Mercedes-Benz Center in Paris

Press Release

A New Dimension in Brand Communication

·         Brand gallery as an ideal marketing platform to attract new target groups

·         Unique product and service range has big impact at the “Point of Sale”

·         Brand offensive in Europe and Asia

One year after the cornerstone was laid, the Mercedes-Benz Center in Paris was officially opened today. The new facility marks the latest stage in a major DaimlerChrysler retail offensive in Europe's big cities that is designed to experience the full spectrum of the Mercedes-Benz brand. Dr. Eckhard Cordes, member of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG, responsible for the Mercedes Car Group, at the opening in Paris: "We've created a fascinating brand environment in Paris that not only represents our company’s products and philosophy but also strengthens the dialogue with customers and potential buyers."

The Paris outlet is the first Mercedes-Benz Center outside of Germany to be built according to a uniform architectural concept. Specially developed by DaimlerChrysler, this concept is designed to convey the values of the Mercedes-Benz brand — quality, innovation and fascination — and generate a high recognition value throughout Europe.

Covering an area of 22,600 m², the Mercedes-Benz Center in Paris comprises 8,600 m² of pure information and exhibition space plus 14,000 m² of showroom space in the basement. It is designed for events accommodating up to 1,200 people. “The generous design fully matches the Center's status as a magnet for the Paris area,” explains Reinhard Lyhs, President of DaimlerChrysler France. “In providing a balanced mixture of information and fascination at the Point of Sale, it is the perfect response to theprimary requirements of our customers and visitors.”

Architecture perfectly tailored to the brand

Heart of the Mercedes-Benz Center in Paris is the piazza. This serves as an atrium within the complex of buildings, linking the three adjacent wings. The most important standard element of the brand architecture and a feature of all Mercedes-Benz Centers is the brand gallery, which creates an architectural element that helps reinforce brand recognition. The brand gallery is designed as a three-story structure and houses not only a permanent exhibition but also space for temporary exhibitions as well as a multimedia conference room for around 100 guests.

In line with the creation of the new Mercedes-Benz Center in Paris, a number of sales outlets in the area have been merged to form Mercedes-Benz Paris S.A.S, a full subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler France, with a current workforce of 641 employees. In terms of service, technical and body repairs will be carried out in the future at the Centre Technologique de Réparation et de Carrosserie in Stains. This new service center commenced operation in January, with the official opening scheduled for April.

Rigorous implementation of strategy for major cities

The Mercedes-Benz Center concept was initially developed for major European cities. Following the successful launch of the Mercedes-Benz Center in Berlin in the year 2000, a second Center was opened in Munich in June 2003. Mercedes-Benz World in Stuttgart and the Mercedes-Benz Center in Cologne are currently under construction, and similar projects are in the pipeline for Milan and London. In addition, DaimlerChrysler also intends to step up marketing activities for its Mercedes-Benz premium brand in the rapidly growing markets of North and Southeast Asia and to build further Mercedes-Benz Centers there. A Mercedes-Benz Center is now under construction in Singapore and is scheduled to open at the beginning of next year. Similar projects in Shanghai and Beijing are currently at the planning stage in cooperation with local partners.

Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Mercedes Car Group, responsible for Sales and Marketing: "The Mercedes-Benz Centers offer a unique range of products and services. They therefore constitute an ideal platform to provide the very best in service and consultation for our customers. The experience that we have made with facilities of similar size in Berlin and Munich clearly demonstrate the value of the Centers." For example, the pull they exert on visitors from throughout the whole region has a positive impact on local dealerships and helps boost sales. On average, visitors spend around one hour in a Mercedes-Benz Center — twice as long as in a traditional car dealership.