Mader's Restaurant Launches Hummel Website
The famous Milwaukee restaurant, Mader's, has launched a website called Mader's Hummels. The site is attempting to extend the authentic German-style restaurant to the German-made figurines by M.I. Hummel.
This might be considered a "brand extension".
Mader's has been a Hummel seller for many years using traditional direct marketing and advertising techniques. It has had a website for a few years, but had not incorporated e-tailing (e-commerce technology plus retailing) until just recently.
Looking at the site, Mader's Hummels uses images of the restaurant in the masthead of the site.
What do you think of the site and the brand extension?
Can the brand's authenticity carry a price premium because of its tie to authentic German food since 1902?
Gene A. Wright
posted by Gene A. Wright @ 2:08 PM
2 Comments:
What do you think of the site and the brand extension?
The site is laid out well, easy to navigate and is on par with other web sites I have visited. Leveraging the Hummel brand is a logical choice for Maders and builds upon its German heritage. I do not know a great deal about Hummel figurines other than they are some what rare, of high quality and quite expensive. These attributes set them apart from other collectables and by linking them with the restaurant enables Maders to further distinguish themselves from others in the marketspace.
The web site does a good job of providing additional information about specific products enabling customers to see larger views, check availability and product data. What I thought interesting was the ability for customers to email a friend or post reviews about various offerings. This encourages the development of a community of users that we discussed in class. It also enables Maders to collect information about its customers by gathering the email addresses of both its customers and the friends they choose to send messages to. It also requires that customers log on and create a membership account to post reviews …creating another potential contact point with the customer.
Can the brand's authenticity carry a price premium because of its tie to authentic German food since 1902?
I think it is the other way around! I think the authentic German food found at the restaurant can carry a price premium via its association with the Hummel name. Either way, both brands, Maders and Hummel support each other to portray an image of craftsmanship, quality, heritage and culture and this enables the ability to command a price premium for both.
What do you think of the site and the brand extension?
When I went to the site, I did not think of the restaurant or any brand extension. I think the Hummel name carries with it a sense of prestige and craftsmanship all its own. The Hummel's were so prominent and without knowing what Mader's is, I'm not sure I would have connected the two. Knowing what both represent in terms of history and heritage, the connection I get is just that, the stories on the website. I understand better the restaurant and selling of beer steins but beer steins themselves do not carry prestige.
As Ken mentions, the site itself is easy to find what you may be interested in. The story of the history and where the figurines got their start is extremely interesting creating a connection with my German heritage. I am not a collector but can understand how this may appeal to people who are. I also think by collecting information from real/potential collectors, they have connected these people have a high sense of quality which can be associated their love of fine food as well. it would be interesting to see how they mine the data they get and what it means to both businesses.
Can the brand's authenticity carry a price premium because of its tie to authentic German food since 1902?
Again, I think the Hummel name stands on its own as far as price premium. Hummels enjoy a premium outside of Mader's selling them. I have not figured out how they tied food to figurines. There are many examples that when mentioned something comes from Germany that craftsmanship and quality are a given. Germans are known as perfectionists.
Brian G
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