What makes a brand image special? How do brands have a lasting effect? What does a design need to be memorable? Eva Oetinger is a passionate brand strategist. On her first day at work at Haufe Group in December 2023, she embarked on a very special project: the launch of our new brand identity. In this interview, Eva reveals why a contemporary brand identity is so important.
Eva, what makes Haufe Group special for you personally?
I felt totally at home here right from the start. Even during the first introductory talks, I was very impressed by the appreciative and open approach. You are given a lot of freedom to shape things and take on responsibility, which is exactly what I was looking for. Even though Haufe Group is very diverse, you can feel an intense sense of community here, a deep connection. People are motivated and passionate, and there is a dynamic, creative atmosphere here. This positive atmosphere inspires me a lot. And of course I feel challenged by the question of how to present such a complex company simply and clearly, both internally and externally.
You got straight into a project that doesn't happen every day: Haufe Group's new brand identity. What was it like for you?
It's something special to get directly involved in a project with so much charisma, but also complexity and lasting change. I have always loved brands and find it incredibly exciting to work intensively on brand strategies in order to create identity. After all, brands embody cultural values and ideas. As I said, I found a special atmosphere and a strong culture at Haufe Group right from the start. But I also quickly realized that this wasn't really coming into its own in the previous brand presence. It was therefore a unique opportunity to contribute my expertise and translate the special identity of this company into a future-oriented, modern and authentic image. It was a leap in the dark, but it felt really good.
"I have always loved brands and find it incredibly exciting to work intensively on brand strategies to create identity."
What opportunities do you see in Haufe Group's new brand identity?
Employees know and appreciate the culture of Haufe Group very much. You can tell that they identify with the company. No matter in which area or with which brand you work: Everyone is united by this passion and enthusiasm for the future and change. Haufe Group has developed from a specialist publishing house into a diverse content, software and further training company. But this transformation process continues and everyone is helping to shape it. I see a big lever here: the new brand identity can connect us even more by making this special Haufe Group culture visible and tangible. This makes me proud as an employee and makes me happy to be part of this company. And it also has an external impact. We show much more clearly who we are and how we are, and thus also reach future talents. And that is our goal: to give Haufe Group corporate brand more appeal and strengthen it as an employer brand. At the same time, the new brand identity simply provides more clarity. Haufe Group offers a wide range of services, which is why the new brand identity helps us to communicate more efficiently and in a more targeted manner - also in clear differentiation from our diverse business brands.
"We show much more clearly who and how we are and thus also reach future talents."
What was decisive in the development of our new corporate design?
It was very important to translate the culture and values of Haufe Group into an authentic corporate design. It had to be clear, strong in character and fresh, while at the same time modern and accessible. Haufe Group stands for innovation and transformation, and we wanted to make that clear. After all, we are constantly on the move and continue to develop. That's why we wanted a design that can be used as flexibly as possible but always remains recognizable. It should support us in our growth targets and accompany us into the future.
Our path to the new brand identity
A new brand identity is not created in just a few weeks. The project started with intensive workshops with internal and external stakeholders, including of course Birte Hackenjos, CEO of Haufe Group. Together, we developed principles and framework conditions for the new appearance and thus also the new corporate design. An interdisciplinary core team of Haufe Group employees from the Brand, Communication, Design, Employer Branding, Event and IT departments was responsible for the design. On our way to the new brand identity, we had two strong partners at our side in MetaDesign and Petershagen Kommunikation.
The new corporate design is definitely very different from the previous brand identity. What makes our design different and special?
A central component is to visually express our mentality, culture and way of working. By understanding both our employees and the needs of our customers, we open up new perspectives and windows into the future. We have translated this conviction into a simple, concise design language. This is particularly evident in our new super symbol. Our figurative mark is an iconic symbol, fresh and modern. As a symbol, it embodies the change of perspective that we make possible and the resulting new ways of seeing things. This is what it takes to keep questioning the status quo. In addition, our four primary colors - lime, two shades of blue and grey - are of course very striking in their interplay and in tune with the times. By using them in different combinations, we emphasize our diversity.
Now the new corporate design is here. What's next for you?
Yes, what a milestone! Let's take a deep breath with the team - and then things will really get going after the launch. Now it's all about getting our new corporate design flying, making it visible and developing its charisma. We will further develop the communication and the topics with which we position the brand in terms of content and continue to build Haufe Group employer brand. I look forward to continuing to work with the team on all these exciting strategic topics. And what I definitely missed out on in my first few months: getting to know even more colleagues over coffee or lunch breaks.
