Just in time for the Christmas season, MediaMarktSaturn is presenting the next phase of its international collaboration with Jürgen Klopp, the company's new brand ambassador. Under the motto "Enjoy a relaxed Christmas", this year's campaign is all about a stress-free Christmas season.

Ingolstadt, November 14, 2024

With their new Christmas campaign, Team MediaMarktSaturn and coach Jürgen Klopp are enabling a relaxed festive season and focusing on the retailer's gift ideas and services. The campaign shows MediaMarktSaturn as the reliable partner throughout Europe that enriches the Christmas experience with customized services and thus ensures a relaxed holiday season. After all, this is exactly what the holidays are all about: more time for family and friends.

In MediaMarktSaturn's new Christmas commercial, brand ambassador Jürgen Klopp shows how the electronics retailer's wide range of services make shopping an experience that focuses on the needs of our customers. At MediaMarktSaturn, they benefit from a comprehensive range of services that go far beyond individual gift advice: with express delivery, orders arrive directly at our customers' homes within 90 minutes. The Click & Collect service also offers additional flexibility: orders that have been conveniently reserved online can be prepared and collected from the store in just 30 minutes. This saves time. The "Ready to go" service makes it even easier to get started with new smartphones, for example, by setting up the devices ready for use. Anyone buying larger technology products can also take advantage of the professional installation service and enjoy the devices immediately ready for use.
 

Michael Schuld, CMO of MediaMarktSaturn, emphasizes: "We have a powerful team and we are underlining this with our Christmas campaign this year. To make our team even stronger, we also have our new team member Jürgen Klopp on board. With his authentic and likeable manner, he shows how easy and relaxed the holidays can be with our services. Together with him, we offer our customers not only the right products, but also comprehensive services that ensure a carefree Christmas. After all, it is precisely these services that set us apart from the competition and make us the Experience Champion." 

The campaign will be shown in all eleven countries in which MediaMarktSaturn is active. The campaign spot will be adapted locally: Thanks to the innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI), Klopp speaks all national languages. MediaMarktSaturn has further developed and trained its in-house language AI for this purpose. In this way, the company is taking a new step in the international adaptation of campaign content.

In Germany, the campaign will run from December 2 to December 24 and can be seen on TV, online video, in cinemas and at the point of sale. The agencies Saatchi & Saatchi and BWGTBLD were involved in the production.
 

MediaMarktSaturn presents a flexible and innovative audio branding and strengthens its brand presence with a new sound logo. The company is also working on an AI brand voice based on employee voices. An exclusive brand song, which the electronics retailer produced with rising artist FAEM, rounds off the 360° audio experience.

As of autumn, MediaMarktSaturn is creating a new sound experience: with the introduction of comprehensive audio branding and a sound logo, the international electronics retailer is creating recognition value that sticks to the ear. At the same time, the company is working on an AI-generated brand voice consisting of samples recorded by employees and is launching a brand song entitled "Let's Go (Another Dimension)" together with the artist FAEM. The introduction of the comprehensive sound experience follows on from MediaMarktSaturn's design relaunch and adds an auditory component to the sharpened brand positioning.

MediaMarktSaturn is now making its purpose "We create Experience Electronics to enrich people’s lives" audible: the audio branding was developed based on the central brand elements of MediaMarktSaturn. This includes an audio version of the iconic brand swirl, a soundtrack of the company slogan "Let's Go!" and other memorable elements that contribute to recognizability. All sound elements can be flexibly and dynamically combined with each other and can therefore be used in a variety of ways. In addition to a catchy musical theme, various sound effects were also combined to create a recognizable sound. 

The music and sounds were composed and produced in such a way that they function modularly and can reflect different moods. This allows them to be adapted to a wide variety of video assets. Generative AI is used here: it recognizes the tenor of the clip and provides it with coordinated music and sound effects.

MediaMarktSaturn is also working on a memorable brand voice for all countries in which the company is active. The special feature: The brand voice is generated with the help of AI from voice samples of the MediaMarktSaturn team. To this end, the company launched an internal casting in which all 50,000 employees were asked to record sample texts. Recordings are now being made with the selected participants in all eleven countries. They will then be used to train a voice model. The resulting brand voice will be used in advertising, videos and other means of communication, e.g. in store announcements.

