Henkel-Life - 5 years of "A Brand like a Friend"

5 years of “A Brand like a Friend” 

Page 04 

A global brand 

for quality of life 

Progress report on the 

new corporate identity 

Page 10 

Staying on course 

Interview with Ulrich Lehner 

and Kasper Rorsted 

Page 16 

Statements from 

all over the world 

International comments on the 

new corporate presence


Contents 

A global brand for quality of life 

Progress report on the new corporate identity..................Page 04 


Interview with Ulrich Lehner and Kasper Rorsted .............Page 10 

Henkel stands for clear values 

Opinions on the corporate brand ..............................................Page 12 

Statements from all over the world 

International comments on the 

new corporate presence ...............................................................Page 16 

The Henkel strategy – 

an academic view 

First case study, in line with the Harvard model, 

of Henkel’s corporate brand management...........................Page 22 

“A Brand like a Friend” increases 

corporate value 

The corporate brand as seen by the experts........................Page 26 

Symbol of friendship 

Corporate design makes the 

corporate brand visible .................................................................Page 28 

Corporate design – from the practical side 

Variety of information sources for employees on the 

comprehensive guidelines ..........................................................Page 34 

And the winner is … Henkel! 

The Company has received much international praise 

for the new corporate brand strategy ....................................Page 38 


Published by 

Henkel KGaA 

Chief editor 

Ernst Primosch 

Editorial team 

Petra Goldowski, Volker Krug, 

Dirk Neubauer, Kai Schmidhuber 

Contact 

Henkel 

Corporate Communications 

40191 Düsseldorf, Germany 

Phone: + 49 211 797 2948 // + 49 211 797 3177 

Fax: + 49 211 797 3864 

www.henkel.com 

Authors 

Volker Krug, Ernst Primosch, 

Kai Schmidhuber, Jürgen Sterzenbach, 

Dr. Bernhard Swoboda 

Photos 

Steffen Hauser, Henkel, 

Philipp Hympendahl,Wilfried Wolter 

Design 

Kuhn, Kammann & Kuhn AG, Cologne; 

Diana Vialon, Henkel 

Printing 

Heider Druck, Bergisch Gladbach 

PR-Nr.: 2/08 5.000 

Printed on paper bleached without chlorine 

02 5 years of “A Brand like a Friend”

The value 

of trust 

Experts in corporate management and brand strategies all agree that active 

management of the corporate brand is an increasingly vital strategic element in 

corporate management, especially for companies that operate worldwide. At the 

same time, in a more and more competitive environment, a corporate brand is an 

additional value creator and a driver of corporate success. The value contributed by 

the corporate brand takes many forms, as its effect is internal as well as external. 

Companies with a strong brand presence – which essentially means a good reputation 

and high awareness – are more valuable and more attractive to shareholders, 

have better qualified employees, more loyal customers, and better suppliers, are 

more crisis-proof, and find it much easier to impose their general operating conditions. 

But the corporate brand can do a great deal more than this. Linking the corporate 

brand and the product brand strengthens both, creating additional buying 

incentives for the customer. The corporate brand thus contributes to the consolidation 

of the overall corporate values – values like ecological and economic responsibility, 

innovation and quality. This recognition of the value of the corporate brand, its 

power to increase corporate value, and its role in building trust in globalized markets 

has been motivating us for five years now to establish Henkel, vigorously and 

consistently, as a corporate brand in all of our markets. We have been successful in 

doing so, making considerable progress all over the world. We have progressed 

thanks to the people who hold up the Henkel flag on a daily basis, who live Henkel 

and carry it into our markets. They are the true heroes of this success story, the 

people who know that the work on a corporate brand can never end. They are 

Henkel. They are the basis for our success. They are “A Brand like a Friend. ” 

Ernst Primosch, Head of Global Communications at Henkel 

5 years of “A Brand like a Friend” 03


A global brand 

for quality of life 

Henkel set out to hone its international profile 

with the message “A Brand like a Friend” that makes 

people’s lives easier, better and more beautiful. 

We have accomplished a great deal – and aim at 

still more. 

A review of our progress after five years with our new 

corporate identity. > 



Consistent development 

The red Henkel oval first 

appeared as a decorative 

element on a Persil package 

in 1912. The Henkel 

name was integrated in 

the oval in 1920. This was, 

so to speak, the birth of 

the corporate logo, the 

Company’s most important 

symbol. The choice of 

typeface for the Henkel 

name was not defined until 

1959, when it was replaced 

by a professional typographic 

design. The logo 

was revised only at long 

intervals and modernized 

with great care. 

1920 

1950 

1959 

1965 

From 

1965 

Since 2002 

Quality beyond borders 

Modernity, team spirit, and 

quality consciousness 

were united in this advertising 

motif, developed by 


for international use 

in 2004. 

Since 2002, Henkel has been presenting itself uniformly on all continents with 

its oval corporate logo and the claim “A Brand like a Friend”. Together, these 

two components constitute an umbrella brand for the entire Company with all 

of its products and services. At the same time, this communicates Henkel’s preeminent 

desire to make people’s lives easier, better and more beautiful through 

strong brands and technologies. In simple terms, to be a helpful friend to all of 

our customers. This thought is unusual in a business world that is characterized 

by stiff competition. Isn’t a different kind of behavior called for here? How can a 

company, a very complex entity, be a friend? What is the strategy behind the 

creation of a Henkel corporate brand? 

The function of companies 

We have become accustomed to judging companies primarily on the basis of 

their business success. A purely economic perspective, however, disregards the 

fact that companies actually play a far more complex role. As providers of 

goods and services, they not only satisfy important human needs, but have a 

decisive influence on people’s lifestyle, as well as on the culture of their dayto-day 

life. To a great extent, scientific progress also stems from their activity. 

This is because intense competition forces companies to constantly improve 

their products and come up with innovations. A further vital point is the relationship 

a company has with the various social groups it touches. It must fulfill 

the highly diverse expectations of employees and shareholders, customers and 

suppliers, media representatives and politicians. These examples demonstrate 

the fact that companies do not operate within a limited domain, but, beyond 

their business activities, also influence science, culture and society. 

A company as a friend 

Henkel therefore set a long-term strategic goal of winning people’s trust, not 

only through first-class products and services, but also by assuming social responsibility. 

The vision of Company founder Fritz Henkel and his great brand, 

Persil, the world’s first self-acting detergent, which eliminated the laborious 

washing day, was thus transformed into the ideal of being a good friend one 

can depend on and who makes life easier, better and more beautiful. Furthermore, 

the comparison with a trustworthy friend is advantageous in that it 

makes it easier to recognize and identify the company. After all, communicating, 

internally and externally, what Henkel offers and what Henkel stands for is no 

easy task for a company that operates in 125 countries around the world and 

has 750 product brands for consumers and industrial customers worldwide. 

Important for a global company 

In creating a corporate brand, Henkel was breaking new ground in an industry 

that had traditionally been dominated by product-oriented marketing. The 

company name had stayed in the background, since it was already very well 

known in the German domestic market. The situation was different in the international 

environment, in which Henkel, with its broad range of products, 

naturally found it more difficult to make its name known. The need to do so 

came about as a result of Henkel’s expanding activities abroad, especially in 

the profitable North American market and in the growth markets of Eastern 

Europe, Africa/Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Five years ago, to reinforce 

these activities, the Henkel Management Board established the strategic 

objective of developing a distinctive corporate identity and using this as a basis 

for building a corporate brand that would motivate some 53,000 employees 

and generate trust in millions of customers and consumers across the globe. 

Introducing a corporate brand was thus a strategic innovation. 

"It takes 

20 years to 

build a reputation 

and 

5 minutes to 

ruin it. If you 

think about 

that, you’ll 

do things 

differently.” 

Warren Buffett, 

American investor 

Friendliness and originality 

were the theme of a series 

of advertising motifs in 

2003, which communicatedtheCompany’svalues 

in a light-hearted way – 

here the value “We are 

customer driven”. 

> 



Focus on innovation 

The ten core values of the 

Company are represented 

by small icons. The “man 

with telescope” stands for 

the value “We strive for 

innovation.” 

Apprentices 

as trailblazers 

An all-inclusive Corporate 

Design also rules the design 

of site ID cards. The 

apprentices of the year 

2005 were the first to receive 

the newly-designed 

card as a group. As of 2007, 

the new ID design was 

being used worldwide. 

