MWM: Internal Communication

150 Years Of Continuous Innovation

Assignment:

150 years of MWM are an anniversary that deserves to be particularly appreciated, even in the traditional German mechanical engineering industry. The company’s long history is not a matter of luck. It is hard-earned, by the employees, the business partners, the shareholders and through a permanent anchoring in society. When the automotive pioneer and inventor engineer Karl Friedrich (Carl) Benz opened his “Mechanical Workshop” in Mannheim, it was an entrepreneurial adventure with which he and his wife Bertha Benz founded a path of innovation and change.

In 2021, 150 years have passed since its foundation. For Carl Benz, the path began in 1871 to realize his lifelong dream of a “horseless carriage”. In 1886 he applied for a patent for the automobile (Reichspatent 37435). His epochal invention ushered in the age of transport. A milestone comparable to today’s mobility and energy transition.

Even 150 years after its founding, the spirit of innovation is still alive on Carl-Benz-Straße in Mannheim. Caterpillar is proud to have the MWM brand as part of its corporate group.

This anniversary is an occasion and obligation to celebrate it with the employees as well as the people associated with the company and the MWM brand.

Challenge/Goal:

The 150th MWM anniversary offers great opportunities to focus on the qualities and achievements of the company and to attract the attention of the target groups and the brand with targeted internal communication. In this context, the company’s history offers enormous and at the same time emotional potential, which should be leveraged communicatively. Under the motto “150 Years of Continuous Innovation”, the focus was on the past as well as on the present and the future.

Good employee communication is one of the most important prerequisites for economic success. Thus, the ultimate corporate goal is defined by shareholder value and increasing the value of the company. Other strategic corporate goals include long-term organic growth, conviction in the premium price segment, more active customer approach and support, the promotion of initiatives, development competence and employee motivation.

IMPLEMENTATION/OUTCOME:

The internal target groups include all of the company’s approximately 1,400 employees worldwide and their family members. An important subgroup consists of the 300 employees who have joined the company in recent years. Many of them and also the employees of the Caterpillar Group, especially from the non-technical professions, do not know the company’s history and MWM innovations and business model.

Therefore, the campaign should have an emotional effect on the one hand and activating on the other. From the canon consisting of a proud past and exciting products and solutions for the future, it is important to motivate employees. The achievements of the past are also to be made tangible for the new employees who have joined in the last ten years.

In addition, activating measures should promote employee engagement and have a positive effect on cooperation. Especially against the background of a workforce that has grown in recent years, who are not or only little aware of the history.

The anniversary campaign “MWM Anniversary – 150 years of continuous innovation” comprises a large portfolio of measures for internal and external target groups.

Among other things, the following were implemented:

• Further development of the corporate design of the MWM brand
• Relaunch of the website mwm.net and in German and English
• Relaunch of the website mwm.com.ru in Russian and English
• Production of an anniversary film in four different language versions (DE, EN, RU,CN)
• Creation and publication of a hardcover book on the occasion of the anniversary in German and English
• Development and publication of the Post series “150 Years of Innovation and Progress – the Great MWM Anniversary Year 2021” on the MWM social media brand channels in German and English
• Development of an anniversary signet as a recognition feature
• Tram design at the company’s headquarters in Mannheim
• Posters of the factory buildings in Waldhofstraße and Carl-Benz-Straße in Mannheim
• Various employee activities such as a charity run or photo competition

Partner:

TMC The Marketing Company GmbH & Co. KG
Motionplan GmbH & Co. KG