MINI made headlines around the world when it announced that the facelifted hatchback and Convertible models will offer what the Brits are calling ‘MINI Yours Customized‘. This is a new option in the MINI catalogue allowing you to 3D print trims inside and out with whatever inscription you may desire. This week, this innovation was presented with the Gold award by the German Design Council as the best customer-oriented innovation in the category “Excellence in Business to Customer (B2C)”.
MINI Yours Customized won the title in the category “Excellence in Business to Customer (B2C)” in particular due to its user-friendly online customizer, consistent digitalization and the use of innovative production techniques such as 3D printing and laser inscription. “Innovation and individuality are core values of the MINI brand that customers are especially keen on: MINI Yours Customers brings these elements together in a unique form,” said Dr. Fabian Baptist, Head of Innovation Management Aftersales.
Consisting of various experts such as physicists, IT specialists, patent consultants and technology historians as well as finance and marketing experts, the jury attached particular importance to the degree of innovation, user benefit and cost-effectiveness in selecting the award-winners. Other key features were sustainable impact in competition and market maturity as well as quality and function.
In their justification for the conferral of the German Innovation Award in Gold, jury members described MINI Yours Customised as a “brilliant idea with enormous potential”. “MINI Yours Customised takes hands-on configuration well beyond the commonly available choice of color and fittings. This is about genuine customization of the vehicle, fully involving the customer and making every vehicle a special, one-off edition.” The panel said that MINI had succeeded in creating “real added value with a unique selling proposition”.
The German Design Council was founded in 1953 by the German Bundestag. Among other things it confers the renowned German Design Award every year. In addition to recognizing outstanding accomplishments in the field of product design, the Council has introduced the German Innovation Award for the first time this year, which now also honors particularly pioneering technological innovations.