Michael Schuld, CMO of MediaMarktSaturn, says: "With our new audio branding, we are showing what our brand DNA sounds like. The launch was a logical next step to further strengthen the MediaMarktSaturn brand. To achieve this, we used the latest technology and created a 360° sound experience and a brand voice using artificial intelligence - a coherent brand experience for all the senses. And that's not all: with our new brand song "Let's Go (Another Dimension)", which is available on all streaming platforms, we are expanding the experience radius of our brand even further."

To further strengthen the audio branding, MediaMarktSaturn has released the catchy brand song "Let's Go (Another Dimension)" with the artist FAEM. He pours the innovative and hands-on spirit of MediaMarktSaturn into sound. In the song, FAEM addresses his experience as an artist: big challenges can only be mastered together. This approach is also reflected in MediaMarktSaturn's attitude: the company wants to develop into an omnichannel service platform as part of a comprehensive transformation and is uniting a strong team to tackle this together. The brand song can be streamed among others on Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer.

The audio branding is currently being rolled out across all eleven MediaMarktSaturn countries. It was designed together with the audio agency German Wahnsinn, MetaDesign and Saatchi&Saatchi. The brand voice is set to go live in the first countries in spring 2025 and is being developed together with German Wahnsinn. German Wahnsinn and FAEM were involved in the brand song.

MediaMarktSaturn is not just any retailer. Our employees are the key success factor on our path to becoming an Experience Champion. Our company is as diverse and multifaceted as our employees, their tasks and their backgrounds. They are our Experience Champions - because they create a unique shopping experience for our customers. They tell their stories here. This time: Fabio Trogant, Content Creator.

Fabio Trogant started out as an apprentice in one of our stores. His unique selling point: Fabio speaks sign language. This made him an important contact right from the start: "The fact that I speak sign language has helped me with many customers." He is particularly keen for more colleagues to courageously bring their special skills into their day-to-day work: "There are many colleagues out there who can also do something unique. Be brave - together we can be the best! No other competitor can offer that." Because the diversity of our employees and their individual skills make us what we are: innovative, dynamic and close to people. 

MediaMarktSaturn is using a GenAI-based voicebot to support its customer hotline. The voicebot uses the FAQs on the MediaMarktSaturn websites to provide relevant information quickly and around the clock, thus solving the most common customer queries. The voicebot has been successfully launched in Germany in September, the first test phase started in Austria and the Netherlands, and the rollout will continue in Spain in early 2025. 

MediaMarktSaturn is expanding its digital services and is now using an innovative AI solution to further improve its customer service. The new voicebot, which was developed in collaboration with Parloa, is based on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and makes it possible to answer customer queries on the hotline automatically and in natural language. If the caller generally does not want to speak to the voicebot or the voicebot cannot provide a solution to the request, callers are forwarded to a customer service employee.

"With the integration of the new voicebot, we are continuously improving our digital service offering," explains Henny Steiniger, Vice President Services & Solutions, Customer Experience & Care. "By using artificial intelligence, we are not only increasing efficiency, but also offering our customers a service that is available around the clock. This is in line with our vision of offering innovative and intuitive solutions that make our customers' everyday lives easier."

24/7 availability and shorter waiting times

The voicebot is available around the clock and offers immediate assistance, even outside of the hotline's opening hours. During the initial integration phase, only a limited number of calls will be routed to the voicebot during hotline hours. The voicebot is optimized to clearly understand customer concerns and create a natural, pleasant conversation atmosphere. Customers can ask questions in a natural phone conversation without having to navigate through a menu. The artificial intelligence then draws on the extensive FAQ knowledge on topics such as product advice, repair and warranty services, deliveries or returns to provide the right answers quickly and comprehensibly via voice output. This further increases the efficiency of the customer hotline and reduces waiting times for customers. 

AI-powered customer service expansion

In addition to the voicebot's existing options, it is currently being tested whether and how other functions, such as information on order status or product availability, can be integrated. 