Vision and Values create identity 

Positioning Henkel as “A Brand Like a Friend” has proven successful, as demonstrated 

by the positive development of the Company since that time, as well as 

by in-depth economic studies. A critical factor was the approach, which involved 

first creating a contentual basis and firmly establishing it within the company. 

This was accomplished with the formulation of the Vision (Henkel is a leader 

with brands and technologies that make people’s lives easier, better and more 

beautiful) and Henkel’s ten foundational Values. The Vision serves as a reminder 

that day-to-day work must be carried out in alignment with binding values and 

objectives, and it makes each individual employee aware of his or her responsibility 

for the success of the Company as a whole. The Vision and Values are the 

foundations that permit Henkel to set standards worldwide regarding the quality 

of its products and its sustainable business practices. The daily striving to fulfill 

our Vision and to live our Values results in an identity, a very specific Henkel 

identity. The idea was not and is not that of creating uniform Henkel people, but 

rather that of combining individuality and group identity in a way that permits us 

to function as a cohesive team. Just as no two leaves on a tree are identical, and yet 

each leaf tells us what tree it comes from. This is the idea of a corporate identity. 

Internal and external significance 

An absolute necessity in working toward this goal was the design of a uniform 

global appearance for the company, its corporate design. Over the decades, a 

proliferation of differing signs and symbols had developed for use on business 

stationery and other means of visual communication. The result was a large 

collection of variations on the Henkel oval, with different colors and fonts. 

Today Henkel has a uniform appearance worldwide, from the business card to 

the Internet site. Repetition and re-use play a major role in building an identity. 

In addition to its internal use, the corporate brand has a special strategic significance 

for external communication. It has enhanced Henkel’s standing in the international 

media, as well as in the financial and recruitment markets. In recent 

years, Henkel has become more attractive to both investors and qualified 

specialist and management staff. Furthermore, various studies 

show that Henkel’s corporate value has risen significantly in the past 

years. This is also viewed as the result of the intensive efforts made to 

build an identity and a brand for the overall company. 

Quality beyond borders 

The Henkel corporate brand will be increasingly important in the future for communication 

with consumers. In this context, the corporate brand – as already 

mentioned – stands for higher values such as ecological, economic and social responsibility, 

also referred to as corporate social responsibility (CSR), for innovation, 

and naturally – and especially – for quality. These are values that have all 

been firmly anchored in our genetic code for 131 years now, and it is this combination 

of values that sets us clearly apart from other companies. Consumers all 

over the world can already recognize most of the company’s branded products 

by the statement “Quality from Henkel,” which is seen on the packaging or the 

closing slogan of commercials, in the respective local language. This makes it 

easier for consumers, even in other countries, to select our quality products, 

while creating synergies between familiar and new products from Henkel. Less 

advertising is required for the latter, as the consumer knows he can depend on 

Henkel’s promise of quality. Trust in the Henkel brand, paired with trust in the 

individual product brands, thus plays an increasingly important role for sales 

success and will continue to do so in the future. Implementation of the corporate 

vision of “making people’s lives easier, better and more beautiful” will anchor 

Henkel firmly in the minds of consumers and in the perception of the public as 

a global brand for quality of life. 

Focus on people 

The Company’s visual 

language is simple, 

straightforward, authentic 

and natural. The focus is 

always on people as the 

defining element in each 

scenario. 

“The corporate 

brand is 

the most important 

asset 

that a company 

owns.” 

Jack Welsh, Chairman 

and CEO of General 

Electric for many years 

We together 

The Company’s corporate 

song “We together” is one 

of the components of Corporate 

Identity that help to 

create a feeling of identity. 

Originally presented in German 

and English, local versions 

have now been produced 

in the following 

countries: USA, Mexico, 

Turkey, China, Ukraine, 

Russia, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, 

Thailand and Japan. 



Five years ago, with its claim “A Brand like a Friend” and a clearly defined corporate 

identity (CI), Henkel adopted a new strategy in order to make its global 

image even better and stronger, and to be perceived as one entity: Henkel as a 

corporate brand. Henkel Life spoke to Ulrich Lehner, Chairman of the Management 

Board, and Kasper Rorsted, Vice-Chairman, about the strategic approach 

and the necessity of “staying on course.” 

Ulrich Lehner, 

Chairman of the Henkel 

Management Board 

Brands are becoming increasingly 

important in global 

competition. Whom would 

you trust more – a nobody or 

someone you know well, 

a friend? 

Kasper Rorsted 

Kasper Rorsted, 

Vice-Chairman 

of the Henkel 

Management Board 

All of us are Henkel. Our 

products, our services, our 

actions – all stand for the 

Henkel brand. Each individual 

employee is thus an important 

ambassador for the corporate 

brand. 

Ulrich Lehner 


Five years ago, as part of its strategic realignment 

to brands and technologies, the Company reformulated 

its Vision and Values, thus clearly describing 

its corporate identity. The objective was to strengthen 

Henkel as a corporate brand. Are you satisfied 

with what has been achieved? 

Lehner: When a company becomes a brand, this 

constitutes a long-term project that must be accompanied 

by careful analyses and considerations. With 

the claim “A Brand like a Friend” and a well-defined 

corporate identity, the Company has positioned 

itself clearly. The basic concept was that a 

strong identity would not only benefit the Company 

in markets that are important to us, such as the financial 

or recruitment markets, but would help our 

brands as well. This is a great advantage in many 

countries all over the globe, especially in the case of 

market launches. The corporate brand and product 

brands mutually strengthen one another. In the 

interim, we have found that awareness of Henkel 

has generally increased worldwide. 

Why is that particularly important today? 

Lehner: Brands are the lighthouses in a world that 

is rapidly becoming more and more global, borderless. 

Brands offer orientation and means of differentiation. 

This applies in particular to our Henkel 

corporate brand. It is unique and instantly recognizable. 

For more than 131 years, people have expressed 

their trust in the Henkel brand, with every 

single decision to buy our products. Day by day, 

the Henkel corporate brand strengthens our product 

brands, our services, and, not least, the Henkel 

staff. 

Does this hold true all over the world – and in all 

areas of the Company? 

Rorsted: Absolutely. Brands are becoming increasingly 

important in global competition. Whom 

would you trust more – a nobody or someone you 

know well, a friend? A friend, of course. This is why 

people are only convinced by strong brands. They 

reflect the passion, the vision, and the values of a 

company – and they engender trust. Through diversity 

– in regard to origin, age and gender – we also 

make important statements within Henkel. These, 

too, fall in the category of friendship and trust. And 

this is precisely the reason that we need to strengthen 

the Henkel corporate brand, so that it will fulfill 

the promise we make with our corporate claim 

“A Brand like a Friend”. 

So the corporate brand involves everyone? 

Rorsted: Of course. The Henkel corporate brand is 

worth over eight billion euros, making it our most 

valuable brand. Every day, it is affected by innumerable 

decisions and actions within the Company. To 

help it thrive optimally, every single employee must 

do his or her best to strengthen the corporate brand. 

Despite all the demands made on us by 

increasingly stiffer international competition, 

we must not forget or neglect 

the culture of how we interact 

with one another, of treating each 

other with respect and working together 

as partners. It is precisely this 

culture, which some people refer to as 

the “Henkel spirit,” that makes our company 

unique and, in the final analysis, 

also successful. A spirit that is clearly expressed 

in our corporate identity and that 

was demonstrated from the beginning 

by our Company founder, Fritz Henkel. 

What does that mean in concrete terms? 

Lehner: Let me just say: One!Henkel. All of us are 

Henkel. Our products, our services, our actions – 

all stand for the Henkel brand. Each individual employee 

is thus an important ambassador for the 

corporate brand. There can be no exceptions here – 

and there is therefore no place for compromises or 

separate paths either. 

What significance does corporate design have here? 

Rorsted: Corporate design is an important part of 

our corporate identity. It stipulates uniform symbols 

and signs and thereby guarantees instant recognition 

and ensures that our values will quickly be communicated 

to the recipient. Even our business cards, 

on which the Vision and Values are printed, show 

that Henkel has committed itself to honorable business 

ethics and a good system of values. Each time 

a card is used, we increase our global reputation as 

a company and heighten our credibility. 

The Henkel corporate brand – a success story? 

Lehner: Yes. Anyone who gets around in the world 

knows this. In the past few years, we have seen a 

satisfying increase in awareness of Henkel and its 

reputation in many countries. Our corporate value, 

an important parameter in terms of our future viability, 

has also grown continuously. And above all: 

We are successful. The experts may argue about the 

extent to which our strong corporate identity is responsible 

for this success, but they all agree that it 

has made us more successful. We need to continue 

along this path. It is worth all the effort. Because 

the value created, the additional benefit for our 

company, is paid out to us daily in the form of 

a few million additional purchase decisions. 

