• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, 9 hours ago

In Germany, the 125-year-old Miele is a brand touted for engineering achievements, powering high-end dishwashers, ranges, and refrigerators. In the U.S., though, the name is barely known, except among vacuum-cleaner aficionados. To better make the acquaintance of the American public, the company is leaning into that “the best appliance brand you’ve never heard of” with the first-ever U.S. ad campaign: “Rumored for a reason."

The campaign aims to spark curiosity with the idea that while a good kitchen is nice, a great one gets people talking. “We talk about Miele as the best appliance you haven't heard of yet, as we look to expand our consumer base,” says Cathy Grayson Roper, Miele’s vice president of marketing for the U.S. and Mexico.

The company is tripling spending on brand-building year over year, Roper adds. “This is the first time we have a bespoke North America campaign, which is new in itself,” she says, different from the previous “One voice, one campaign” strategy the company has used in the past.

“We’re recognizing that we're in a different growth stage here in the U.S., and we needed to meet the consumer where they are.”

Roper tells Marketing Daily the company hopes to achieve more than a billion impressions, reaching about 85% of the core audience. 

The campaign includes a series of cinematic-style films, shot by Janicza Bravo, an American director best known for her work on the TV show “Atlanta" and the movie “Zola.”  With lines like "Miele's outlasts most marriages" and "increases property value"-- both of which are true, according to the brand -- the campaign looks to add wit, drama and a touch of cool-kid sheen.

Ads are running on TV, digital, social, and print platforms, targeting key markets such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Miami. The brand is also working with content partners and influencers and reaching out to architects and designers.

Roper describes the core audience as discerning and self-aware. “Miele is a brand people often graduate to [when] they've reached a point in their life and are done with compromising on what's best.”

They are also people who inherently love their kitchens, which is the most emotional place in the home, she says. “Whether or not you're a serious cook, it’s the place where people gather. It’s the place that signals your design style to other people.”

That emotional connection is also influencing how Miele approaches growth in the U.S., including new investments in manufacturing and leadership. For Roper, who joined the company last September from a similar role at MillerKnoll, the marketing effort has also been a lesson in cultural differences. Miele is based in Gütersloh, Germany, and she has already made multiple trips there. The company recently opened an assembly plant in Opelika, Alabama, where the company pairs German and Alabamian workers to assemble the products by hand.

Adds Roper: “I’ve worked for many global companies, but never seen anything quite like this.”