"The future of mobility is electric"

Ulrich Spiesshofer has been at the helm of Asea Brown Boveri, or ABB for short, since September 2013. With new ideas, new products and a new corporate strategy, he has put ABB on the road to success. In 2017, the renowned Brand Finance study assessed ABB's brand value as one billion Swiss francs higher than in the previous year and upgraded the Zurich-based company from 9th to 5th place. In 2018, ABB acquired GE's electronics division, Industrial Solutions, for 2.17 billion dollars. An exclusive interview with the CEO about brands and markets, solar airplanes and the Group's latest communication tool, Formula E.

The interview was previously published in Werbewoche 3/2018.

Werbewoche: Mr. Spiesshofer, ABB is a pure B2B company. Is the topic of "brand" still relevant to your corporate strategy?

Ulrich Spiesshofer: Right from the start of our new Group strategy, which we initiated in 2014, it was clear that we would focus more strongly on the topic of "brand" in future. In October 2016, we launched a new phase of our strategy. Since then, strengthening the global ABB brand has been a fundamental part of the strategy. One milestone was the announcement to consolidate our more than 1,000 brands worldwide under the umbrella of a single, strong corporate brand. Since then, the new brand positioning has continued ABB's history as a leading technology pioneer into the future.

What do you expect from this umbrella brand strategy?

The unified brand identity is a key component in realizing the full value potential of ABB's digital offering, as it strengthens customer loyalty, enables price premiums and increases the likelihood of purchase. A master brand makes it easier for ABB to communicate its strategy to relevant stakeholders and interact with existing and future customers, and underlines the Group's customer and digital focus. ABB's vision, direction and unique market position will be more clearly reflected through the brand design towards customers, shareholders, employees and all other stakeholders. ABB's history and strategy are also reflected in our brand promise: "Let's write the future. Together."

What specific role does digitalization play in your brand approach?

For us, digitalization is a core element of our corporate strategy - and therefore of our brand promise. We are digital. For us, this means the ability to equip systems with sensors and make the information obtained available - with the aim of generating knowledge from it. In combination with machine learning - i.e. the recognition of patterns in large volumes of data - this opens up numerous opportunities to optimize production processes and increase the degree of autonomy. In short, our digital technologies allow customers to evaluate data more intelligently, optimize their operations management and increase productivity and flexibility. Digitalization therefore enables us to increase customer benefits and the value of our brand at the same time.

Why did your company opt for Formula E, and what other alternatives did you focus on?

We simply fit together perfectly. The future of mobility is electric, and the environment is extremely exciting and dynamic. ABB and Formula E are at the forefront when it comes to the latest technologies for electrification and digitalization. Back in 2015, ABB supported the first solar-powered flight around the world with Solar Impulse. The solar airplane was powered by ABB technology - and proves that transportation systems using sustainable energy sources can already be efficient today. The partnership with Formula E is similar. Together, we want to drive forward the use of sustainable energy and e-mobility solutions. However, we are not just giving away our global brand name for this. We are also making our innovative strength and technological experience available.

You are one of the world's largest electronics and robot manufacturers. What products or equipment will you bring to the partnership?

We cover the entire spectrum of charging technologies for electric cars as well as electric and hybrid buses and also offer solutions for the electrification of ships and trains. As market leader, ABB has installed the largest number of fast charging stations for electric cars in the world to date. In total, our network now comprises more than 6000 stations in more than 50 countries. In partnership with Formula E, we will work on innovations that relate to both the car and the infrastructure. We are not only creating a test track, but above all a technological platform in which we are bundling the application of sustainable energy solutions and e-mobility and making them fit for the future.

Interview: Peter Ehm