The use of Artificial Intelligence is a central component of MediaMarktSaturn's innovation strategy in order to meet the changing requirements of the retail sector and develop new solutions - both internally for MediaMarktSaturn employees and externally in the interface with customers. 

MediaMarktSaturn has long relied on innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence to continuously improve its customer service. In addition to the chatbots "Emmi" (MediaMarkt) and "Sammy" (Saturn), which are successfully used in the online stores, a voicebot based on artificial intelligence has been available in Austria since this year, for example. It can answer pre-trained standard questions such as store opening times or the nearest store. The new GenAI voicebot now offers the next level of interaction that further optimizes the customer experience on the hotline.

The football coach supports the marketing activities surrounding the MediaMarktSaturn brand as an ambassador. A comprehensive launch campaign in Germany marks the start of the long-term collaboration, which will also be rolled out internationally from December.

Ingolstadt, October 9, 2024

Germany's most internationally renowned football coach has a new team: Jürgen Klopp is strengthening MediaMarktSaturn's marketing activities. The perfect match, because "The Normal One" has proven one thing many times in his career: He can unite teams with different people and their strengths under a common goal - and lead them to maximum success. The collaboration, which is now starting in Germany, is international in scope. As part of the Christmas campaign from December, it will be rolled out across all eleven countries in which the electronics retailer is active.

Michael Schuld, CMO of MediaMarktSaturn, says: "Instead of 50,000, we are now 50,001 in Team MediaMarktSaturn: We have successfully signed Jürgen Klopp as a new brand ambassador for our group - because every strong team also has a strong coach. With him, we have a strong and very likeable face for our company who will accompany us through our campaigns at brand level. Jürgen Klopp is authentic. He is passionate. He is close to people and allows them to surpass themselves. That makes him the perfect partner on our path to becoming an Experience Champion."

In Germany, the company is launching the cooperation with a launch campaign. Here, too, the focus is on the team concept: Klopp introduces his new team during a visit to one of the around 400 stores. He emphasizes the efficiency of the employees and their customer focus. Because only a strong team can really create Experience Electronics and combine it with the best Shopping Experience for all customers.

The brand campaign starts on October 9 and will initially be seen on television, in online videos, social media and at the point of sale. The team concept will also be integrated into the product communication: The MediaMarkt and Saturn team will act as presenters for this and recommend products.

MediaMarktSaturn is not just any retailer. Our employees are the key success factor on our path to becoming an Experience Champion. Our company is as diverse and multifaceted as our employees, their tasks and their backgrounds. They are our Experience Champions - because they create a unique shopping experience for our customers. They tell their stories here.

Many people dream of retiring at 65 and putting their feet up. Not so Lothar Wittig: the now 75-year-old has been working at MediaMarkt in Eislingen, Swabia, for 24 years. Since then, Lothar has been responsible for both the white and brown goods departments. 

The Women in Retail initiative at MediaMarktSaturn creates a framework in which women can exchange ideas and build a network. But why is this necessary at all? In this interview, Ana Maria Jaime Salcedo, founder of Women in Retail, and Eva Posan, founder of Women in Retail International, explain why they set up the network, what milestones they have already achieved and where they want to take the initiative over the next five years.

Dear Ana Maria, you founded Women in Retail. Why was it important to you to launch an initiative for gender equality at MediaMarktSaturn?

Ana Maria: When I started at MediaMarktSaturn, there were very few women in management positions. As a woman, you weren't specifically disadvantaged, but I had the feeling that women were often overlooked. That's why I wanted to start an initiative that would create a space for exchange - a real, close-knit community. We then launched Women in Retail in 2019. Initially, many women from different disciplines came together there, then our HR department joined in and supported us. Now we are working together to empower women.

Eva, you then took the initiative to an international level. What drove you to do so?

Eva: During my time at MediaMarktSaturn, I worked in Austria, Hungary and Germany. That's when I realized that we are at different levels of gender diversity in our individual countries. To bring the different levels closer together, it is important that we share best practices. If we give each other tips, we will also surpass ourselves internationally in the area of promoting women. 

What moments in your career have shown you in particular: We need to stand up for each other as women?

