Philips unveils new brand direction centered around innovation and people

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today shared its new brand positioning, which builds on the company’s heritage of creating innovations that matter to people. As part of its new positioning Philips introduced the new brand line “innovation and you”, which is rooted in Philips’ strong belief that innovation is only meaningful if it delivers on people’s unmet needs and desires. At the same time the company presented a new design of its well-known shield on the façade of the company’s headquarters in Amsterdam.

“Innovation has been in our DNA since we introduced our first light bulb more than hundred twenty years ago”, said Philips Chief Executive Officer Frans van Houten. “We believe that the new brand positioning much better reflects Philips’ mission to improve people’s lives through meaningful innovation. As a technology company, our commitment is to deliver innovation that will drive our future growth and matters to people. We will make healthcare more affordable and accessible through innovation. Our energy-efficient LED lighting solutions will improve people’s wellbeing and make the world more sustainable. Our locally relevant consumer appliances and services will improve people’s lifestyle, health and wellbeing. This is what our brand stands for.”

The brand positioning the company announced today is brought to life by the launch of a digital storytelling platform, showcasing a wide range of Philips innovations that have a positive impact on people’s lives, such as MRI-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound therapy to treat tumors while avoiding damage to healthy surrounding tissue. Another recent innovation is the Philips Hue personal wireless lighting system that has been installed by a London family to create a gentle sleeping schedule for their little daughter. Also on the website, a dentist explains why he recommends his patients to use oral healthcare technology from Philips Sonicare, as he is convinced this innovation is helping people to clean their teeth more effectively and improve their oral health.

Next to the new brand line, Philips also presented the new design of its shield a globally known visual icon first used in 1934. The shield originally represented how the innovation of radio communication brought people closer together in an unprecedented manner and improved their lives. Today the iconic shield will continue to be a symbol of innovation and trust.  The re-designed shield will play an important role in the new identity system, as brands increasingly require emotional icons as part of their identity system. The re-designed shield continues to carry its familiar elements, though now updated to reflect a 21^st century design, which is better suited for digital media and mobile channels.

The change in brand positioning follows on the drastic Accelerate! transformation that is shaping Philips into an agile, more entrepreneurial and leading technology company focused on healthcare, lighting and consumer health and wellbeing. As part of this journey, Philips has made significant adjustments to its portfolio and to reflect this, changed its name to Royal Philips earlier this year. According to external research, Philips currently is a leading, highly trusted brand with an estimated brand value of USD 9.8 billion*.

Visit the new Philips digital storytelling platform at www.philips.com/innovationandyou

For further information, please contact:

Elena Calamo Specchia
Philips Group Communications
Tel: +31 (0)6 25004735
E-mail: elena.calamo.specchia@philips.com

Eeva Raaijmakers
Philips Group Communications
Tel: +31(0)6 12350597
E-mail: eeva.raaijmakers@philips.com

*Interbrand 2013 Best Global Brands ranking.