What does Germany’s strongest man have in common with office products you may ask? The one-word response is marketing. The slightly longer answer has to do with innovation and how that innovation can penetrate different sectors and different product categories.
Patrik Baboumian – said strongest man – is the face of tesa’s Powerbond campaign and a range of mounting tapes that was first launched in 2012 and has since seen great success in various European markets, but also as far flung as South America.
Historically perhaps primarily suited to the DIY sector, the new Powerbond range offers numerous options of double-sided applications and is as much at home in the OP sector as it is in the DIY category. From washroom suitability (Powerbond Mirror) over outdoor applications (Powerbond Outdoor) to office and home use, it’s become an all-encompassing range with a host of different products.
Powerful bond
Powerbond is all about strength and about ease of use and especially the former was the key focus of the Patrik Baboumian Powerbond ULTRA STRONG tape campaign. Matthias Schumacher, Director of International Sales & Key Account Management at tesa Consumer, says: “Patrik Baboumian belongs to the international elite of power athletes and tried to fight against the tesa Powerbond ULTRA STRONG in our 2012 international TV campaign. The 125kg man had no chance against the holding force of this product. In several challenges ‘Germany’s strongest man of 2011’ competed against the new, double-sided adhesive tesa mounting tape for end-consumers but, in spite of his powerful arms, could not loosen the adhesive bonds.”
Smart solution
Schumacher also points to the fact that Powerbond mounting tapes adhere to their chosen surfaces instantly, as opposed to liquid glues which have a longer application time. That, combined with the fact that there are no tools needed for fixing mirrors, pictures or interactive whiteboards, for example – and who typically has a power drill in the workplace – contribute to the set of USPs that differentiate Powerbond products from other tapes and mounting applications in the marketplace.
Adds Schumacher: “The tesa Powerbond range offers a sophisticated, smart solution that enables users to complete a task easily and quickly, with no disrupting noise or surface damage. The mounting tapes offer an instantly strong hold without tools. The variety of tapes can also be used in different surroundings, including outdoors, in wet environments, on glass, etc.”
Just under a year ago, in November 2012, work got under way for the construction of the new tesa headquarters in Hamburg. Part of the new HQ will be an integrated research and technology centre. Expected to be finished in 2015, the new facility will no doubt play an important role in further developing its wide range of products and in ensuring that the company continues to meet the changing requirements of its various markets. And OP is definitely one of those markets.
For more information, visit www.tesa.com/consumer/powerbond