Ana Maria: I didn't plan my career like this from an early age. I was often preached the classic role model - a woman's career shouldn't come first. During my studies, I then asked myself: Who is actually a role model for me? Who can advise me on the best way forward from here? It would have been a great help for me to have a mentor at my side. We wanted to create this space for exchange with Women in Retail.

How was it for you, dear Eva?

Eva: My father was CEO of a large company and I was able to look over his shoulder from an early age - instead of bedtime stories, I always wanted to hear the latest news from his job. I then studied economics myself and joined a large company. I was able to develop really well there and quickly climbed the career ladder. Then I got pregnant. To avoid being left behind, I wanted to get back into work as quickly as possible. That's why I was back at my desk after just a few months of parental leave. When I was pregnant again, I was told: "You can't have a career with two children." I worked part-time and it was a real challenge: important appointments were usually outside of my working hours and I was often on my laptop until late at night to finish projects. I thought to myself: that can't be the standard. It must be possible for women to balance family and career. That's what I wanted to stand up for.

What achievement at Women in Retail are you particularly proud of?

Ana Maria: Since we founded Women in Retail, we have been able to change the culture at MediaMarktSaturn and really initiate a rethinking process in the area of gender diversity. We have strengthened our position in our company - and helped to increase the proportion of women in management positions.

Eva: People listen to us - and the management team has noticed how strong teams become when they are diverse. Collaboration then becomes more open and efficient. And: women's biggest critics are often themselves. We were able to support many women and give them the self-confidence to take the next steps in their careers.

What initiatives have you already been able to launch with Women in Retail at MediaMarktSaturn?

Ana Maria: A lot has really happened at MediaMarktSaturn in the last five years. It's hard for me to pick out a single measure - it's more the totality of the issues we've tackled. I still remember my first board meeting: we used data to document what gender diversity looks like at MediaMarktSaturn and showed what the specific targets could be. We then launched further training programs and invested more in the targeted development of women.

Eva: We built up pressure and drew attention to our concerns: women and men must work under the same conditions. We wanted to make it clear: The applicant who is best suited should always be given a position. At the same time, we have to give women the chance to develop into these positions.

Ana Maria: Our management board has also made a big difference here - they are committed to equality and that underlines our success even more.

What is your vision: Where do you see Women in Retail in five years' time?

Eva: I would like us to communicate our commitment even better to the outside world: we are a company that specifically promotes women. It should be clear to everyone that we offer women an environment in which they can feel comfortable and develop - and that we are a company that supports the realities of their lives.

Ana Maria: I would also like to see even more women getting involved in Women in Retail - and for us to take men even more seriously. We could strengthen the compatibility of family and career even further, as this is also something that concerns both genders. And I would like to see even more women on our Board, for example. 

What advice would you give women for their career at MMS?

Eva: Network, network, network - especially when you join the company. You don't have to fight every battle alone - look for allies. And finally: Have the courage! Take on challenges and grow with them. 

Ana Maria: Tell people what you can do! You don't have to hide your light under a bushel - if you've achieved something, you can show it with pride. Also: Find a mentor who will support you.

Dear Ana Maria and Eva, thank you very much for the interview.

_____

Ana Maria Jaime Salcedo is Vice President Sustainability at MediaMarktSaturn. She is responsible for the company's commitment to sustainability. She was previously active in sourcing at the electronics retailer. In 2019, she founded the Women in Retail initiative.

Eva Posan is CFO of MediaMarkt Austria. In her role, she is responsible for accounting, controlling, real estate, legal, IT and business process management. She previously held various positions in different finance functions at the electronics retailer in Austria, Hungary and Germany. Eva initiated the international exchange of Women in Retail.
 

MediaMarkt.de has been named Germany's best online shop, closely followed by Saturn.de. In the ranking by news channel ntv and the German Institute for Service Quality (DISQ), the two online stores took first and second place this year. Nine companies were evaluated in the category “Electronics with store network”. 