Dipl.-Ing. Albrecht Woeste 

Chairman of the Shareholders’ 

Committee and 

the Supervisory Board 

of Henkel 



stands for 

clear values 

With its clear positioning, our corporate brand not only represents 

the Company in its entirety, but also strengthens 

the product brands in various countries. Here are the assessments 

of the Executive Vice Presidents and the Chairman of 

the Düsseldorf-Holthausen Works Council, who is also the 

President of the European Works Council (EWC). 

Friedrich Stara 

Laundry & Home Care 

The corporate brand enables us – especially 

since we operate in so many international 

markets – to broaden our business 

base and to strengthen our customer 

retention long-term. People simply 

trust in the proverbial “Quality from 

Henkel.” 

Lothar Steinebach 

Finance 

Trust, reliability, innovation 

– these values, 

that are embodied by 

the Henkel corporate 

brand, are also highly topical 

and enormously important 

in the international financial 

markets and from 

the point of view of investors. 

In our value-oriented 

management, the corporate 

brand contributes considerably 

to increasing our corporate 

value. 


Alois Linder 

Adhesives Technologies 

The corporate brand “Henkel – 

A Brand like a Friend” enables us to 

position and differentiate ourselves 

much more clearly in the market, 

and to communicate our profile 

and our promise of performance 

much more precisely. It helps to 

assure our competitive position 

long-term. It constitutes the 

logical bracket for our many 

individual businesses. 

Winfried Zander 

Chairman of the Works Council in Düsseldorf- 

Holthausen and Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board 

of Henkel 

Hans Van Bylen 

Cosmetics/Toiletries 

The Henkel brand is the core of 

our corporate identity. It simultaneously 

expresses both our 

expertise and our promise of 

performance. Every step taken 

by the Company is part and 

parcel of the corporate brand. 

It creates unity in our diversity. 

The Henkel corporate brand unites all the business 

sectors and our many different activities 

worldwide. This not only gives the 

Company its distinctive character, but 

also gives our employees a feeling of 

strength and self-confidence. And 

this is particularly valuable in our 

worldwide structures. 


We are successful 

because of our people 

We develop superior 

brands and technologies 

We strive 

for innovation 

We communicate openly 

and actively 

We preserve the tradition 

of an open family company 

We embrace change 

We aspire to excellence in quality 

We are committed to 

shareholder value 


Friendship means quality. 

And responsibility. 

For more than 130 years, Henkel has combined high brand 

quality with responsibility toward human beings and the 

environment. At the product level, this includes the efficient 

use of renewable raw materials and environmentally 

compatible packaging, as well as energy-saving production 

processes and good working conditions for our employees 

in more than 125 countries all over the world. 

Henkel’s understanding of corporate social responsibility is not just reflected in 

how much money is spent for what. Good corporate social responsibility is 

demonstrated to a much greater extent by how the money is earned and whether 

responsible action is evident here. 

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) thus denotes all 

of a company’s voluntary activities that are designed to 

improve the economic, social and ecological 

environment. CSR is thus based on three central 

thoughts: voluntariness, sustainability and responsibility. 

This way of thinking is so important to the Company that it specifically declares 

its commitment to this in its corporate policy. Henkel’s social commitment – 

internationally referred to as corporate citizenship – represents the social pillar 

of the CSR strategy and is channeled through the Henkel Smile program. 

With Henkel Smile, Henkel puts its central principle – being “A Brand like a 

Friend” – into practice. Henkel sees itself as part of society and embraces its 

responsibility as an active and responsible member of society. The Company thus 

supports projects focusing on social needs, schools and education, art and 

culture, sport and health, and the environment. 

Henkel not only provides financial and in-kind donations to support such 

efforts, but encourages community activities at its sites and supports charitable 

projects in which employees and pensioners are involved as volunteers. The 

non-bureaucratic provision of aid all over the world makes the Company into a 

“friend in need” in the case of severe disasters. Whether in regard to product 

quality or responsibility toward people and the environment – Henkel rises to 

the challenge. Like a friend. 

We are dedicated to sustainability 

and corporate social responsibility 

Corporate social responsibility: 

The Company and its social responsibility 

One of Henkel’sValues is“We are dedicated to sustainability 

and corporate social responsibility.”These 

two concepts go hand in hand. After all, only those 

who act with a sense of social responsibility will 

operate sustainably, that is, in a way that is viable 

for the future, and on a permanent basis. In Henkel’s 

understanding, this is synonymous with high 

standards of economic, ecological and social 

behavior. In this context, social behavior refers to 

the employees. It is the behavior demonstrated on 

the path to success and not what one does with 

the money afterwards. This is what we mean when 

we speak of corporate social responsibility. 

A responsibility that has been part of our genetic 

code for 131 years. 

We are customer driven 

Proving that performance and responsibility 

need not be mutually exclusive: 

A global initiative of our Laundry & Home 

Care business sector is lighting the way with 

a new quality logo on all its product packages, 

unmistakably signaling a promise of performance 

combined with an enduring commitment 

to ecological compatibility of all detergents 

and cleaning products from Henkel. 


Statements 

from all 

over the world 

As Henkel “ambassadors,” the Company’s more than 53,000 employees 

are a vital factor in determining the success of the strategy designed to 

position Henkel as a global brand. Henkel Life asked employees around the 

world for their opinions. 


Poland Janusz Golebiowski 

President 

Henkel has changed significantly over the 

past five years – and is still changing. The 

Henkel corporate brand, which radiates a 

positive light onto all of our activities and 

services, all of our brands and products, 

makes us into an even stronger 

“ONE!Henkel” company with satisfied 

customers in 125 markets all around the 

globe. Today Henkel stands for a clear vision, 

consistent values, and binding behavioral 

rules. The name is presented in a 

standardized corporate design with clearly 

defined corporate branding rules, which 

have helped to create our widely recognized 

corporate identity and have boosted 

awareness of Henkel among customers 

and consumers. Consumers trust Henkel 

as a company and Henkel products – 

more than ever before. The benefits of 

ONE!Henkel are readily apparent both 

at the global and at the local level. 

Andean Region Patricia Caicedo 

Human Resources Director and Head 

of Corporate Communications 

Five years ago, the design was reworked 

and the new logo and our claim were integrated 

into our external and internal communication. 

These measures were included 

in our corporate design manuals and 

thus also facilitated the alignment of our 

codes to the new Henkel image and the 

claim “A Brand like a Friend.” Next, we 

started to redefine the content and core 

meaning of our corporate brand. We 

pointed out ways of living our corporate 

values and confirming the individual 

codes: Conduct, Teamwork and Leadership. 

These initiatives have permitted our 

employees to identify much more closely 

with the claim “A Brand like a Friend.” 

USA Brad Casper 

CEO and President of The Dial Corporation 

Dial has been transitioning to the corporate 

identity since we became part of the 

big Henkel family in 2004. The result has 

been fantastic. Having a strong corporate 

identity helps us to attract and retain topnotch 

talent and has a positive impact on 

customers and consumers in North America 

who are becoming increasingly conscious 

of the companies with which they 

do business. The Henkel corporate identity 

and our corporate brand represent the 

common threads that tie us together 

across North America and around the 

world: our Vision and Values, and our 

commitment to quality, innovation and 

sustainability. We truly are ONE!Henkel, 

and reflecting this to our employees, customers 

and consumers is critical to our 

future success. 

Henkel in the world – A powerful message 

Top-level sport as a spectator magnet 

Henkel is a sponsor and active partner of 

the Beach Volleyball Grand Slam Tour in 

Paris, France and Klagenfurt, Austria. On 

the five days of the tournament in Klagenfurt, 

more than 100,000 spectators 

watch the beach volleyball elite compete 

for points and match balls. Henkel’s 

sponsorship includes advertising in the 

stadium as well as on the roof of the VIP 

section. 

Impressive trade show exhibit 

This exhibition booth for the Chilean 

trade fair “Feria Internacional del Transporte 

Terrestre” is strictly aligned to our 

corporate design. The Loctite and Teroson 

product lines are presented here, 

with specialties for the automotive 

sector with new technologies and 

examples of use for this industrial 

sector, a fast-growing market in Latin 

America. 


Asia-Pacific Frazer Li 

Head of Computing Network Services 

I like the red Henkel logo and the handwritten 

claim “A Brand like a Friend.” It looks 

like a smiling friend who really cares about 

you. I get a warm feeling working at Henkel 

– a friendly community. 

