by Matthias Ackeret
Mr. Probst, you made the annual press conference digital on Thursday. What is different for you than in “normal” years?
It’s the only way to stay in touch with our press partners at the moment. But I am very much looking forward to physically holding future events again. A video conference never replaces personal interaction or the experience of new products, for example. Nevertheless, we are learning to develop new formats in which we make media information such as today’s information available to a broader group through additional live transmission.
Jura can again show a good deal (persoenlich.com reported). Is this because of the pandemic?
The pandemic has resulted in us spending a lot more time in our own four walls. Accordingly, it is important to us to furnish our home as beautifully and comfortably as possible. Good coffee and a wide range of coffee specialties have a very high priority. As a result, the demand for fully automatic household machines increased more strongly in 2020.
Have customer needs changed significantly because of Corona?
Coffee consumption has increased overall. The German Coffee Association put the plus at 3 percent in the months of March and April 2020 vs. 2019. The use of fully automatic machines has even increased by 10 percent. This has led to an acceleration in growth in the household sector.
“We are seeing a strong movement towards premium devices”
Which coffee machines are currently trendy?
We are seeing a strong move towards premium devices. There is also increasing demand for “full-size” machines because more people enjoy more coffee at home. The desire for a variety of specialties, especially with milk and milk foam, is also growing strongly. It remains to be seen whether we will succeed in setting the same trend with our new “Z10”, which, in addition to being hot, also prepares cold brew specialties at the push of a button, as we did with the first one-touch cappuccino machine in 2004 show in a few months. However, we are convinced of the potential and believe that with the “Z10” we can create a new type of fully automatic machine.
What was the biggest challenge for you this year?
On the one hand, we are confronted with massive price increases for raw materials and electronic components. In addition, there is a corresponding scarcity of these goods. On the other hand, it’s global logistics. There are currently enormous bottlenecks in container capacity. This poses great challenges for us to supply important markets such as the USA or Australia from Switzerland and Europe. There is often a lack of capacity on site when unloading container loads and distributing them through the USA. The trucking industry has been greatly reduced by the pandemic.
What does Roger Federer’s comeback mean for you?
We use Roger Federer as a brand ambassador worldwide. Of course we are very happy to see him again actively on the court and to be able to enjoy his virtuoso game.
Are you planning special campaigns with him?
Our plans for 2021 have not yet been finalized. Much depends on when and how the pandemic is overcome. But we very much hope to be able to hold another event with Roger in Niederbuchsiten towards the end of the year.
Do you have regular contact with him?
Yes. In the meanwhile almost 15 years of partnership we have been able to build a very good personal relationship with him. Meetings with Roger are exciting and inspiring at the same time. He is a pleasure to spend time with and it is nice to see how great his interest in law is. His flair for product innovations and his confident judgment in questions of design is also remarkable.
What has been the most formative experience for you personally in recent months?
The uncertainty that the lockdowns brought with them. We were faced with a situation that nobody would have expected. At the same time, it fills me with joy when I feel the great commitment of the markets and see how quickly they have adjusted to the completely changed conditions, face them, approach them actively and are very successful in doing so.
What does the corona pandemic mean for the various players in the Swiss media and communications industry? For the time being, persoenlich.com will regularly let an affected person have their say. You can find the whole series here.
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