Their orientation across generations has great merit, but at the same time presents a challenge. The merit lies in the morality of their economic behaviour, in the readiness to take on responsibility long term and to give it priority over maximising short-term profit. The owner dynasties are behind this stance, which also provides a model for other corporations.
The challenge lies in actively and successfully designing the brand heritage. Here it is a question of structuring the tension field between preserving and changing for each generation and making it fit for the future. That applies especially to successor generations. To master this splits stretch calls for understanding your inherited brand and its value.
I see my task in heightening awareness of this and in clearly defining the necessary parameters. Together with the successors, I identify, for example, the brand value and develop a sustainable guiding principles for the brand and a comprehensible brand strategy.
I am a member of the scientific advisory council of the research project MAKOFAM. Here I contribute to research into brand continuity in family-owned companies undergoing generation change. The goal of the research project is to systematically establish the individual performance and success factors for this special moment in a brand’s history. The project is being undertaken by the HWR Berlin School of Economics and Law jointly with the Beuth University of Applied Sciences, Berlin.