens Corp., tells Marketing Daily that the "Answers" campaign in 2007 followed a corporate reorganization. "Initially, we were looking, as a global company, to redefine Siemens," he says, explaining that Siemens had just reorganized into three primary energy industry and health-care sectors. "So it was kind of a way to introduce the broader world to this new organization and what we were capable of doing."

Stabile says the U.S. campaign is also something of a pilot program, since Siemens may roll out other country-specific campaigns in the future. "There are opportunities in other countries, but we won't jump on that right away. The goal would be to pick key regions."

The Bavaria, Germany-based company -- with operations in industry, energy and healthcare in some 190 countries and sales of $116.6 billion in fiscal 2008 -- says the U.S. accounts for $22.4 billion in total revenue.

Next story loading loading..