Over 77,000 consumers were surveyed in 2024 and rated a total of more than 900 providers. The customer experience was the top priority and was examined in this elementary performance areas:

• Value for money
• Product offer
• Customer service
• Internet access/App
• Shipping and returns
• Order and payment conditions

MediaMarkt was able to impress in all areas and received the best rating. Customers willingness to recommend MediaMarkt to others as well as factors such as product quality and variety of products, advisory competence on the phone, by e-mail and chat, payment options and delivery options, shipping costs and speed, and returns processing were also included in the overall result.

"We are delighted about the award and the positive customer feedback," says Tim Laufenberg, Managing Director of MediaMarktSaturn E-Commerce GmbH. "We are continuously developing our online presence to offer our customers the best experience possible. It's great to see that this is also reflected in the feedback from our customers and that we were able to improve our ranking compared to the previous year with both online stores."

According to the study, MediaMarkt and Saturn have consistently been among the best online stores in Germany in recent years and have regularly ranked in the top three - MediaMarkt and Saturn came third and fourth last year. In 2024, they have now made it to the top of the rankings.

The strong growth of the Marketplace is due, among other things, to an expanded product portfolio, the completed rollout in five countries - Germany, Austria, Spain, the Netherlands and, most recently, Italy in July - as well as the expansion of refurbished products and the ongoing optimization of the integration of the Marketplace with the online stores. Other important cornerstones of the Marketplace strategy, which will ensure continued growth in the future, have already been implemented or are in the process of being implemented.

"With the integration of Space-as-a-Service offerings in the stationary market, the financing service for Marketplace products and the expansion of our refurbished offerings, we are making our Marketplace even more attractive - for customers and partners alike. With the expansion of new verticals such as DYI, sports and health, we want to reach new target groups in the long term. The roll-out of the Marketplace in three additional countries in the coming calendar year will also be a strong growth driver in order to achieve our declared goals by 2025/26," explains Christian Kollesch, Managing Director of MediaMarktSaturn Marketplace.

Refurbished products - new online store experience

The refurbished product offering has been further enhanced with the introduction of a new user experience design. The redesign provides customers with a clearer, more intuitive shopping experience and access to an even wider selection of refurbished products from marketplace sellers. Products are now categorized into three easy-to-understand quality levels based on availability: “Excellent”, “Very Good” and “Good”. These grades are based primarily on external signs of use and battery life, and guarantee full functionality. When products are available, customers can now find alternative refurbished offers from the Marketplace directly on the product detail page of the new device. 

However, the topic of refurbishment is not only receiving more attention online, but also in stores. In May, a pop-up store on the topic of sustainability opened in Tübingen, Germany, bringing the company's marketplace, sustainable product range and refurbishment to the brick-and-mortar stores for the first time.

Financing Service for Marketplace Products

At the end of July, MediaMarktSaturn also introduced the popular financing service for Marketplace products in Germany and will roll it out to other countries. As a result, customers benefit from an additional payment option in the Marketplace that enables them to set up individual financing plans and make larger purchases without having to pay the full amount immediately. Marketplace sellers can use an established financing option at MediaMarktSaturn and further increase the attractiveness of their offers and their sales potential.

Expansion of the Space-as-a-Service offering 

MediaMarktSaturn is continuing to expand its Space-as-a-Service offerings for marketplace sellers. In Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, the first spaces have already been rented by Marketplace sellers in the stores to present their products live on site. This offering allows sellers to tap into the company's extensive network of more than 1,000 stores and showcase their products to a broad audience in Experience Zones. In the future, customers will also be able to experience and test Marketplace products in their local stores, benefiting from an even wider range of products.

MediaMarktSaturn’s Approach to Digital Transformation

Digital transformation goes beyond implementing new technologies, it's about creating a mindset that embraces change, fosters innovation, and puts people at the heart of everything. We empower our employees to innovate and learn. We run activities, initiatives and programs that connect technology and people to ensure we deliver the best experience for employees and customers. That’s how we drive meaningful change that improves our operations and services.

Two events that reflect the company’s commitment to human-driven digital transformation, our internal innovative strength and our way of working together are the Innovation Days of MediaMarktSaturn Technology and the Finance GenAI Hackathon. These events were designed to harness the creativity and expertise of our employees, encouraging them to generate and prototype innovative ideas.