Unique, innovative and progressive – these are just some of the adjectives used to describe the design of the bicycles made by Urwahn Engineering. But it’s not just these characteristics that make the Red Dot winning company and its products special. The name is a mix of ‘urban’ and ‘Wahn’, the latter being a German term for ‘craziness’ or ‘mania’. The founders are committed to making bikes even more attractive. Urwahn Engineering is a regional producer that serves its customers on demand. One of the key technologies in making this possible is 3D printing. This technology creates a flexibility in manufacturing that allows a product to be tailored entirely to individual customer needs.
This was the process used to create the Stadtfuchs model, which won a Red Dot: Best of the Best in the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2019. Potential buyers wanted a bike that looks good, is functional and has top-class specs. Red Dot spoke with Sebastian Meinecke, founder and CEO of Urwahn Engineering.
Red Dot: What prompted you to take part in the competition?
Sebastian Meinecke: We wanted to get confirmation at a fair and transparent level – especially in terms of the design, which is one of the factors that is always at the heart our work. We wanted to know if we were on the right path, and where we stood in relation to our competitors.
Why did you ultimately choose the Red Dot Award?
We were impressed by your many years of experience and your strong network. Your jury knows exactly how to assess technology, integration depth, design solutions and the language of form. We were especially curious to get feedback from such an international and distinguished jury.
What effect did that feedback have?
We used the jury’s assessment to gauge where we stand. We took on the praise and criticism and looked at how our competitors performed. I took part in the competition as a Young Professional, so to end up in the same league as Ducati and Ferrari was just a crazy experience. We took advantage of this feeling to catapult ourselves to the next level of design.
From submitting your entry to the award ceremony, how did you experience the award year?
It was a very exciting and thrilling year. It was a great feeling to get confirmation that I would be one of the 50 young designers to take part in the Red Dot Award free of charge as part of the Young Professionals Application Day. We had not even been on the market very long when that happened. Of course we were a little nervous, especially when we sent the bike to you for the judging process. So we were really pleased when we heard the news that we had won. We enjoyed the award ceremony in Essen as a team. It brought us together and gave us confirmation of our work.
The award ceremony is in fact only the beginning of the success story. What happened next?
After the award ceremony, the strategy planning phase began. We immediately started to put together a media plan, and we thought about how we could use the award not just digitally, but also in the analogue world.
What channels did you use for the Red Dot winner label and to communicate news of your award?
Let’s start with the digital space: we use the label on our homepage, on a landing page and in the online shop. We put it on all of our social media – from Instagram and Facebook to Twitter, Pinterest, Xing and LinkedIn as well as YouTube and Vimeo. Of course we also sent a press release to our national and international industry contacts. For those people who do not follow us all the time, we also sent out a newsletter.
Then we continued into the analogue space. The Red Dot Label is still featured on our Stadtfuchs flyer and on a customer brochure that includes the award-winning bike as one of its topics. The cardboard packaging for the bike is labelled, and there are also stickers. Word of mouth also played an important role. We ended up speaking about the award again and again in our direct interactions. That is still the case today. The trophy and the certificate take pride of place on the windowsill of our office. This is a conscious decision, because our customers come to the office to consult with us. It is hugely significant to have a Red Dot on show.
Did the measures change your external impact?
Not everyone gets a Red Dot – but everyone knows what it is. We got good feedback from our community on social media. The award testifies to the quality of our product and encourages customers to buy. We definitely noticed this, and it strengthened our position.New synergies were also created as a result of winning the award. Lots of companies approached us and asked us if we were interested in working with them. We are now in communication with big names in the industry.
You mentioned that the award brought you together as a team. Can you be more specific?
At management level, we have to keep the team together and constantly come up with new incentives and motivation. Of course it acts as confirmation for the team when the products they work together to develop, bring to market and sell get such recognition at international level. That strengthens the bonds between us and brings our crew closer together. We have soaked up every last bit of the momentum, but that’s not enough. Our ambition is constantly growing, and we keep on going. The award has motivated us to reach the next level.
We have been talking mainly about the winner label. But there are other elements to the Winner Package. What role did they play for you?
We were very honoured to be part of the exhibitions in the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen. The Stadtfuchs model was shown in the presentations “Milestones in Contemporary Design” and “Simplicity as a design principle”. You have lots of visitors to your museum, so being represented there for a whole year was important for us. Lots of people found out about us because they saw our product in the exhibitions.
The online media presence was also vital for us – for SEO reasons in particular. It was nice to have an authority providing confirmation of our award and that we could refer people to. That was a good mix. Naturally, we also have the yearbook in the office. When our customers are here getting advice, they can grab the yearbook and see that we won an award. For me personally, my designer feature is a real highlight. That’s why I also have the publication at home.
Before we finish, let me ask you this: to what extent is “Winning is the Beginning” true for Urwahn Engineering?
I fully agree. But you also have to do your homework. That means you have to have a strategy. What do you want to achieve with the award, and how do you intend to use it? How can you use it to bring your brand to the next level? When you think about it, it is absolutely true that “Winning is the Beginning”.