BSH held a series of in-person events last week to launch the Siemens iQ700 studioLine ovens unveiled earlier this year at EuroCucina in Milan, and IFA in Berlin.
Presenting to the retailers, BSH Home Appliances managing director, Andrew Jones (pictured above) recognised the 50-year partnership between Bosch and Siemens.
“Bosch brought to the table competence in laundry care and dishcare and it was Siemens that brought the cooking expertise to the table. I’m very proud of the fact that we remain as the number one cooking brand in Europe.
“There is a lot that Siemens can offer the BSH portfolio in Australia, especially when it comes to design and technology.”
Significantly, the preview of the studioLine products was hosted at West Side Place – a 2,800 apartment development located across four towers in the Melbourne CBD.
“This development represents the largest residential project that Siemens has ever won in the Southern Hemisphere and is the perfect segue for this new beautiful studioLine range that is packed with some very intelligent features. We think this new project with its exceptional design will be perfect for the target market that we are aiming for,” Jones said.
Rob Sinclair from e&s reflected on his first introduction to the Siemens brand during a business trip with BSH 27 years ago.
“I remember back to that trip in 1995 and Siemens always represented a level of style and sophistication that was very exciting. And when we saw the range launch in Australia in the early 2000s, it delivered a feature set and design style with an appeal to a certain sector of the marketplace that is positioned and priced very differently to other brands. It is a standalone brand that has massive importance for us as an organisation,” Sinclair said.
Con Tsoutouras from Spartan shared his feelings about the close association his business has to the Siemens business.
“Siemens represents the cornerstone of our business and has been a part of our family for a very long time. Siemens has the innovation factor and available with a specialised distribution model. Not only do Siemens products deliver elevated levels of design and technology, they are also stunning to look at and perform incredibly well.
“The person who buys a Siemens product is generally pretty busy and has an understanding of technology, but at the same time likes to entertain and likes to cook. Great new features mean it is now possible to be able to look at the oven from the couch, and equally starting the oven or stopping the oven when you are out and about. App-enabled products have definitely evolved. It started out being a diagnostic tool to begin with and now it is becoming a functionality and lifestyle feature.
“BSH has a clear philosophy about where their brands sit in the market. Gaggenau is a luxury brand, Neff is the cook’s brand, Siemens is the design brand and Bosch is the brand for everyone – so they have defined a clear path, so we know where those brands sit in the market and it works,” Tsoutouras said.
“BSH has been part of our family’s business since 1982, and over those 40 years it has been a great journey with many twists and turns and currently the professional relationship is probably the best it has ever been between our two businesses.”