Brand-customer dialogue
Customer dialogue takes top priority for the Zumtobel Group's brands with the aim of promoting customer awareness of sustainable lighting solutions. By means of high quality, well-targeted communication, the company enables the customer to access its knowledge of sustainable lighting solutions and fires up enthusiasm for the innovative "green" strength of its brands. This dialogue makes use of face-to-face meetings, cross-media campaigns and brand training opportunities. Long-term, trusting customer relationships secure the Zumtobel Group's market position and commercial success. To measure customer satisfaction the Thorn and Zumtobel brands conduct regular customer surveys.
Brand communication: linking lighting and sustainability
Several brand campaigns already link the subject of lighting with sustainability. To this end, Thorn, Zumtobel and Tridonic make use of trade fairs, product classifications and e-newsletters. Cross-media communications include the use of microsites to supply detailed information. The brands' overarching sustainability programmes provide the appropriate frameworks. This Sustainability Report will itself contribute to this communication process, which is why "Sustainable lighting solutions" has been presented as a separate topic.
Meeting-places and training for customers
The three brands offer their customers specific training opportunities to inform them about the effects and use of lighting and the key criteria of sustainable lighting solutions. The teaching programme is based on application-oriented product presentations.
For the Zumtobel brand in particular this far-reaching, intensive dialogue with and transfer of knowledge to its customers is of vital importance. In its role as a pioneer, the brand communicates new ideas for greater energy efficiency and improved lighting quality in concrete applications, in an effort to make these aspects the criteria on which its customers base their purchasing decisions. Worldwide, Zumtobel runs three Light Forums and 15 Light Centres, which attract around 28,000 customers every year. Their architectural structure alone serves as a source of inspiration for customers and employees alike. For around four years now, Zumtobel has also been training up selected electricians as lighting solution partners and 600 people have taken part so far.
Thorn uses its Academy of Light at the new Spennymoor plant to share the knowledge acquired in its daily business and research activities not just with its employees but also with its customers. Customers are trained here in sustainable lighting solutions, products and technologies. The target of 2,000 visitors to the Thorn Academy of Light was exceeded in the current financial year, with a total of 2,208 visitors since February 2009. In March and April 2009 alone, the Academy offered 226 seminars, each lasting 1-2 hours, as well as two 3-day courses. In addition, Thorn offers special seminars throughout the world (not least in South-East Asia, China and the Middle East) primarily for architects and lighting consultants, with the topics covered now also including sustainability.
Tridonic likewise offers regular seminars and training sessions for customers. Around the world, selected customers are invited to events presenting the existing product portfolio and the requirements for sustainable lighting solutions.
For the Zumtobel brand in particular this far-reaching, intensive dialogue with and transfer of knowledge to its customers is of vital importance. In its role as a pioneer, the brand communicates new ideas for greater energy efficiency and improved lighting quality in concrete applications, in an effort to make these aspects the criteria on which its customers base their purchasing decisions. Worldwide, Zumtobel runs three Light Forums and 15 Light Centres, which attract around 28,000 customers every year. Their architectural structure alone serves as a source of inspiration for customers and employees alike. For around four years now, Zumtobel has also been training up selected electricians as lighting solution partners and 600 people have taken part so far.
Thorn uses its Academy of Light at the new Spennymoor plant to share the knowledge acquired in its daily business and research activities not just with its employees but also with its customers. Customers are trained here in sustainable lighting solutions, products and technologies. The target of 2,000 visitors to the Thorn Academy of Light was exceeded in the current financial year, with a total of 2,208 visitors since February 2009. In March and April 2009 alone, the Academy offered 226 seminars, each lasting 1-2 hours, as well as two 3-day courses. In addition, Thorn offers special seminars throughout the world (not least in South-East Asia, China and the Middle East) primarily for architects and lighting consultants, with the topics covered now also including sustainability.
Tridonic likewise offers regular seminars and training sessions for customers. Around the world, selected customers are invited to events presenting the existing product portfolio and the requirements for sustainable lighting solutions.