Setting the scene

Güntner are world leaders in heat exchange and energy technology. They have decades of German engineering expertise behind them, but challengers had started snapping at their heels.

Their brand was one that said, “here are our products” rather than “here’s why you should buy from us”. They were missing a sales focus and needed to spotlight the values and expertise that make them special.

After a comprehensive review of the heat exchange technology sector, we found everyone was fixated on product, without any focus on real-world impact. That gave us a brilliant opportunity to build a differentiating brand for Güntner, based on the core truths of their business.

Defining the who

We engaged the leadership team, regional sales and product and innovation teams in a series of intensive stakeholder workshops. It soon became clear that Güntner is a visionary leader investing in their future. They’re innovators. They’re forward-facing. They just needed to look like it and act like it.

The Keel team developed a new brand direction and framework that gave Güntner the conviction to lead their industry from the front. We created a clear brand positioning, ‘Always a solution ahead’, that captured their visionary spirit, enabling them to stand out in their industry.

Based on a new framework, we crafted a modern, confident visual identity that brought light and freshness to a dark, masculine category. A new marque and ‘ray’ graphic device created a sense of forward motion, reflecting a modern, proactive, visionary business.

Proving it

Using the new brand direction and identity, we engaged the management team through one-to-one training, drawing out the big stories they wanted to tell, as well as branding Güntner’s offices and factories around the world.

Our role extended to creating everything they needed for a powerful launch, from an employee brand book and comprehensive identity guidelines to an inspiring manifesto film, brand campaign and a range of branded collateral.  All this and more launched at a company-wide, day-long event.

Our brand identity and visual style also determined the look of Güntner’s redesigned corporate website. The site achieved such cut-through in the category that it walked away with Silver at the Digital Impact Awards in 2022.

Looking ahead

Keel are playing a central role in defining Güntner’s long-term content strategy, campaign development and brand guardianship, as well as supporting their mission to make sustainability a fundamental part of their company DNA. New campaign work for this will roll out in 2023. We also support Güntner on naming projects, the production of core collateral and updates to their asset library, so they can continue to lead with absolute authority.