After a sizable but short agency review, Miele is saying guten tag to Lowe Roche, its new marketing agency of record.
Miele, a German appliance maker, received submissions from 27 agencies after issuing a request for proposals through the Institute of Communication Agencies in early May. After narrowing the field to 10 competitors, Miele’s marketing team, led by Kelly Lam, director of marketing, met with each shop for a one-hour “chemistry check.” Lowe Roche was shortlisted along with two other Toronto shops: Taxi and Dentsu. Each agency was then given half a day to work with their potential client on a case study.
“They gave us a product to work on without telling us ahead of time what it was,” said Geoffrey Roche, chief creative officer at Lowe Roche. “They basically asked, ‘What would you guys do?’ ”
Roche praised the review for its lack of spec work, saying it had more to do with becoming familiar with the company’s culture.
“Miele is really about family,” Lam said. “It’s 100% family owned and the culture of the organization is about family. When it came to the last 10 agencies, the work was phenomenal, the credentials phenomenal…but it came down to chemistry. Lowe Roche really had that family feel.”
Lowe Roche pitched the account with its public relations partner Maverick Public Relations and media buying partner Wills & Co. The three shops will oversee all touch points of the brand, which Miele has been handling in-house for more than nine years. The trio will design and implement a campaign that focuses on consumer and trade audiences as Miele tries to reinvent its brand in Canada.
“Miele has hit a point where we do need a partner,” Lam said. “It’s a business model change and it’s all about control of the brand.”
In the past, Miele was known primarily as an industry brand. Now, part of its effort will be to showcase more affordable appliances that are available to everyday consumers.
A new campaign is expected by autumn.
