Manor gives itself a new face

 
Shopping The department store chain Manor presents itself with a new concept, a new look and a campaign by Wirz. 
Switzerland's most successful department store chain is continuing its strategic development. With the claim "donnons du style à la vie", Manor is presenting itself in a new look to coincide with the start of spring. The style of the new Manor is "more feminine, more emotional and more modern", as PR Manager Markus Laub explains. Style-conscious from A to Z, Manor is styling itself to become the new top address for self-confident women and men who love fashion, trends and beauty. The aim of this comprehensive further development is to sharpen the profile of the Manor brand even more clearly for customers with the brand promise "donnons du style à la vie". With its new concept, Manor invites all customers to "discover a whole lifestyle world that runs through its stores". Manor is the right address for living well, feeling good and looking good. New, inspiring sales locations are being created accordingly.
Everything there corresponds to the new brand promise "donnons du style à la vie", from the decoration of the stores to the new website and the outfits of the employees. Manor held an international pitch for an image-defining advertising campaign, which was won by the Zurich agency Wirz.
The logo, which is also new, was developed by Wolff Olins in London. This agency also supplied the lettering for Orange. The new visual identity reflects femininity and elegance. With its refined typography, the revised logo with its free-standing flower is intended to appear "refined and modern". With its appealing look, it graphically underlines the new style-conscious statement of the Manor brand.
Bertrand Jungo, CEO of Manor AG, sums up the strategic development of his department store chain: "The new claim will accompany Manor into the future and become the focus of all our activities." To this end, the product range, consisting of attractive lifestyle, own and third-party brands, will also be visibly adapted. "However, we are still operating in the mid-price segment and are doing everything we can to offer affordable style for everyone," Jungo explains.
Customer needs are changing. Customers want to live well, feel good and look good. They are looking for inspiration and shape their lives according to their individual lifestyle. Manor has analyzed the most important lifestyles in Switzerland and consistently aligns its product range with these, through a successful mix of own and external brands. From fashionable outfits and type-appropriate cosmetics to the latest home accessories and espresso cups, Manor aims to offer a comprehensive product range for every lifestyle in the future.
As part of the further development of its own brand strategy, Manor is now focusing on four affordable lifestyle own brands: The already established lifestyle brands Avant Première, JJBenson and Yes or No will be joined by the new Maddison brand from fall 2008. Maddison represents fashion and everyday products that are tailored to a customer group that values comfort and functionality.
Avant Première is design-oriented, has its finger on the pulse of the times and impresses with fashionable eye-catchers. The quality brand JJBenson covers everything for chic-oriented customers with a timelessly elegant style. Yes or No represents everything that is young and "cool" and has established itself as a cult label for Swiss teens and twens over the past few years.
The emotional promise "donnons du style à la vie" also characterizes all areas internally. All Manor employees are preparing for the new branding as part of a systematic training program.
Information events and training courses support and motivate employees to act as brand ambassadors and offer customers a stylish shopping experience.
The launch of the new Manor appearance is celebrated with events. Trees with petals of the new Manor flower blossom in front of the largest Manor stores. Three stylish black Fiat Cinquecento cars are being raffled off for customers in an attractive competition. In some stores, Manor is offering a free ride home service with the Cinquecento until Saturday, March 14.
 
Andreas Panzeri
The history of the department storesManor AG
headquartered in Basel, is a subsidiary of Maus Frères Holding in Geneva. The company started out in Biel. It was here that the brothers and Engros traders Ernest and Henri Maus became friends with their customer, the retailer Léon Nordmann. In 1902, they encouraged him and later other customers to set up their own department stores. This gave rise to various more or less closely associated department stores throughout Switzerland, whose names are still vividly remembered in many places: Nordmann, Au Louvre, Vilan, Magazine zur Rheinbrücke, Galeries du Léman, La Placette, Innovazione...The Manor brand
- composed of the names Maus and Nordmann - was first created around 1965 when a new corporate identity was established. Since 1994, all 75 department stores belonging to the company in German-speaking Switzerland have been renamed Manor, as have all stores in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino since September 2000.