Schlüter-Systems

Querschnitt durch den Schichtenaufbau einer modernen Fußbodenheizung unter einem hellen Fliesenboden.

Success Stories / Schlüter-Systems

Two Perspectives on the Same Brand

Brand Perception in the US Market and Employee Satisfaction at Headquarters

The Company

International Specialist for Tile and Natural Stone Systems

Headquartered in Iserlohn, Schlüter-Systems is a family-owned company and one of the internationally leading providers of system solutions for the installation of tiles and natural stone. The company gained recognition through its patented Schlüter-SCHIENE; today, its portfolio includes over 12,000 products, from profiles and waterproofing to heating systems. In addition to Germany, Schlüter-Systems is represented in the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, France, and Turkey, among other countries; its North American business is managed from Plattsburgh, New York. The company employs approximately 2,700 people worldwide with a turnover of around 950 million Euros.

The Challenge

Key Elements of the Assignment:

IMARK supports Schlüter-Systems in two consecutive projects that address the same core question from two directions: How is the Schlüter brand perceived – externally by customers and market partners, and internally by its own employees?

360° view of the perception of the Schlüter brand in the US market (2014–2016) as an informational basis for the strategic direction of future market development and associated investment priorities
Survey of brand profile, strengths and weaknesses, differentiation in competitive comparison, customer satisfaction, and future outlook across all customer groups and stakeholders
Comprehensive feedback from employees at headquarters (2018/2019) on tasks, team, leadership culture, and collaboration after years of strong growth in organization and personnel
Clarification of the internal view of the Schlüter brand and internal awareness of brand values

The Cornerstones of Our Approach:

In both projects, IMARK combines qualitative and quantitative methods: The qualitative phase identifies relevant influencing factors, while the quantitative phase makes them measurable and comparable across subgroups. Each project concludes with workshops where the results are translated into concrete measures together with the responsible teams.

Qualitative individual interviews on-site in the USA and Canada with craft businesses (tile setters, construction companies, service companies in the construction industry) as well as with system partners (architects, dealers)

Online survey with target-group-specific adapted survey sections, focusing on brand perception and driver analysis for customer satisfaction

Workshops with the Schlüter teams responsible for market development in the USA and Canada

Qualitative individual interviews and focus groups at headquarters to understand the drivers of employee satisfaction and the levers for its improvement

Employee survey with paper-and-pencil and online questionnaires to measure satisfaction and internal brand perception

Development and moderation of a workshop series with executives to derive team-specific consequences

Methods

Methods and Techniques Used (among others):

Brand space – spontaneous associations (brand core and brand periphery)
Brand profile in competitive comparison
Driver analysis for customer or employee satisfaction
Qualitative individual interviews and focus groups
Combined paper-and-pencil and online survey
Results and action workshops with leadership teams

Result & Impact

Benefits for Schlüter-Systems:

Both projects yield a consistent picture of the Schlüter brand – externally and internally – and from this, concrete starting points for market development, organizational development, and brand strategy are derived.

Detailed insights into the external perception of the brand in the US market

Brand space, performance profile, customer satisfaction and its drivers, as well as potential for improvement

Clarity on commonalities and differences by regions, target groups, and stakeholders

Concrete starting points for further strengthening the brand: product-side improvements, service and relationship potential, and innovation potential

Priorities for future market development and marketing levers, jointly developed with the leadership teams in the USA

Deep understanding of the decisive drivers of employee satisfaction and concrete starting points in task design, team development, leadership processes, and organizational development

Clarity on internal brand perception as a basis for developing the future brand strategy (follow-up project)

High motivation of the teams in implementation through jointly developed, team-specific measures