ZF Friedrichshafen AG is one of the world’s leading auto supplier groups, employing a staff of 61,000 at 125 sites in 26 different countries. Since 2007, interactive tools has served as the lead online agency of this global player, managing its entire online communication. In addition to the relaunch of the central group portal and the product brand presences on the Internet, the account includes the development of the online umbrella brand strategy as well as the ongoing editorial management and redevelopment of the group portal.
ZF Friedrichshafen AG
Interactive tools Designs New Group Portal
Relaunch of the Group Portal: ZF, the innovation leader
The group’s new Internet portal went online in time for the IAA 2008 international automobile trade fair. The objective of the relaunch was to underline the technical innovation leadership of the global company, and at the same time to communicate ZF consistently and worldwide as a brand of long-standing tradition. With an attractive visual aesthetic that takes its cues from the design of the classic group communication. In line with the online-adequate staging of the ZF brand, the portal conveys a clear picture of the group’s overall competence and creates a sustained positive user experience.
New information architecture and a balanced navigation design ensure the intuitive usability of the site. Numerous interaction and contact options reinforce the dialogue with the users and combine with an accentuated staging of product and subject universes to endorse proximity to the customer on the Internet.
The target-group-adequate offerings for special user groups also provide added value. University graduates or journalists are addressed personally and fed a need-based flow of information. Another innovation is the search function: The so-called cockpit displayed on every page of this presentation permits comfortable browsing via keyword search while offering direct links to frequently used contents at the same time. The significance the Internet has for the recruiting process today is reflected in the optimised portal for job applicants now part of the new Internet presence.
New information architecture and a balanced navigation design ensure the intuitive usability of the site. Numerous interaction and contact options reinforce the dialogue with the users and combine with an accentuated staging of product and subject universes to endorse proximity to the customer on the Internet.
The target-group-adequate offerings for special user groups also provide added value. University graduates or journalists are addressed personally and fed a need-based flow of information. Another innovation is the search function: The so-called cockpit displayed on every page of this presentation permits comfortable browsing via keyword search while offering direct links to frequently used contents at the same time. The significance the Internet has for the recruiting process today is reflected in the optimised portal for job applicants now part of the new Internet presence.
International roll-out
During the second project stage that followed the successful relaunch of the central group portal, interactive tools is developing and implementing an internationalisation strategy for this auto supplier. The idea is to synchronise the company’s global online presence and to facilitate an integrated global group communication on the Internet via a network of regional and national websites. The internationalisation of the corporate online presence will coincide with the development, design and realisation of localised websites for the company’s product brands. Cases in point are the web presences in Russia, Japan, and the Asian-Pacific region, which will be online before the end of 2009.
Online Communication of the Product Brands
In order to ensure a globally integrated communication of corporate and product brands, interactive tools is also responsible for the online communication of established brands SACHS, LEMFÖRDER, BOGE, and ZF Parts. In line with the redesign of the central group presence, the online presentations of these brands were completely overhauled and technically re-implemented on the basis of the FirstSpirit content management system.
