OREANDA-NEWS. Bosch Corporate Communications has extended its operations to Berlin, one of Germany’s key media hubs. The team will comprise one representative each from the areas of press and public relations, marketing communications, and digital communications. Their objective will be to pick up on new communications trends as well as to expand relationships with relevant stakeholders. “Germany’s capital is a seedbed for trends and nerve center for many media representatives. There, countless new ideas take shape that transform the communications industry. Anyone who wants to be a part of this must have a local presence,” said Dr. Christoph Zemelka, the head of Corporate Communications, Brand Management, and Sustainability at Bosch. “The establishment of an office in the capital is a strategically important step for Bosch’s corporate communications.”

Berlin is not only home to the German federal government, a global media hub, and a focal point for the international creative industry. In recent years, the trendsetting metropolis with its 3.5 million inhabitants has also become a hotspot for major global internet and technology companies as well as for promising start-ups. Today, it ranks among Europe’s most innovative cities. “Berlin offers a lot of stimuli for the communications activities of an innovation-driven and globally active supplier of technology and services like Bosch,” Zemelka said. “We want to take advantage of these stimuli. In addition, we believe that the small, agile unit will provide us with new ideas as well as help to integrate communication across different channels – from press work to marketing to digital media.”
The Berlin team will remain in close contact with their colleagues in Stuttgart while at the same time expanding networks with relevant stakeholders, including national and international press correspondents and bloggers, as well as communications-focused academies, associations, and PR agencies. “Many of our key international stakeholders are located in the capital,” said Ren? Ziegler, the head of Media and Public Relations at Bosch. “Personal contact is important to us. That’s why we’re establishing a presence in the form of our own office in Berlin. A further aspect is the proximity to the political arena, which we want to exploit in our press work in the future.”

Corporate communications contacts in Berlin
The Bosch marketing expert Marc Zolnai (48) has been based at the company’s liaison office in Berlin since the beginning of May, where he has in particular been developing marketing communications strategy for the Mobility Solutions business sector. Trix B?hne (40) will also be relocating to Berlin from Stuttgart in mid-August. In addition to continuing in her previous role as international press spokesperson, she will be responsible for expanding press and media work on political and international business topics. She will also work on establishing and strengthening relationships with relevant stakeholders in the areas of press and PR. Within the next few months, a representative from digital communications will also be joining the team in Berlin.

Bosch activities in Berlin
Bosch already has a presence in the German capital in the form of its corporate department for political affairs and governmental relations as well as the sales and service activities of various divisions. A number of Bosch subsidiaries and start-ups are also located there: Bosch Software Innovations employs around 200 associates in Berlin, above all in software development and marketing for the internet of things (IoT). The city is also the venue for Bosch ConnectedWorld, an annual conference established by the subsidiary a few years ago which has grown to become one of the largest in the IoT segment. As a complement to this, in 2016 the Bosch ConnectedExperience event was launched to offer software developers the opportunity to share their expertise and bring their ideas to life with the help of Bosch hardware and software.