Client
Daimler-Chrysler UK

Design Consultancy
Syzygy
Gareth Phillips
020 7460 4080
g.phillips@syzygy.net
www.syzygy.net

The Brief
Mercedes-Benz, now part of the global Daimler-Chrysler enterprise, is one of the oldest car manufacturers in existence. The company’s global dealer network is large and dispersed, with nearly 350 retailers in the United Kingdom alone. Each dealership is responsible for sales, marketing and finance, but also has to convey the Mercedes’ brand identity, which has been carefully crafted over decades. As a way of providing greater control over how the Mercedes-Benz brand and logos were used by the dealer network, the company commissioned Syzygy to create an in-house intranet, linking everyone to a central database and automating elements of the marketing process.

The Design
The new intranet uses a universally recognised web interface allowing retailers to browse through a collection of marketing materials from the approved suppliers. Test groups were set up to ensure the final result offered a range of functionality for all levels of experience. The intranet recognises

The Results
64 percent more retailers are now using the company intranet, an increase that has also seen brand consistency rise by 30 percent, as well as providing vital feedback from dealers to head office. By using the site to effectively self-police these very time-consuming but crucial elements of the brand, the company’s central marketing team has seen its workload diminish noticeably, leaving more time to deal with vital media enquiries.

Judges’ Comments
Martina King described the intranet as a ‘well-designed site, well used by the groups for whom it was built’. Stuart Cosgrove, Channel 4 added that ‘in the area of business-to-business intranets, this entry showed how effectively digital communications can aid business processes and save time – it was quiet but effective design’