Achim Ewers Zum Rode

101 Great Minds on Music Brands and Behavior

Achim Ewers Zum Rode, Global Brand Leader, Fabrics Division at W.L. Gore & Associates

Achim Ewers zum Rode is the Global Brand Leader of the GORE Fabrics Division. Part of the global portfolio of brands in this division is the GORE-TEX Brand, one of the most recognized ingredient brands in the world. Before he started at Gore in 2016, he was responsible for the brand strategy and brand experience at Opel International for many years. Achim has a creative consultancy background and worked for the most renowned advertising networks before switching over to the life industry-side.

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“Audio is a great way to keep people in your story and on your side.”

— ACHIM EWERS ZUM RODE, GLOBAL BRAND LEADER AT W.L. GORE & ASSOCIATES

Reese: Tell me about your role at GORE-TEX?

Ewers zum Rode: I’m responsible for leading the Global Brand Team for Gore’s Fabrics Division. As an ingredient brand, the GORE-TEX brand has a complicated kind of brand management system. On one hand, you have to create a strong B2B brand relevancy to build a B2B relationship. On the other hand, we have to be attractive to consumers to provide an added value for our brand partner. This consumer relevancy creates a pull from the consumer who then asks for GORE-TEX products, which are known for their reliability and high performance.

Reese: Would you say that GORE-TEX is a product that people interact with on an emotional level?

Ewers zum Rode: Yes, though we are a science company and we offer science-based solutions. Emotionalizing the science aspect and making it relevant to the consumer is something that is challenging in the area of fabrics but it’s unique at the same time. We have great opportunities now because science today has a different standing in society.

Reese: How important is voice and audio in branding?

Ewers zum Rode: Tremendously important. It is another way to express your brand because you don’t always see pictures. In fact, as we’re talking, an email has popped into my inbox with a special tone and it reminds me of the brand and where my programme is coming from. So sometimes it creates good emotions – although maybe not on a Sunday afternoon! However, across the board…

…whether it’s on the agency or the client side, sounds are important. I’ve learned that the pitches you win often have great music and great emotions included.

Reese: I think music is an afterthought for many agencies. They take pop culture like Bowie and it sells but, in reality, most brands can’t afford Bowie – so how do you get around that?

Ewers zum Rode: There is a reality check that comes with a pitch presentation that’s for sure. I’d say in most planning, music and tone is often an accident that comes at the end. They find something that fits but often it can be a bad thing. At GORE-TEX we worked with the singer-songwriter Sigrid. She comes from Norway, always wore GORE-TEX growing up and told us that working with the brand was a dream come true. There was something in her veins that connected us with her and her music. It was a super-authentic storyline.

Reese: You use music a lot and that is apparent from your YouTube channel – but would you consider creating a clear sonic identity for GORE-TEX?

Ewers zum Rode: As an ingredient brand we are in a unique position in the marketplace and value chain. I think it is important that we have the flexibility to crossover into different genres to authentically blend with the sonic identity of our customers.

In our experience we have learned that the best sonic language of the GORE-TEX brand is to be agile, and to have the fluidity to accommodate multiple audio signatures.

Reese: Why do you think there is a growing need for audio in the Digital Age?

Ewers zum Rode: It’s important because you want the digital consumer to keep listening to you. Audio is a great way to keep people in your story and on your side. It’s like a nice voice. If someone has a nice voice you want to listen to it. But I’d go further and say that audio becomes even more important in “second-screen” situations and even more with podcasts. However, in social media, say with Instagram, if someone is sitting on a train, they don’t have the speaker on, they just scroll through and that’s the challenge. But I imagine if a brand is known for great audio, the user would turn the music on because they like it and because it creates a nice atmosphere. But first they have to learn that.

Reese: Is there a brand you admire for the way they use sound?

Ewers zum Rode: I look at sound branding and communication from a more functional perspective. Some may trigger my emotions but, for me, Vodafone does it very nicely, especially with their use of music.

It always creates a positive, upbeat atmosphere that brings on a good mood within a short time frame. It draws my attention towards what is happening.

Reese: In terms of sonic branding right now it seems that we’re teenagers in search of identity, and everybody is on the same search. How do you think you find your sonic language in a screenless ecosystem?

Ewers zum Rode: We have put a lot of attention into our everyday content with our logos, colors, fonts and text – things related to our visual identity. But for our sonic identity I think it is important that we are able to speak to a variety of different audiences to help meet the needs of our customers. Hopefully our customers agree that it is a good thing that we haven’t established one specific sound for the GORE-TEX brand. I believe that it allows us to have the ability to crossover into different genres and be relevant to both them and their consumers.

Note: The interview took place in Frankfurt on August 5th, 2020.

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