ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Cleaning equipment manufacturer Kärcher has implemented a comprehensive change of corporate colour by making all its professional machines anthracite grey instead of the well-known yellow.

The Germany-based company has not made such a radical move since 1974, when it changed from hammer finish blue to yellow.

The first step towards this new corporate identity was taken in 2010 when the commercial contract cleaning line of equipment was converted to the grey colour. But this is not merely a corporate image redesign, Markus Asch - deputy chairman of the Kärcher management board - was keen to point out at the official press conference yesterday.

"This is part of our strategic plan to focus on our customer, and to differentiate more clearly between the professional range and our consumer products," he said. Consumer machines will retain the traditional Kärcher yellow.

The company says the new anthractie is a colour that fits more inconspicuously into its surroundings, which is often important in professional applications. It is also more impervious to dirt, reducing the effort needed to keep the machines clean.

Controls that are required for the cleaning process are yellow, while those relating to maintenance and servicing are pale grey.

"Our focus," added Hartmut Jenner, chairman of the Kärcher management board, "is on ensuring our customers' needs are totally satisfied. The new colour is an important step in that direction in that it makes it much easier for them to choose the category of equipment they require."

www.karcher.com