Slovakia Juraj Lackovic 

President 

Five years using the new claim “A Brand 

like a Friend” have convinced us that we 

are truly part of the big Henkel family. 

The new corporate identity is helping us 

to fulfill our ambition to present Henkel 

hand-in-hand with its mission to make 

people’s lives easier, better and more 

beautiful. Not only have we successfully 

implemented the new CI, but we have also 

identified ourselves with it and brought it 

into our everyday lives. The new logo, the 

Henkel oval plus the handwritten claim 

“A Brand like a Friend,” has been anchored 

in the minds and hearts of our 

employees and is well known among our 

customers. 

The redefined corporate identity has also 

been well received everywhere externally. 

It communicates to our customers in 

simple words: “This is Henkel, this is who 

we are.” In my view, the decision to keep 

the wording of the claim “A Brand like a 

Friend” in English was right because it 

conveys the same message all over the 

world. It is understood everywhere. So it 

is not surprising that consumers recognize 

it everywhere and see it as a guarantor of 

high product quality and a reliable and 

responsible manufacturer – in a word, 

a good friend. 

Hungary Ferenc Deák 

President 

The corporate design is unambiguous and 

easy to recognize. When I take part in a 

conference, for example, and am looking 

for a presenting colleague, the corporate 

identity always helps. The Henkel layout 

is quite unmistakable because it is simple, 

clear, and easy to remember. It helps me 

and my target audience by serving as a 

point of reference with which each one of 

us can identify. It is the visible expression 

of our corporate personality: as an attractive 

employer, an emotional, helpful 

and friendly company that respects both 

employees and customers. 

Austria Günter Thumser 

President, Henkel CEE 

At a time when frontiers are disappearing 

and so much is in a state of flux, as markets 

become increasingly globalized, it is 

becoming more and more important for 

consumers to have a clear image of the 

product supplier in their minds. An umbrella 

corporate brand is able to consolidate 

and externally communicate all of 

the values for which the manufacturer 

stands. The Henkel corporate brand represents 

the quality of our products, the 

services that we offer to our customers, 

and also the commitment of our employees, 

expressed in their desire to serve and 

succeed. 

Highly visible in Thailand 

Henkel Thailand exhibited at “Propak 

Asia,” an important trade fair for process 

and packaging technologies. More than 

600 exhibitors from 32 countries welcomed 

22,000 visitors from the trade. 

Henkel Thailand presented “Procontrol – 

Optimized Adhesive Consumption – 

Monitored Intelligently.” 

Ambassador through sports 

The Company’s social commitment is represented by the social 

pillar of the CSR strategy and is channeled through the Henkel 

Smile program. A project sponsored 

by Henkel Smile involves meetings 

between Mongolian and Korean 

children to enable them to get better 

acquainted. These include friendly 

competitions in regular soccer 

tournaments – in Henkel t-shirts, 

of course. 


Benelux countries Luc Godefroid 


I believe that the logos and statements 

“Henkel – A Brand like a Friend” and 

“Quality from Henkel” significantly improve 

our visibility and the awareness of 

our Company. Especially from the internal 

perspective, this helps to form a “binding 

element” between the various businesses 

we have. The outward appeal should be 

more intensively promoted, however, such 

as in communication with customers. This 

is certain to further strengthen our image. 

And this is particularly true in external 

communication, where the logo and claim 

are not yet being utilized everywhere. 

Hungary Csilla Gera 

Human Resources Manager 

To me as an Human Resources manager, 

the Henkel logo shines like a lighthouse. 

In the immense sea that constitutes the 

labor market, it makes us widely visible 

and immediately attracts the right employees. 

Personally, I also have only positive 

associations in connection with our 

name: quality, friendliness, etc. – in other 

words, an attractive employer! 

Benelux countries Ina Zandvoort 

Human Resources Department 

Adopting the claim “Henkel – A Brand 

like a Friend” has definitely increased 

Henkel’s visibility. This statement connects 

the enormous variety of products 

that we have to one company, and we 

present one face to the outside world. 

The style is more dynamic, refreshing and 

friendly – and has a most appealing effect. 

The redefined corporate identity has also 

been well received everywhere externally. It 

tells our customers in simple words:“This is 

Henkel, this is who we are.” 

Juraj Lackovic, 

President, Henkel Slovakia 

USA Bill Read 

Senior Vice President Human Resources 

Our corporate brand strength is an important 

factor in making Henkel an “employer 

of choice” for prospective employees, 

giving us a competitive advantage in the 

battle for talent. 

Visible from a distance 

In Mexico, Henkel has production sites 

in Vallejo and Salamanca for branded 

consumer products from the Laundry & 

Home Care and Adhesives Technologies 

business sectors. Here the entrance areas 

are totally in line with the corporate design. 

The Henkel logo is also visible from 

a distance on the tallest building of the 

production site in Salamanca, a water 

tower. 

“A Brand like a Friend” in Korea 

Henkel Korea decided on a special kind of outdoor 

advertising in the urban center of Seoul: billboard-size 

ads for bus stops, taxi stands and 

buses. The text on the poster is:“Are there any 

friends in the world that are there for each other 

like a married couple? There is a brand that acts 

like a friend to all the world’s families. Henkel – 

A Brand like a Friend.” 


Henkel’s corporate brand strategy has 

given the Company a new face all over 

the world. In Turkey alone, awareness of 

Henkel has increased by 16 percent! 

Hande Ardane, 

Corporate Communications, Henkel Turkey 

Colombia Betty Castro 

Events and Public Relations Manager 

Since October 2006, we have been forming 

strategic alliances with a large spectrum 

of publications, in order to enhance 

our international reputation as a leading 

company for innovation, quality, competence, 

and a perfect presence. Consistently, 

we have communicated how Henkel is 

an umbrella or corporate brand and how it 

encompasses prestigious business units 

that all are oriented to make people’s lives 

easier, better and more beautiful. 

Benelux countries Stefan Mund 

Schwarzkopf Professional, 

Indola and Clynol 

The development and launch of “Henkel – 

A Brand like a Friend” and the statement 

“Quality from Henkel” have been a successful 

move designed to strengthen the 

awareness and empathy of our Company. 

On the other hand, not all divisions and 

businesses are using the Henkel brand 

image. In the Professional business of 

Henkel Cosmetics, we have decided to 

further utilize, focus on, and strengthen 

the endorsement of our core brands, 

Schwarzkopf, Indola and Clynol. The 

reason for this decision is that all three 

professional brands have a strong and 

established brand heritage and reputation 

in the hairdressing business. 

Turkey Hande Ardane 


A strong corporate brand works wonders: 

It drives up the share price, attracts talented 

staff, facilitates company mergers, 

builds team spirit in the daily working environment, 

increases the success of new 

product launches, minimizes crises, enhances 

competitive advantages, and assures 

sustainable growth. Plenty of good 

reasons, therefore, for Henkel to rethink 

its corporate brand strategy and to position 

itself as “A Brand like a Friend” 

worldwide. It has redeveloped its corporate 

design, corporate culture, internal 

communication, and many other aspects. 

And it has strengthened its “A Brand like 

a Friend” message with the “Quality from 

Henkel” promise. Henkel’s corporate 

brand strategy has given the Company 

a new face all over the world. In Turkey 

alone, awareness of Henkel has increased 

by 16 percent! 

Billboard on the highway 

On the highway to Incheon Airport, 

Henkel Korea has put up a billboardsize 

poster, nine meters wide and six 

meters high, as long-term advertising. 

“A Brand like a Friend” is presented to 

drivers on the way to Korea’s largest 

airport, not only in English, but also 

in Korean. 

Computers for children 

Henkel Thailand supports a school for children from a rural region 

in the Province of Karnjanburi, 300 kilometers northwest of Bangkok. 

More than 300 students are taught at this school, founded in 

1993, primarily by volunteer teachers. 

Henkel Thailand provided new computers 

for the school, to improve the 

lessons.“A Brand like a Friend” was 

also there at the official presentation. 


Latin America 

Carlos E. Orozco 

President 

Considerable progress has been achieved 

over the past years regarding our corporate 

image. And yet, we could still do so 

much more. We need to achieve full global 

standardization of our appearance in 

TV spots, on product labels, trade packaging, 

presentation cards, etc. This is key 

to achieving a widespread buy-in by the 

stakeholders. 

Benelux countries Yves Michel 


I think that promoting Henkel’s claim 

“A Brand like a Friend” in close association 

with our brands is a good thing. 

