Siemens : Adopting new developments

Information features are refreshed by new ideas.

The Site

Siemens, the Germany-based electronics giant, is using the main photo-panel on its home page to promote a ‘Megacity’ feature showcasing its work in Shanghai. A further 16 locations around the world are also covered in a dedicated Megacities sub-section in About Us.

From the home page a link leads to a dedicated mini-site incorporating information about Siemens presence and projects in the city, a Google Earth ‘mash up’ showing the location of projects on interactive maps navigated from a ‘Fly me to…’ menu and a Downloads resource of supporting documents. New York similarly is given its own mini-site.

Each location feature within Megacities, accessed via virtual red pins in a world map, pulls together an overview of the company’s work in that area under headings such as energy, transport, health and building systems. Brief paragraphs explain the various projects, supporting images are scattered throughout and links are provided to location-related press releases and named contacts.

The Takeaway

Siemens is making a big push to reinforce its long-term positioning as an innovator/thought leader, – the locations feature promotes a piece of company-supported research, Megacity Challenges – but it is not just the Megacities content that is carrying the message. Siemens varied use of the web to present the material reinforces the theme, showing command both of the medium’s established strengths and adoption of new developments.

The individual Megacities features are methodically designed topic ‘files’ using established web conventions to bring together diverse material in a tailored and informative package. The more sophisticated mini-sites demonstrate Siemens’ ability to take this concept to a more engaging level as well as its appreciation of emerging technologies such as Google Earth. Home page browsers will find it hard to resist submerging themselves in the Siemens side of Shanghai.

First published on 27 March, 2007