Technical far-sightedness and a focus on the future need not be the sole preserve of start-ups; tradition-conscious companies can also be progressive, as Gebr. Heinemann is proving. The trading firm has just launched its contemporary new corporate web site at www.gebr-heinemann.de.
Heinemann online: new design and functions, greater transparency and clarity
Given that the Internet is firmly established as a dominant media outlet, those seeking success in the age of digital networking face particular challenges. Gebr. Heinemann, however, has effortlessly negotiated the tricky balancing act between respect for tradition and capacity for innovation, as the company’s new web site clearly illustrates. “We set out to appeal equally to new clients, business partners, job applicants and journalists with interesting content on the company’s history and new developments, and remained faithful to ourselves in the process,” explains Lara Vitzthum, Head of Corporate Communications at Gebr. Heinemann. Thanks to the visual design, content and technical features of the new web site, Gebr. Heinemann comes across as a modern organisation on all fronts. The site also takes account of rising Internet usage via mobile devices like smartphones and tablets through ‘responsive design’, whereby content is flexibly adapted to the screens of different user devices.
The site itself has two main content areas. The first is the corporate portal, which provides general facts about the company; here visitors will find useful information on Gebr. Heinemann’s history, philosophy and fields of activity. The second area of the new site is the careers portal, which is aimed at all those aiming to be part of the Heinemann family. One convenient feature of the careers portal for candidates is the SAP-based e-recruiting system, which makes the application process faster and easier, and even supports mobile job searches. A separate media zone where pictures and brochures can be downloaded completes the new Internet site.
Inspiring people means reinventing yourself
To inspire others, you have to keep on reinventing yourself – that goes for Internet users and customer relations alike. With this in mind, Gebr. Heinemann – the company now overseen by the fourth generation of the Heinemann family – has been a source of inspiration for decades with exceptional offers and outstanding ideas. The new web site is just the most recent example of how effectively and consistently the company has responded to changing trends and requirements throughout its 135-year history. Thanks to the efforts of its retail and distribution business areas, Gebr. Heinemann – the only family-run business among the global players – not only leads the European market, but on a world-wide scale ranks in the top three companies in the sector. Those responsible have always managed to preserve the unique culture and identity of the family-run firm while adapting it to the needs of an ever-evolving market. Flexibility and a sense of responsibility coupled with long-standing partnerships based on trust, a healthy measure of self-assurance and scope for individuality are just some of the traditional values that have brought success to Gebr. Heinemann over so many years.
A passion for trading
Today, travellers can shop in some 230 Heinemann Duty Free and Travel Value shops as well as licensed brand-label stores and concept shops at international airports and boutique stores on cruise liners and ferries. Gebr. Heinemann attracted more than 30 million retail customers in 2013, and its distribution division has been equally successful: around the globe, more than a thousand clients in 100-plus countries now rely on the distribution and advisory expertise of a trading specialist which sets great store by a tailored approach to product range definition. Overall, the Gebr. Heinemann product portfolio comprises 1,500 international brands, ranging across cosmetics and tobacco goods to wines, spirits, fashion items and accessories. What’s more, the selection is growing all the time. At present, some 5,500 employees around the world are contributing to the Gebr. Heinemann success story. The company maintains 66 subsidiaries and holding companies in 33 countries. In 2012 it generated total turnover of 2.4 billion euros.
