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C
reativity and competence – when it
comes to the development of tailor-
made products and custom designs, the
industry shows what it is capable of. The
path to the optimal product is sometimes
long, sometimes short, sometimes smooth
and sometimes rocky, but certainly always
different. Every distributor and every sup-
plier has his individual way of approach-
ing the task of the customer and imple-
menting a project. What we see at the PSI
or in the showrooms are the results of de-
velopment processes that demand a great
deal of personal experience, knowledge
and skill from the trade and the suppliers.
Whether the products are really suitable,
whether the handling works and the cus-
tomer is ultimately satisfied depends on
how all parties involved work together and
interact.
It was precisely this part of the process
that we closely examined in our case stu-
dy of the „Ford Vignale Collection“ pro-
ject. To this end, we invited a distributor
and his customer, as well as five suppliers
participating in the development of the
collection, to the round table. Attending
our roundtable discussion were: Steven
Baumgärtner (cyber-Wear), Patrick Döring
(Acar), Jörg Herzog and Claudio Marchi
(zogi), Meinhard Mombauer (LM Acces-
soires), Tobias Köckert (Mahlwerck) and
Toska Siekmann (Alta Seta) as well as the
lead designer of the customer Ford, Erika
onal roles of the trade, supplier and end
customer in today‘s promotional product
business. Direct contact between the in-
dustry customer and the supplier is still
judged to be problematic, although for
good reasons, it is increasingly becoming
the norm. The participants all agreed on
this point: The more complex the projects
and the more demanding the tasks are,
the more meaningful and purposeful is the
involvement of suppliers in the communi-
cation between distributors and the indus-
try customer.
Tsubaki (Ford design) and Markus Egbert,
Manager Accessories (Ford Customer Ser-
vice Division Europe). Together we exa-
mined the question: What is important
when a high-quality collection of design
articles is developed for a brand manuf-
acturer? How does such a process work
and what stumbling blocks have to be over-
come?
The lively and very open discussion
not only provided answers to these que-
stions, it actually went beyond the actual
topic and critically questioned the traditi-
www.psi-network.dePSI Journal 10/2015
To understand the requirements that lie
behind the Ford Vignale Collection, we first
of all want to clarify: What is Ford Vignale?
Erika Tsubaki:
Ford Vignale is the most ex-
clusive line of equipment that a customer
can choose for a Ford vehicle. It is initial-
ly available for the new Ford Mondeo. The
design should not only be appealing, but
should also fascinate the customer. The
central element is the characteristic hexa-
gon which, among other elements, also ap-
pears as a distinctive emblem on the radi-
ator grille and on the seat cushion seams.
The many details turn every Ford Vignale
into something very special: In addition to
the sleek lines of the exterior design, the
Ford Vignale boasts a high-quality interi-
or with comfortable seats made of soft leath-
er with delicately handcrafted stitching, as
well as various innovative technologies. The
brand experience is complemented by tai-
lor-made, personal service and individual
advice provided in Ford Vignale lounges
exquisitely appointed in the same style, at
500 selected car dealerships in Europe.
The namesake of the brand is the Italian
car designer Alfredo Vignale...
Markus Egbert:
Yes, he has indeed been an
inspiration for us. Vignale is regarded as
an artist among carbody designers and cre-
ated some of the most legendary cars of
the 50s and 60s. Vignale represents a part
Not commonplace,
but purposeful:
Supplier and in-
dustry customer
engaged in a dialo-
gue. From the left,
Tobias Köckert and
Markus Egbert from
Team Ford Customer
Service Europe.