Indeed, our Company owns an impressive 

number of national and international 

brands which are active in different markets, 

such as adhesives, detergents, and 

cosmetics, as well as brands for industrial 

applications. At Henkel, we all are aware 

of this – but what about consumers who, 

every day, have to compare hundreds or 

even thousands of brands which are produced, 

most of the time, by unknown 

companies? The association of Henkel's 

name with our brands creates a huge unifying 

link within our product portfolio 

which goes beyond borders, markets and 

categories. By doing this, we help consumers 

to better get to know our products and 

their origins and, in this way, we try to 

ally them to our Company’s values. This 

also allows us to assert our position as a 

leading global manufacturer in a fiercely 

competitive environment. 

Ukraine Dieter Knoll 

Spokesperson of Henkel companies 

in the Ukraine 

Henkel’s corporate brand had a very positive 

influence on developing our businesses 

in the Ukraine. Since we have had to build 

our company and brands almost from 

scratch, the strong corporate brand was 

truly essential when launching new products, 

simply because the Henkel name 

stands for quality. The corporate brand 

helped us to get off the ground more quickly. 

It makes our company more attractive 

and helps us to recruit young, dynamic employees. 

Giving the different Henkel business 

units, which also represent different 

legal entities, a shared image is likewise 

very important. 

Latin America 

Vivian Rodal 

ACC Marketing Manager 

“A Brand like a Friend” perfectly reflects 

the mission and values of Henkel worldwide. 

It is very important that all employees 

share the same vision. I am convinced 

that by having one concept worldwide, 

while respecting each country’s 

trends and consumer needs, we will be 

recognized everywhere as a qualityoriented, 

responsible company all over 

the world. 

In the “Village of Hope” 

Thirty employees of Henkel Korea and 

Henkel Lucky Silicone constructed a building 

with space for 18 families in the “Village 

of Hope” in Cheon-Ahn, Korea.“Building 

a House of Love,” the Korean partner 

organization of “Habitat for Humanity,” 

provides housing for families in need. At 

the topping-out ceremony, the Henkel 

logo was, of course, highly visible. 

Red and white pride 

The system for building identification 

and signage was also developed as part 

of the corporate design and is being implemented 

worldwide. One after the 

other, all of the Company’s production and 

administrative sites are attracting attention 

with their new appearance – such as 

here at the Henkel Fragrance Center in 

Krefeld, Germany. All signs are now in two 

languages (local language/English). 



The Henkel 

strategy – an 

academic view 

Henkel is one of the pioneers of international corporate brand management. 

In collaboration with a team headed by Professor Bernhard Swoboda of the 

University of Trier, the Company has published a first detailed case study of 

the implementation of this type of strategy – a true gold mine for students of 

business management and communication and an incentive for additional 

research projects. 

Just as Henkel helped to pioneer modern product 

branding 100 years ago with the introduction of 

Persil, the Company has now become one of the 

trailblazers in international corporate branding. 

This term refers to the strategic development and 

management of a globally uniform corporate brand 

and constitutes a management task that is both 

novel and demanding. The experience gained from 

managing product brands, which are the central 

value drivers of a company and represent a significant 

immaterial asset, is helpful. The new approach is: 

If the company itself is now positioned and managed 

systematically as a brand, this will produce additional 

potentials for increasing corporate value. 

Henkel decided on this strategy while restructuring 

its business areas in 2001. Also pivotal was the increasing 

internationalization of the Company in the 

course of the past decades. The share of sales resulting 

from business abroad had nearly doubled, 

from 42 percent in 1975 to 80 percent in 2006. In 

view of this, it was expected that a global brand 

strategy would produce considerable synergistic 

effects for communication with the Company’s own 

employees, as well as with customers and other 

external contacts. 

> 


Modern brand 

management 

in five chapters 

The academic case study of “International Corporate Brand Management”, 

based on the Henkel corporate brand strategy, provides practical insights for 

marketing and business students. 

01. 

Illustrated with numerous graphics throughout, the 

case study begins with a chapter presenting the objectives 

and basic considerations of corporate 

brand management and explains key terms such as 

corporate culture, corporate identity, and corporate 

brand. It describes how a corporate brand influences 

the perception of a company by internal and external 

stakeholders, and how its awareness and its 

reputation can be managed by long-term communication 

measures. 

02. 

The second chapter describes the initial situation at 

Henkel. It shows clearly how the large number of 

company and brand logos, which had accumulated 

over the course of Henkel’s history, had led to a 

haphazard internal and external representation. 

Corporate brand management and the introduction 

of an umbrella corporate brand created a new platform 

that now serves as a common orientation and 

identification platform for all business sectors and 

market activities. The study makes it clear that the 

strategy is based on the corporate substance of 

Henkel, with the Vision and Values being clearly 

formulated for the first time. 

05. 

In the fifth and last chapter, the study discusses 

whether the intended increase in shareholder value 

has actually been achieved. For this purpose, two 

brand evaluation methods are presented, which do 

in fact show that there has been a clear increase in 

the value of the Henkel brand since the introduction 

of corporate brand management. 

The case study – which is designed in line with the 

Harvard model and contains an impressive bibliography, 

listing works primarily by American authors 

– closes with a section of exercises that challenge 

the reader to deal intensively with the Henkel 

strategy and the specialized literature on this theme 

presented in the study. This underscores the didactic 

character of the study, which in this form is new 

in training at universities and colleges in Germany 

and throughout the world. 

Brand value of Henkel 2001 to 2006 

Prof. Dr. Bernhard 

Swoboda 

Professor of Marketing 

and Retailing at the University 

of Trier, Germany, 

headed the case study. 

03. // 04. 

Brand evaluation method: Semion Brand Broker 

Brand evaluation model: BEES from BBDO 

In chapters three and four, the internal and external 

effects of corporate brand management are described, 

that is, the impact of the corporate brand on the 

employees as well as on the customers and the 

general public. A corporate brand should give employees 

a “we” feeling and help to increase job 

satisfaction, motivation and commitment. Several 

incompany studies conducted by Henkel show that 

this has occurred. The Company’s Vision and ten 

core Values, in particular, have been firmly established 

among the staff as the result of intensive 

communication measures. The effects on the awareness 

of Henkel and its reputation have also been 

positive, as the study shows. The Company’s image 

ratings have risen – sometimes quite substantially – 

especially in countries where Henkel had not 

previously been well known. 

Figures in billion euros 

Source: Semion 2006; BBDO 2006 

7.0 

6.8 

6.6 

6.4 

5.7 

3.6 

7.3 

7.4 

7.5 

7.0 

8.1 

6.7 

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 


Valuable insights for university students 

and teachers 

Share of brand value in shareholder value at Henkel 2001 to 2006 

+ = Shareholder value 

Share of brand value 

Figures in billion euros 

Average over 6 years: 73% 

The brand value figures are based on the Semion calculations. 

The shareholder value denotes the market capitalization of the ordinary and 

preferred shares. 

8.7 

6.6 

= 

76 % 

8.1 

6.8 

= 

84 % 

8.7 

7.0 

= 

81 % 

7.3 

= 

80 % 

7.5 

= 

64 % 

8.1 

= 

54 % 

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

9.1 

11.8 

15.1 

Henkel is the first DAX-30 company to give business 

students a detailed look at the principles involved 

in managing a corporate brand. The team 

of authors investigated to what extent an internationally 

standardized corporate brand strategy 

creates an umbrella for the business sectors and 

affiliated companies and thus helps to increase 

the shareholder value. The case study follows the 

practice of American universities of giving undergraduate 

and graduate business students an opportunity 

to apply the theories they have learned 

through practical situations requiring decisionmaking, 

thus causing them to delve more 

deeply into the subject. Undoubtedly of great 

value to students is the extensive bibliography, 

which focuses mainly on 

English-language specialized 

literature on the topic. 

The 69-page case study has 

been issued as a bilingual 

German–English publication 

and is free of charge. 

University staff can also 

order, for a fee, a CD-ROM 

with model solutions for 

the questions section. 


“A Brand like a Friend” increases 

corporate value 

The corporate brand is neither ornamental padding nor an aesthetic playground. It 

has a very clear purpose: to help increase corporate value. Internationally known 

marketing experts and branding consultants comment on how well Henkel has 

succeeded with this so far. 

Professor Dr. Dr. Heribert Meffert 

Director Marketing Center, 

Münster, Germany 

Professor Dr. Dr. Helmut Sihler 

Member of the Henkel Management 

Board from 1975 to 1992, Chairman as of 

1980. Member of the Henkel KGaA Shareholders’ 

Committee from 1992 to 2000. 

