Whether renowned financial entrepreneur, race driver or professor of artificial intelligence – female strength is multifaceted. For five years now, Mercedes-Benz has been engaging in an intensive dialogue with women around the world through its international "She's Mercedes" initiative – in order to more specifically address their needs and self-image in the field of mobility as well as offer them a contemporary brand experience. This continuously growing female community networks, inspires and empowers each other. A digital booklet is being published to mark the anniversary, which is full of facts about women and their societal roles who have made their mark internationally. The focus is on female role models of the past and of today, highlighting the achievements women have made along the way to a more diverse society. Recent trends are in line with these advancements – and provide an outlook onto a possible future.
Which women have significantly influenced the course of history? How high is the proportion of female employees in the workforce of an automobile manufacturer like Mercedes-Benz? What preferences do female consumers have for products and services? How important are networks? These are just some of the aspects to which the digital booklet “Inspiring women - a tribute to female success stories” is dedicated. The topics are diverse: education, work and career, business, finance and prosperity as well as society, family and mobility, and digitalization. The Group also provides insights into its own development – both for female employees and for customers. How important are individual needs when buying and servicing products? What do women attach particular importance to when buying a car or visiting the workshop? Sensitizing the international sales and service experts at Mercedes-Benz to these questions is a central component of She’s Mercedes.
“With She's Mercedes, for the last five years we have been offering women the opportunity to get to know the Mercedes-Benz brand in a completely different way,” says Bettina Fetzer, Head of Marketing Mercedes-Benz AG. “In the form of a community, we enable an open and creative exchange on visionary future topics, courage and self-confidence. In this way, we are strengthening our claim to develop Mercedes-Benz into an approachable and luxurious ‘love brand’ that’s attractive to men and women alike.”
The source of inspiration from the very beginning is the automotive pioneer Bertha Benz, who supported the dream of her husband Carl Benz more than 130 years ago and courageously took initiative. She was the first woman to take a long-distance trip in a vehicle – from Mannheim to Pforzheim – in 1888, thus validating the concept of the automobile. She laid the foundation for a completely new automobile industry.
Another example is Mércèdes Jellinek, whose father was Emil – an Austrian businessman at the time the largest dealer in vehicles from Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG). In 1900, DMG registered the name “Mercédès” as a trademark and had the brand legally protected. The curved "Mercedes" lettering became the new trademark on the radiators of DMG passenger cars. Even today, its name is still firmly anchored in Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Digital events and the chance to meet strong women
To mark the anniversary, Mercedes-Benz has created new opportunities for the She's Mercedes community to find inspiration even in times of increased digital encounters. For example, interested parties can apply for “mentoring sessions” on the She's Mercedes website. Five participants each get the chance to exchange ideas directly with an inspiring and successful woman in a very personal, interactive and exclusive online session.
In addition, “Female Creator Panels” will be held online from the beginning of December. In 60-minute digital podium discussions, role models and experts from Daimler AG – as well as external speakers from various fields such as business research and society – will provide exciting insights into their work and discuss current topics that move the She's Mercedes community. The talks will be broadcast digitally on the She’s Mercedes website and on social media channels. Selected photos, videos and articles about the anniversary will be shown on the specially created She’s Mercedes microsite. As a highlight, a film about the members of the “She’s Mercedes” community looks back on inspiring experiences and moments of the past five years of the initiative.
The She’s Mercedes initiative offers diverse opportunities for the community
Launched in 2015 at the International Motor Show (IAA), the initiative pursues the basic idea of networking, exchange and dialogue in more than 70 countries. It offers women the opportunity to expand their own networks as well as inspire and empower each other at exclusive experiences and events. At the same time, Mercedes-Benz brings its own brand world closer to the community and learns more about their needs and wishes in the area of mobility.
Numerous women have already taken part in She’s Mercedes events all over the world. The range of these exclusive experiences and activities has always been, and still is, diverse. Whether it’s teamwork in a women's team at a rally or personal interaction with big names from business, sport or show business – the fascination of expanding one’s own network and getting to know successful women just as directly and informally as you can the Mercedes-Benz brand is still unbroken after half a decade of She's Mercedes.
The initiative has also established itself within the company itself. She’s Mercedes covers everything from sales and communication to after-sales. That’s why the initiative has been present at annual worldwide training events since 2015, where participants from around 70 countries can expand their knowledge of current brand, product or trade topics in workshops lasting several days. Through interactive training formats and individual training sessions, it has been possible to set priorities in the qualification of the sales organization on the subject of women and cars. The channels and media of the initiative are just as diverse: from the website to the social media profiles on Instagram and LinkedIn to the She’s Mercedes printed lifestyle magazine.
