Global player in the digital fitness industry BY ANJA FAHS This app is really tough! My muscles were burning like fire and during the last ten jumps my legs started to feel heavy as lead, yet there were still squats to do, which would be the final straw for my trembling muscles. Quitting is not…
Tag: business
FREE SPIRIT
A girl and her eagle BY ANJA FAHS As soon as its mistress removes the protecting cap, the great eagle turns its head and looks around with its piercing eyes. It is still perched on the young girl’s arm. Suddenly, it spots its prey and in two great beats of its wings, it flies up…
STEFAN SAGMEISTER
BY NADINE PELZER / SABINE STAHL What makes people really happy? This is precisely the question the acclaimed designer Stefan Sagmeister has asked himself. The very personal documentary ‘The Happy Film’ is the result of years of research and self-experiments on the way to happiness. His work inspires and fascinates, and is known for its…
NEXT GENERATION
Cult brand Abercrombie & Fitch reinvents itself BY ANJA FAHS At the end of the 19th century, someone stepping into ‘Abercrombie & Co’, a small shop on the waterfront in downtown Manhattan, would have found him- or herself in the midst of a large selection of expensive and in some cases quite exotic outdoor and…
THE NEW AGE OF COMMUNICATION
The challenge of personalisation and localisation BY MATHIAS WURTH Through digitalisation, the world has become smaller. The multitude of online distribution channels and social media at our disposal today also means we can communicate in various ways with more people in more time zones simultaneously. For a standard campaign, an average company uses at least…
Thomas Lucas-Nülle in conversation with Michael Kugler
Thomas Lucas-Nülle, Chief Analyst TGOA, in conversation with Michael Kugler, Managing Director Contentserv GmbH, about the Ability to Execute Mr. Kugler is an industrial engineer and has more than ten years’ experience in various specialist and management positions, from consulting and marketing through to product management and sales. He is regarded a pioneer in the area of Product…
NEW BUSINESS
On the trail of the customer BY SARAH GRECHENIG Digitalisation has not only turned our everyday lives upside-down, it has also extensively revolutionised commerce. Developments in eCommerce have actually strong-armed digital transformation. The boundaries between sectors have become more fluid, those selling insurance today may be selling cars tomorrow. Nothing seems impossible any more. As…
Temel Kahyaoglu in conversation with Robert Schneider
Temel Kahyaoglu, Chief Analyst TGOA, in conversation with Robert Schneider, CEO w&co MediaServices, on the rising significance of integrators Since 2009, Robert Schneider has been the Managing Director at, and a shareholder in, w&co MediaServices GmbH & Co KG, a full-service media services provider based in Munich, Germany. Prior to this, he had been a manager at…
ROYAL TOUCH
Culinary secrets from the Royal Chef BY NORA MANTHEY Carolyn Robb was the Royal Family’s chef for thirteen years. She travelled with Prince Charles and was there when Prince William and Prince Harry lost their mother, Princess Diana. Her expertise and experiences inspired a cookbook: ‘The Royal Touch, Simple stunning home cooking from a former…
Temel Kahyaoglu in conversation with Ania Hentz
Temel Kahyaoglu, Chief Analyst TGOA, in conversation with Ania Hentz, CEO silver.solutions on, what makes B2B eCommerce so special Ania Hentz is the founder and Managing Director of silver.solutions GmbH. With a background in marketing, Ania Hentz identified the potential of the Internet in 1999 and founded her own IT company in collaboration with Frank Dege. She is…
FEEL COMFORTABLE
In and out of slippers in style BY CHRISTIAN PECHER Just be relaxed and keep the slippers on when you go out, suggests the London label mahabis, which offers slippers with separate outer soles. Comfortable slippers in a lovely Scandinavian design are thus transformed into stylish outdoor footwear and vice versa. Who says functional wear…