Brands are always an offer. If this offer is 

not accepted by the consumers, a real (and 

effective) brand has not been created. The 

requirements for success are simple: The 

offer must be true. It must trigger positive 

reactions. It must always make the same 

statement. For a global and diversified 

company like Henkel, formulating an offer 

like this is not a simple matter. 

With the statement “A Brand 

like a Friend” and its graphic 

depiction, the task has been 

successfully solved. 

The company is no longer a faraway factory, 

but a “friend,” a familiar person. This 

describes a new identity. The old statement 

was: “Henkel – Specialist in Applied Chemistry.” 

This was a description of capability, 

but did not trigger any emotions. Things 

are different today. An offer is always a 

commitment, too. Not only must the 

products and services satisfy this claim, 

but the employees as well. As the results 

of market research show, this has been 

increasingly successful. Keep up the 

good work! 

The purposeful and continuous development 

of corporate branding at Henkel is 

characterized by an identity-based design 

that is consistent with the corporate strategy. 

Henkel has been exceedingly successful 

in integrating the requirements of local 

and international markets into its international 

corporate brand management. As 

a result, the positioning of the Company, 

as well as that of the business areas and respective 

product brands, is thus strengthened 

long-term. This is also, and particularly, 

ensured by the “branded house of 

brands” strategy, a successful synthesis of 

corporate brand and product brands. 

The success of corporate 

brand management is based 

not least on the corporate 

culture shared by the employees. 

This brand understanding, lived within 

the Company, makes external target 

groups trust Henkel and makes customers 

prefer Henkel products. And this, as 

shown impressively by Henkel, is manifested 

in an increase in brand and corporate 

value. 

Peter Maeschig 

Managing Director, Design for Business, 

Hamburg, Germany 

Congratulations on the systematic implementation 

of the strategic objectives. 

What I find even more important is the 

fact that you can not only notice, but 

actually feel this in day-to-day work with 

the people at Henkel, precisely this disciplined 

behavior, yet seasoned with a touch 

of passion. 

Here corporate design is 

turned into real corporate 

management, with concrete 

effects on employee motivation 

and market penetration. 

Here it is obvious that the success of a 

DAX-listed company is not merely an act 

of volition on the part of the shareholders 

and the management, but is the result of 

doing things the right way. 


✂ 

Professor Dr. Klaus Brandmeyer 

Senior Partner of Brandmeyer 

Markenberatung and Professor for 

Brand Management at the UMC 

University for Management and 

Communication, Potsdam, Germany 

The first time I worked for Henkel in 

Vienna – it was a cold day in February 

1971 – the name “Persil-Gesellschaft” 

(Persil Company) still stood over the entrance. 

Today the Austrian company, like 

all of the others, is called “Henkel.” And 

this is how the employees all over the 

world feel, too. For a long time, much more 

than a single laundry detergent has been 

involved. Many other brands have been 

created, and some bought in addition, like 

Schwarzkopf and Loctite. Henkel, not 

Persil, has thus grown more and more. 

As a result of the consistent 

name policy applied in recent 

years, Henkel has also become 

a familiar name in 

Egypt, China and Russia. 

If you were to meet an employee at a party 

there and ask him not only for his name, 

but for the company he works for, he 

would no longer say Persil or Loctite, but 

Henkel – because he would assume that 

this name would impress you. I call this 

the international “party test” of Henkel’s 

brand strength. The fact that the branded 

products from which the company lives 

are still not forgotten was shown plainly 

to me by the activities marking Persil’s 

100th birthday. Persil, not Henkel, was 

being celebrated. 

Professor Dr. Dieter Herbst 

Professor for Communication 

Management, Berlin, Germany 

The systematic and long-term international 

management of a corporate brand currently 

confronts companies with major 

challenges worldwide. One of the greatest 

problems seems to be the conflicting priorities 

between the global benefits of standardization, 

on the one hand, and the local 

advantages resulting from differentiation, 

on the other. Assistance in solving 

such problems is hardly to be found in 

academic or practical literature. The case 

study conducted by the University of Trier 

on the strategy of the Henkel corporate 

brand thus constitutes an important contribution 

to the development of international 

corporate brand management. 

I am particularly pleased by 

the strong emphasis on the 

employees – an aspect that is 

disgracefully neglected in 

many other companies, 

the result being that the activities lag far 

behind the expectations – as do the employees 

who do not live the corporate 

brand. In other words: In an empty company, 

there are no brands. Another thing 

that impresses me are the efforts to determine 

the extent to which corporate brand 

management increases company value – in 

this case, by concentrating closely on the 

customer perspective. These efforts, which 

have by now already been pursued for 

years, are technically very clear, professional, 

and far ahead of the norm in the 

industry. 

Klaus-Dieter Koch 

Founder and owner of Brand: Trust. Brand 

Strategy Consultants, headquartered in 

Nürnberg, Germany 

The culture and operating practices of 

successful multinationals are often characterized 

by something very different from 

the cooperation one would expect. “Principalities“ 

are established and cultivated, 

successful colleagues are viewed with 

envy, and power is demonstrated and glorified 

wherever possible. People cultivate 

typical local differences in mentality and 

culture, where none actually exist, instead 

on focusing on ways to better meet customers’ 

wishes and to successfully eliminate 

competitors. One of the many negative effects 

of this development can be observed 

in the way people deal with the brands 

involved: deviation, whenever possible, 

as well as expensive building up and expansion 

of new, separate brand systems. 

The brand as a weapon for egoism rather 

than for growth and profit. 

80 % of brand management 

should be focused internally 

and 20 % externally. 

Brand management is culture management. 

If a brand is managed in keeping 

with the times, it can foster a strong identity 

as well as charismatic entrepreneurial 

personalities. Henkel’s efforts over the 

past five years to develop and enforce a 

strong corporate branding system can, for 

all these reasons, be considered an outstanding 

example that is something of a 

benchmark, and not only in its own field. 

This is only the beginning, however. It will 

take many more years – and the involvement 

of all of the Henkel employees who 

have already caught the Henkel brand fever 

and are enthusiastic about it – to actually 

take advantage of all of the energy 

stored in a strong corporate brand. 


We are Henkel!


Symbol of 

friendship 

Why do companies care so much about their appearance? 

Doesn’t the quality of their products and service speak for 

itself? What role does corporate design play, and why do its 

guidelines have to be adhered to so strictly? > 


New appearance, 

new communication 

An especially important 

target group for a consistent 

corporate brand strategy 

are the employees. They, 

more than anyone else, are 

the people who represent 

the Company as “One! 

Henkel” and express its 

strengths in global competition. 

A billboard-size poster, 

composed of almost a 

thousand employee portraits 

(above) and displayed 

at all German sites, to 

begin with, signals:“We 

are all Henkel people.” 

(below:) The timeline 

entitled “130 Years of 

Henkel” – like all Company 

publications – rigorously 

follows corporate design. 

In the business world, signs and symbols, systematized 

in a corporate design, have similar roles: They 

foster identity and order, while promoting the team 

spirit of employees and customer loyalty. And yet, 

not so long ago corporate design was considered by 

many companies to be no more than a discipline 

that generated cost and made no contribution to 

value. At Henkel, too, much was invested in the 

management of product brands, but little in the 

cultivation of the corporate profile. This changed 

dramatically in 2002. Since then, binding standards 

have been defined for all internal and external communication 

media. The result is a uniform corporate 

design, one that makes Henkel immediately 

recognizable all over the world as a distinctive 

corporate brand. 

The idea and the purpose are clear: The corporate 

design is the visible expression of Henkel’s Vision 

and Values and produces perceptibility, differentiation 

and recognition – absolute prerequisites for 

achieving awareness in the markets and winning 

trust. This is not only relevant for the sale of products, 

but for the company as a whole – not least because 

Henkel is listed on the stock exchange and is 

constantly being observed by investors, the media, 

and the public. 

The dominance of sight 

The reason corporate design is necessary can be derived 

from one of the basic requirements for human 

communication. Design appeals to sight, the dominant 

sensory perception of human beings. A company 

is basically perceived the same way a person 

is perceived. To begin with, he is recognized by a 

specific combination of external characteristics. 

These include his face, his name, his voice, his clothing, 

and his behavior. All of these mesh into an individual 

composite picture which differentiates him 

from other people and makes him immediately 

recognizable. In the case of a company, many more 

visible characteristics determine the overall picture. 

