Exclusive interview: Dual-brand strategy empowers industrial upgrading, Zumtobel Spectrum focuses on returning to nature

Mr. Jiang Keqiang, general manager of Zumtobel Group’s lighting brand in China, recently accepted an exclusive interview with TrendForce. He talked about how Zumtobel Group’s dual-brand strategy in China works with customers to create smart ecological lighting, how Zumtobel Spectrum allows humans to return to a healthy light environment of “working at sunrise and resting at sunset”, and Zumtobel Group’s sustainable development as a world-class lighting brand.

Jiang Keqiang, General Manager of Zumtobel Group Lighting Brand China

A clearer strategic development route for the dual brands of Thorn and Zumtobel

"No country is as dynamic as China, and so willing to accept cutting-edge technologies and concepts. We see the unlimited potential of the Chinese lighting market, and also see the strong demand for intelligent control systems, energy-saving lighting, and human factor lighting from the Chinese government and leading companies in various industries. This gives me more expectations for the future market." Jiang Keqiang said.

He introduced the brand development strategy in China to TrendForce Consulting.

First of all, clarify the strategic development route of the dual brands Thorn and Zumtobel, and formulate marketing measures that are more in line with the brand strategy based on the differences in the two brand positionings and target customer groups.

Specifically, Zumtobel brand products are more focused on professional areas such as group headquarters office areas, museums, and art galleries, such as Apple, Shenzhen Art Museum, Landsea Real Estate Headquarters and other top projects. The Thorn brand is more reflected in high-end office lighting, airport lighting, industrial lighting, building facade lighting and other subdivisions, such as Sun Hung Kai Shanghai Xujiahui Center, Shenzhen Machinery Landmark projects such as the Field Satellite Hall and Wuhan YOFC Optical Fiber Headquarters. The Zumtobel brand focuses more on indoors, while the Thorn brand focuses on both indoors and outdoors. Both brands pursue high-quality light environments to keep them close to human physiological curves.

Secondly, the group's annual R&D expenditure accounts for about 6% of its revenue. In the future, it will continue to increase its investment in R&D personnel and equipment in China, making full use of the group's strong R&D capabilities to develop more products suitable for the Chinese market.

Finally, we continue to pay attention to intelligence and sustainable development. We not only implement the concept of intelligence in the design and development process of products, but also pay more attention to intelligence and environmental protection in the company's operation management to provide customers with better solutions.

A spectrum more like the "sun" makes life better

"Our vision is actually to inherit the light that leads and connects the world from generation to generation." Jiang Keqiang joined the Zumtobel Group after graduating in 2004. Over the past 19 years, he has witnessed the entire process of the start, development and growth of the Zumtobel Group in the Chinese market. The group's vision and mission are the beliefs and guidance he has always adhered to along the way. Zumtobel Group has received EcoVadis gold certification for three consecutive years and is one of the top three patent holders among all industrial companies in Austria. In addition, Thorne is certified by the International Dark-Sky Association. It is not difficult to see that Zumtobel Group has a rigorous and serious attitude, and adheres to environmental protection principles with actions from the heart, rather than a simple slogan.

Zumtobel Group reduced more than 3,000 tons of carbon emissions last fiscal year. The group headquarters uses 100% clean electricity, that is, 100% of electricity is generated by hydropower generation. The China region is also making efforts in carbon emission management.

Currently Austrian The products of DePauw and Thorne basically implement the concept of sustainable development. The latest lighting products include Zumtobel's ARTELEA and EPURIA floor lamp series, TRAMAO and AMBITUS pendant lamps, SLOTlight linear lights, SCENO spotlights, and Thorne Lighting's Charlice 3 downlights, Omega moduline and Beta Cell lamp panels, Hipak Gen 4 high ceiling lamps and AreaFlood Pro2 floodlight series; control systems include LITECOM, LITECOM KNX Interface, HAP (High Accuracy Position), nBOX extensions, etc.

"Through the project cooperation in recent years, we can see that the Chinese government departments are paying more and more attention to energy conservation and emission reduction, low-carbon and zero-carbon. The relevant requirements have become hard targets, driving the energy-saving and environmentally friendly lighting market." He told TrendForce Consulting.

A better future for mankind requires not only paying attention to the sustainable development of the earth, but also paying attention to one's own healthy development. Paying attention to the emotional changes brought about by light is also the direction in which Zumtobel Group continues to strive.

Jiang Keqiang used the example of medical lighting to describe the lack of attention to human factors lighting in the Chinese lighting market. "In ancient China, people paid attention to looking, hearing, asking, and caring. The first thing is "looking." Only by seeing the face and seeing the changes in the skin can the patient's condition be perceived. However, in most hospitals in China, people look sick and unreal after entering. This completely does not take into account the importance of true reflection of true colors. In addition, most hospitals in China look sick and unreal. "It has a great psychological impact on the medical staff and patients who have been working under this kind of lighting for a long time. They are a group of people who need to be taken care of, and shining them with such low CRI and high glare lights is completely contrary to the original intention of the hospital to restore and care for physical and mental health," Jiang Keqiang said with emotion.

Although this reflects that managers do not pay enough attention to human factors lighting during the project design and construction process, we can also see the broad prospects of the human factors lighting market in China. The improvement demand for hospital lighting only accounts for the overall market share. As part of market demand, there are more life scenes that require lighting that matches the human body’s biological rhythms.

"Working at sunrise and resting at sunset" is helpful to human health. The close cooperation of natural light and artificial light can bring a higher quality life experience. Being able to enjoy sunlight without leaving home is the direction of future exploration. Zumtobel Group has developed the "Zumtobel Spectrum", which makes the LED spectrum closer to daylight and has a higher degree of color reproduction. Zumtobel is confident that through continuous innovation of high-quality light, we will continue to build a better future for mankind and the earth.

Focus on lighting and return to the essence of light, "people of insight" build the future of light together

Zumtobel Group will continue to maintain its leading position in the market and lead the development direction of new lighting technologies. “Forward-looking research and the development of new technologies are all centered on the continuous exploration of the nature of light.” Jiang Keqiang told TrendForce.

Zumtobel Group has cooperation projects with many universities in Europe every year. The goal of its cooperation is not only limited to comfortable and differentiated lamps, but to return to the essence of lamps - the exploration of light and the impact of light on human physiology and psychology. Zumtobel strives to make more customers feel the importance of light to people, which also requires the joint efforts of all lighting colleagues.

Jiang Keqiang called on lighting practitioners and "people of insight" to work together to build a cultural power, better present Chinese culture through the power of light, and let the "Bronze Sacred Tree" "shine" in a more essential state on the world stage!