SUCCESS IS IN THE PRODUCT MIX
Orsay persuades with bright omnichannel BY JÜRGEN BURGER There is hardly any industry spinning faster than fashion. Collection chases collection as customer preferences change virtually monthly. Fashionable companies, especially those with young target groups, must thus offer new products practically every week to ensure consumers’ continued interest in the brand. Even for the most experienced,…
FASHION GOES TECH
Interview with founder of TheCurrent Liz Bacelar BY NADINE PELZER / SABINE STAHL Smart watches, rings, handbags or jackets – where wearables are concerned, a lot of things have happened in recent years. Still, fashion and retail seem to find it difficult to cooperate with the tech business. Liz Bacelar, however, has managed to do…
Temel Kahyaoglu in conversation with Upen Varanasi
Temel Kahyaoglu, Chief Analyst TGOA, in conversation with Upen Varanasi, CEO Riversand, on what the future of Master Data Management looks like Upen Varanasi sets the overall strategy and vision for Riversand. He brings extensive experience in the areas of PIM, PLM and Content Management. A University of Missouri and IIT alumnus, Upen holds Master’s and Bachelor’s…
FUTURISTIC SUPERMARKET
Amazon focusses on stationary retail using sensors instead of cash registers BY DR CLAUIA PELZER A supermarket with no queues at the checkout – but with lots of high-tech and sensors in the shelves. The amount due is simply debited online upon leaving the store. No more annoying queuing at the checkout. The online retail…
CREATING THE NEW
Is adidas’ new business model leaving competitors far behind? BY SANDY STRASSER Whether a product fulfils its purpose, whether it’s trendy and stylish, and above all whether it has its finger on the pulse of time — these factors are increasingly being decided by the customer in the digital age. It is he who not…
CYBER CRIME
Tracking down the perpetrators BY SANDY STRASSER As people conduct more of their private lifes online, attackers are increasingly focused on using the intersection of the physical and digital world to their advantage. In 2015, the American software company Symantec saw a resurgence of many tried-and-true scams. Cybercriminals revisited fake technical support scams which saw…
WORLDS OF WONDER
Adrenaline kicks in ice and snow BY NADINE PELZER The ability to tell stories through images is a rare gift. A gift that Mark Fisher is lucky enough to possess. With great passion and dedication, he captures human emotions on a background of alpine landscapes. As a result, he produces breathtaking images of extreme situations…
MAN OF THE FUTURE
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff creates Artificial Intelligence for anyone BY NADINE PELZER Artificial Intelligence is creating new ways for people to engage with technology and with one another. Various forms of AI already power for many years some of the world’s most popular consumer experiences, such as Apple’s Siri or Facebooks deep learning facial recognition…
DRESSED
Interview with Falke Managing Director Paul Falke BY SANDY STRASSER Fashion is driven by our own quest for beauty. The need for people to adorn themselves and to look for, and gradually find, their own style is also the driving force in fashion. Sock manufactory Falke has committed itself to developing stylish fashion for modern…
BORN TO RIDE
Where man and machine are one BY ANJA FAHS Every man dreams of fingering his own oily motorbike in order to make it his own custom machine. Imagine a cool garage somewhere at a beach where the sun shines and waves crash on the sand, and where the surfboard leans against the wall as it…
DIGITAL TO THE TOP
Interview with Dr Torsten Wingenter, Head of Digital Innovations at Lufthansa German Airlines BY JÜRGEN BURGER The Lufthansa Group is a globally operating aviation group with a total of 540 subsidiaries and affiliates. Over the last financial year, these were organised inter alia in the business segments of Passenger Airline Group, logistics, technology, catering, etc….
