On June 29, a group of members from the Circle of Excellence in Marketing (CEM), consisting of the University of Münster, the University of Cologne and Free University of Berlin, visited the headquarters of Henkel Group in Düsseldorf. After Jana Müller from Corporate HR welcomed the students and introduced them to the company, they enjoyed a tour to the “Lighthouse Beauty Care” and gained exceptional insights on how Henkel communicates with its business customers. In the lighthouse, customers are able to receive information that is more detailed and an individual advice on Henkel’s offerings with regard to e.g. sustainability, innovation and digitization.
Subsequently, Henkel representatives introduced students to the topic of the case study, “Internet of Things”. After lunch at the Henkel canteen, members of the CEM started developing ideas on how to connect the products of the Beauty Care segment with the Internet for creating value to both the customer and Henkel. Resulting from creative thinking and a great team analysis, the groups pitched ideas such as a smart hair scanner, intelligent toothbrush and an interactive soap dispenser. The Henkel representatives were very grateful for the ideas that the CEM members have presented and provided valuable feedback to the students on their ideas and presentation skills.
At the end of the workshop day, the students had the opportunity to get more information on Henkel as a potential employer in individual conversations with Henkel representatives. In summary, it was a very successful and insightful trip to Henkel’s headquarters.