This is why it is so important to concentrate on a 

few uniform design elements. From the logo, house 

color, fonts, visual language, business cards, stationery, 

PowerPoint presentations, posters, ads, brochures 

and websites to signposting systems, trade 

fair presentations, and building architecture: In all 

of these, corporate design ensures order and clarity 

for employees and outsiders. It creates a composite 

picture that makes it possible to immediately recognize 

a company, just as a person is recognized by 

his face, his shape, and his clothing. 

> 


Olympic Games 

as Colorful as Our Brands 

Strength through 

consistency 

The strength of a company 

is to a great extent determined 

by its public image. 

And this should not only 

be clear and unambiguous, 

but – above all – positive. 

For this kind of an 

image to be developed in 

the first place, no matter 

how imaginative the ideas 

may be, the basic rules of 

corporate design must be 

consistently adhered to 

and applied worldwide in 

all communication media. 

This applies to the “A 

Brand like a Friend” bus, on 

its way to aid projects in 

the USA (above), as well as 

to a billboard-size poster 

to support the City of 

Düsseldorf’s bid for the 

Olympics (middle), ads 

on certain themes, or 

greeting cards. 


Lively appearance 

To ensure that Henkel’s corporate design is as effective 

as possible, its formal guidelines must be 

strictly followed. These have been precisely established 

and described and explained in detail in several 

design manuals than can be downloaded from 

the Internet and Intranet as PDF files. Henkel has 

more than 53,000 employees all over the world. 

Each one of them bears responsibility for ensuring 

that the corporate design is correctly applied in his 

or her work environment. If each individual were 

to give free rein to his creativity and alter the guidelines 

to suit his personal taste, the result would be 

a visual chaos that would inevitably damage the 

image of the Company. Just the same, the corporate 

design is not inflexible. Careful modifications are 

undertaken from time to time, in order to optimize 

it. Moreover, the formal rules still allow professional 

designers sufficient leeway to keep the appearance 

lively. 

Worldwide acceptance 

Creative variety 

The scope of design possibilities 

using a globally 

uniform appearance are as 

varied as the topics that 

generate the dynamism of 

a company that is present 

in 125 countries all over the 

world. A thematically focused 

corporate calendar 

(above left), a branded railroad 

tank car, and a variety 

of employee initiatives for 

the annual Friendship Day 

on September 26th, celebrating 

the day on which 

the company was founded 

(middle), strengthen the 

corporate brand and make 

it into a “marketplace of 

opportunities.” 

The importance of corporate design as a competitive 

instrument should not be underestimated. Information 

about a company is primarily communicated 

through visual media today. The Internet, in particular, 

offers numerous innovative ways of presenting 

oneself on the market. A company can no longer 

avoid presenting itself in this medium. At the same 

time, the Internet creates a market transparency 

that further intensifies competition. 

A consistent appearance is thus a necessary prerequisite 

for use in the Internet as well as in other 

modern communication media, to make sure that 

the company is noticed and remembered, despite 

the wealth of information that is offered daily. This 

means that the design may not be trendy, let alone 

loud. Henkel’s visual appearance has been designed 

for long-term use. It is likable, straightforward, and 

timelessly modern. This has made it possible, in the 

past few years, to shape an overall picture of the 

Company that enjoys acceptance worldwide and 

that credibly communicates the message of being 

a brand like a friend. 


Team spirit in 

corporate design 

How would it be if each player of an ice hockey 

team wore a different jersey? Would the players 

even be able to recognize one another in the 

heat of the game? Whom should the fans cheer 

for? The referee would probably have to send 

the players right back into the locker room. After 

all, a proper game wouldn’t be possible if the 

teams couldn’t be recognized. 

A successful team: Henkel sponsors the DEG 

German national league ice hockey team in 

Düsseldorf. The “Metro Stars” personify values 

for which Henkel also stands: effort, 

perseverance, fairness, and the will to succeed. 

This example shows the fundamental importance 

of fixed team colors and club symbols. 

They provide order and orientation. Both of 

these are basic prerequisites for a proper game. 

They encourage team spirit and, at the same 

time, give fans a way of identifying with their 

team. Besides, flags and fan articles help to rouse 

enthusiasm in the ice stadium. And when the 

fans are really there for the team, the players 

on the ice are at their best. 



Corporate design – 

from the 

practical side 

The best design concept is just empty words if it is ignored and not implemented. 

Or, even worse, if it is interpreted individually. This is why Henkel’s corporate 

design should be understood as a precise set of rules. It offers numerous tools 

for ensuring that the Company will present an appearance that is both clear 

and instantly recognizable. 

Here you will learn how to find your way around in the world of corporate design. > 

Clever little helper 

The “Brand Guide” – an attractive 

desktop tent card 

– gives practical and clear 

information about the corporate 

brand strategy and 

the corporate design rules. 


Corporate design (CD) is not rocket science. If applied 

correctly, the design guidelines make many 

work processes considerably easier and simpler. 

If the CD standards are adhered to, protracted 

individual decision-making and time-consuming 

“design discussions” are a thing of the past. This 

saves nerves and – above all – cost. 

And corporate design is certainly not a Henkel “invention.” 

By now, every well-managed company 

has binding rules for its internal and external appearance. 

All the more so if it is listed on the stock 

exchange and operates internationally. Some companies 

go so far as to fire employees for serious 

breaches of the basic design standards. In this regard, 

Henkel believes that raising awareness is 

much more effective than penalties. Volker Krug, 

Head of Corporate Identity, comments: “Every deviation 

from the rules weakens and damages Henkel, 

its recognition in the market, and, in the final 

analysis, its reputation. Every employee needs to be 

fully aware of this.” The Henkel corporate design 

system is based on repetitive elements (standard 

“A Brand like a Friend” logo, corporate frame, 

Henkel red as the corporate color, corporate fonts, 

etc.) that, when used properly, ensure that the 

Company will be instantly recognizable. 

The corporate design rules 

are grouped in subject areas 

in manuals that are electronically 

available to all 

employees in German and 

English. External service 

providers, especially agencies, 

can also register for 

access to the corporate 

design portal. 

Organized by application area 

How, when and where these and other design elements 

are used is explained clearly in the corporate 

design manuals, with the necessary detail. The 

manuals are systematically organized by application 

area. Manual A presents the basic elements 

of corporate design, while Manual B explains the 

correct design of letters, faxes, and business cards. 

Further manuals in the series cover a variety of 

different topics such as presentation design 

(Manual E) and the preparation of publications, 

flyers and ads (Manuals C and D). The current 

manuals can be downloaded from the corporate 

design portal on the intranet homepage via: Office 

Support > Corporate Design > Manuals. In any 

event, the corporate design portal is the first place 


Short glossary 

Corporate culture: Leadership style, style of behavior, values system, corporate 

spirit, etc. 

Corporate design: A company’s visual appearance. Corporate design includes 

word and picture marks (e.g. Henkel logo), corporate color, fonts, design of stationery 

and all kinds of media. CD is part of corporate identity. 

Corporate identity: Based on a company’s history, culture, vision and values, the 

CI encompasses the uniform representation, behavior, and visual appearance of 

the company, both internally and externally. 

Corporate brand: A company that sees itself not just as an “economic entity,” 

but also as an autonomous brand. 

Corporate image: The public’s perception of the company. 

to go – besides the main contacts, Volker Krug 

and Kai Schmidhuber – with questions relating to 

corporate design. 

Under “Downloads,” there are many digital tools 

and utilities that simplify day-to-day office work. 

The current stationery templates for all Henkel 

sites can be downloaded just as easily as the designs 

for doorplates, ring binder spines, and name tags. 

Templates in line with corporate design for memos, 

short reports, and PowerPoint presentations complete 

the downloads offered in the corporate design 

portal. 

Fast and clear explanation 

The materials available are not limited to digital 

CD aids. The printed media include selected publications 

and helpful tools that add to general understanding 

and transparency when dealing with the 

Henkel corporate brand. 

There is the “Corporate Design Compass,” popular 

all over the world, and – brand new in the range – 

the “Henkel Brand Guide.” This is an innovative 

desktop tent card that quickly and clearly explains 

the main aspects of the corporate brand, corporate 

identity, and corporate design. It is a “must” for 

anyone who deals with corporate design on a daily 

basis. Also available is the brochure entitled “Corporate 

Identity. Henkel – A Brand like a Friend.” 

It describes the evolution of the corporate brand 

and the strategic background. 