Temel Kahyaoglu in conversation with Saim Rolf Alkan
Temel Kahyaoglu, Chief Analyst TGOA, in conversation with Saim Rolf Alkan CEO ax semantics about the two classes in e-commerce Saim Rolf Alkan is the CEO of ax semantics, one of the pioneers in the area of automated copywriting. Based on his many years of experience with the requirements of content production and quality as…
KOBE BEEF
The Beefbar Butcher Shop BY ANJA FAHS No other foodstuff invokes our basic instincts like a juicy steak being grilled on the barbecue and we catch the spicy aroma of caramelising meat. Meat is pure pleasure, and it is also healthy, in view of the fact that it has been one of our most important…
DYNAMIC, NOT STATIC
Effective content is a matter of data management driven by demand BY MATTHIAS KANT Communicating across all channels is a challenge all companies face in times of cross-channel. But only those that provide high-quality information in their external communication while creating a personalised customer experience will have success in the long-term. Modern content management must…
TRAFFIC GUIDE
What traffic information will do in future BY THOMAS LUCAS-NÜLLE TomTom is a market leader in providing traffic services and products around the globe. With a market reach of 47 countries, its services aim to make the journey of the driver both safer and faster. However, the customer portfolio of the company, although indeed placing…
DATA SYNERGIES
Interview with Ingrid-Helen Arnold, President SAP Business Data Network By Temel Kahyaoglu In view of the digital economy and the Cloud, CIOs are today taking on important strategic leadership roles. Forward-looking CIOs have recognised that the Cloud is here to stay. For this reason, they are preparing their companies for a digital future that will…
GROWING PLAYFULLY
The new LEGO People House BY SANDY STRASSER A place for work and fun. A space to cooperate and play. These are some of the elements of LEGO’s new office building. Starting this year, it will serve as a global meeting point at the headquarters of one of the world’s leading toy manufacturers. We spoke…
MARITIME FUN
Welcome on board with Compass BY TEMEL KAHYAOGLU Compass is Europe’s largest mail-order company for motor boating and sailing sports. Ever since its foundation in 1979, the company is independent and family-run. Together with his wife, owner Michael Dehler is the second generation to lead the company in over 25 years. Today, with over 30,000…
HANDICRAFT
Individualism in Italian BY SANDY STRASSER Functional, practical and easy to carry - that is what the Italian label Piquadro stands for. Marco Palmieri is the boss of this bags and briefcases brand. Former engineering student and IT entrepreneur, he discovered his love of leather at an early age and eventually came to the decision…
A PANORAMIC VIEW
How to keep full control during digital transformation BY CHRISTIAN COLMER “Speaking to the pilot is strictly forbidden!” It was with these words that Picasso once curtly interrupted someone who was admiring his work. Successful CMOs do just the opposite. They are pilots who seek dialogue and keep an ear to the ground for customer…
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE
Volkswagen’s commitment to design and technology in the era of digital transformation BY SANDY STRASSER At the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, Volkswagen Group defined new goals for the future of mobility. With digitisation at the top of its agenda, the largest car manufacturer in the world hopes to bring in new business and…
CULTURAL MIX
Head of Alibaba Germany Terry von Bibra on their online expansion plans BY SANDY STRASSER The Chinese online merchant Alibaba has arrived in Germany. The huge demand for international brands in China has triggered a veritable battle for access to coveted goods. We talked to Germany boss Terry von Bibra about Alibaba’s plans to achieve…
BE YOURSELF
… just the way you are BY SANDY STRASSER We are into great designs and into small details. We are all about quality and understated looks. We started out with denim and advanced into collections. We go beyond borders and believe in true friendship. We value our heritage, love today, long for tomorrow. We are…
The smart Business Look
There are two ways to approach a business look – the super-classic, straight-forward suit, tie, hard shoe combo. Then there is the slightly more casual, contemporary take on business wear which allows room for flexibility and feels more “of the time”. This dressing incorporates ready-to-wear pieces and separates that are smart enough for formal meetings,…
CLOUD WORKING
Business solutions for mobile teams BY CLAUDIA PELZER The market for online data storage has been battled over for years, and yet, some newcomers, like the start-up Box, have managed to penetrate it and even expand their business. The technology platform increasingly focuses on enterprise customers and particularly seeks to stand out from the competition…
KING OF ENTERTAINMENT
ProSiebenSat.1 loves to entertain you BY SANDY STRASSER Range meets ideas: it is with this innovative concept that ProSiebenSat.1 has become the number one media investor in Germany. By exchanging TV advertising time for company shares or revenue sharing, the media group has built an attractive e-commerce portfolio over the past few years, which today…
FUTURUM
Meeting creative masterminds and technology enthusiasts BY NICOLE KIDD Last April, the first Singularity University Germany Summit brought together more than 650 representatives from all industries and German medium-sized businesses in Berlin with the aim of discussing the opportunities and challenges of technological singularity for industry and the environment. The focus was above all on…
SMOOTH SUPPLY CHAINS
How trading of product data will continue By Shamanth Shankar In the past, all manufacturing and retail companies have tried to optimise the product supply chain. This was accomplished primarily to support the typical buying style of consumers in the “Brick & Mortar” world. But in today’s e-commerce and mobile-based retail environment, the challenges for…