Showing your colors 

Anyone who would like to show that he is an 

ambassador of Henkel can also order lapel pins, 

stickers, and license plate frames through the 

corporate design portal, free of charge. 

Corporate communications: The combination of all communication areas into 

a strategic communication instrument, which unites and harmonizes the contents 

of identity, language, culture and design. 

Paths to corporate design 

The corporate design portal can be 

accessed by employees through the 

Henkel intranet homepage: Office 

Support > Corporate Design. Outside 

parties must register for 

access via the Internet 

and are then granted an 

access account. 

Advice and assistance 

Corporate design – a comprehensive, 

living system. If you have any questions 

on its implementation – or on corporate 

brand strategy or corporate identity – 

the Corporate Identity team or your local 

Corporate Communications department 

will be happy to help you with your individual 

needs. 

Volker Krug: 

Phone +49 211 797 2948 

Fax +49 211 797 3864 

E-mail: volker.krug@henkel.com 

Kai Schmidhuber: 

Phone +49 211 797 3177 

Fax +49 211 797 3864 

E-mail: kai.schmidhuber@henkel.com 


And the winner is … 

Henkel! 

The awards and accolades in international communication 

competitions reaped in recent years 

have repeatedly corroborated the fact that 

Henkel is recognized for its good ideas for 

strengthening the awareness, image and 

reputation of the corporate brand. 

01. 

02. 

To begin with, we should ask what benefit is actually 

derived from such communication competitions. 

Do companies compete simply for their own 

sake or because they hope to distinguish themselves 

from their competitors? Or are these competitions 

prestige events for marketing departments or design 

agencies? 

Volker Krug, Head of Corporate Identity, comments: 

“Participating in communication competitions 

gives us a good opportunity to obtain an 

objective, independent, and well-founded expert 

opinion. They give us a very precise picture of how 

Henkel is perceived.We gain concrete information 

on how we stand in comparison with other companies, 

what our strong points are, and where we 

are weak and need to improve.” A good example is 

the recently presented U.S. Stevie International 

Business Award, referred to in the New York Post 

as “the business world’s own Oscar awards.” From 

the more than 1,000 submissions from 30 different 

countries, it was the Henkel corporate brand 

strategy, described in a small brochure from its 

development to its worldwide implementation, that 

garnered the gold medal. To quote Volker Krug 

again: “We are extremely pleased about this award 

that is so highly respected in professional circles. 

Not only because the design of the brochure is 

just right, but because the Henkel corporate brand 

strategy is a pivotal success factor for our Company. 

It is very impressive that we were able to 

prevail internationally against companies like 

the renowned LANXESS, which had entered in 

the same category.” 

03. 

Internationally respected and recognized 

The strategy of clearly and recognizably positioning Henkel internationally 

as a corporate brand with the claim “A Brand like a Friend” not only 

received great attention in professional circles, but has been highly 

praised, evaluated and recognized in international rankings and 

competitions: 

2003 and 2004 – First prize in the American Galaxy Awards 

“In Recognition of Excellence for Product and Service Marketing” for the 

corporate identity concept 

2003 – Gold medal from the League of American Communications 

Professionals (LACP) for the Henkel image film 

2004 and 2005 – Platinum from the LACP for the image film 

(“Most inspirational”) and the corporate song (“Most creative”), gold for 

the corporate calendar system, a special prize (honors) for the corporate 

design system, and silver for the serigraph of Company founder Fritz 


2006 – Silver from the LACP for the Corporate Design Compass 

For the German Prize for Business Communication (DPWK), 

Henkel’s corporate design concept was a finalist in the category “Best 

communication of brand policy” in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2007. 

2005 – Henkel received the renowned Stevie International Business 

Award for the Henkel song “We together,” in 2006 for both the Corporate 

Design Compass and the corporate design system, and in 2007 for 

the Company’s corporate brand strategy 

Top spots were repeatedly won by the corporate design system in the 

American International Mercury Excellence Award. The Corporate Calendar 

2005 received a silver medal there, as did the Corporate Design 

Compass, and the CD overall system received an “honors” prize. 

2007 – Bronze medal from the LACP for the Corporate Calendar 

2007 and the corporate identity brochure and gold for the desktop 

tent card and the case study “International Corporate Brand 

Management” 


04. 

01. The image film and annually 

updated information 

video are available to 

employees on a DVD and 

on the intranet. 

02. Ernst Primosch, Head 

of Global Corporate Communications 

(middle) and 

the Internal Communications 

team received the PR 

Report Award for the “Year 

of Innovation 2006.”The 

corporate brand strategy 

was also recognized in the 

category “Long-term PR 

strategy.” 

03. The American Stevie 

Award, referred to as “the 

business world’s own 

Oscar awards,” was presented 

four times to 

Henkel communications 

in the past few years. 

04. Recipient of a design 

prize: The Warholesque 

serigraph of Company 

founder Fritz Henkel. 

International praise 

Henkel received further Stevie Awards in 2006, e.g. 

for the best corporate design system and the Corporate 

Design Compass (see article on “Corporate design 

– from the practical side” in this special issue) 

and in 2005 for the world’s best corporate song, 

“We together.” Other American communication 

competitions have been generous with their prizes, 

too. With its image film and information video, 

Henkel won first prize in 2003 and 2004 in the 

annual Galaxy Awards. In 2005, Henkel collected 

plenty of precious metal. The League of American 

Communications Professionals (LACP) awarded 

Henkel a total of nine medals, including four platinum 

(image film and corporate song), one gold 

(Henkel Calendar), and silver (“Fritz Henkel” 

serigraph), two bronze (HR brochure concept), and 

the special “honors” prize for the corporate design 

system. In the overall ranking of the competition, 

Henkel thus ended up in first place, prevailing over 

other entrants such as BASF, Coca-Cola and Intel. 

National honors 

Within Germany, renowned bodies of experts also 

recognize special communication achievements by 

companies. Since 2001, Henkel has regularly been 

one of the finalists (for the best communication of 

brand policy and best online communication) for 

the Prize for Business Communication, which is 

annually awarded by the Business Communication 

Department of the German University of Applied 

Sciences (FHTW) in Berlin. The 2007 jury decided 

that “... Henkel’s purposeful brand management is 

fully consistent with its positioning. This has resulted 

in added value that is reflected in its economic 

performance and that impacts positively on the 

business results and image.” 

05. 

07. 

06. 

05. BBC World business 

presenter Tanya Beckett 

presented the Stevie 

Award 2007 in the category 

“Best Corporate Identity/Branding 

Design” to 

Volker Krug, Head of Corporate 

Identity. 

06. “A trustworthy brand” 

– This special issue of Henkel 

Life on the corporate 

brand strategy was published 

in several languages. 

07. In recent years, Henkel 

communications have regularly 

been a finalist for 

the German Prize for Business 

Communication 

(DPWK) from the Berlin 

University of Applied 

Sciences. 

For the respected PR Report Award, Henkel was also 

a double winner this year. In the category “Internal 

communication and change management,” Henkel 

received the renowned industry prize for its project 

“Year of Innovation 2006.” In the “Long-term PR 

Strategy” category, Henkel placed second for its 

corporate brand strategy “A Brand like a Friend,” 

coming in only slightly behind the award winner, 

and received a special mention. A list of all the prizes 

Henkel has been awarded in recent years is kept by 

Corporate Communications and constantly updated. 

You will find it on the Henkel intranet 

homepage under “Corporate Communications > 

Awards.” According to Ernst Primosch, Corporate 

Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications 

at Henkel: “Prizes are a recognition and confirmation 

of our strategic work to strengthen the 

corporate brand. But the focus of this work is always 

the corporate brand itself. And we will continue 

to do everything possible to strengthen it and to 

make Henkel even more successful in the future.” 


Corporate brand in figures 

Brand value* of the Henkel corporate brand 

in 2001 in billion euros: 3.6 

Brand value* of the Henkel corporate brand (duplicate) 

in 2007 in billion euros: 6.7 

Increase in the brand value of the Henkel corporate brand 

from 2001 to 2006 in percent: 85 

Increase in total sales by Henkel during the same period 

in percent: 35 

Number of product brands sold worldwide under the umbrella 

of the Henkel corporate brand: More than 750 

Number of local languages into which the brand promise 

“Quality from Henkel” has been translated: 13 

Number of cars all over the world that bear the license plate 

frame “Henkel – A Brand like a Friend”: More than 8,000 

Number of Henkel employees worldwide: More than 53,000 

* Source: BBDO Consulting

Henkel-Life - 5 years of "A Brand like a Friend"

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