Ana Maria Jaime Salcedo – MediaMarktSaturn

Ana Maria Jaime Salcedo is the Head of Sustainability at MediaMarktSaturn. She develops strategies in the Environmental, Social, and Governance areas and accompanies their implementation in the company. MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group is the leading retailer of consumer electronics and related services in Europe and does already supply 90% of its own needs with green electricity. This and much more on the topic of CSR will be discussed in this Brand Growth Interview.

“Being Stingy is Cool” was yesterday

MediaMarktSaturn’s brand positioning used to consist of good product and service quality combined with an attractive price (claim: “Geiz ist geil”). Today, the Ingolstadt-based company is undergoing a transformation into an international electronics retailer with a strong sense of responsibility for people and the environment.

“The customer must have the feeling: they are doing an awful lot for sustainability.”

Ana Maria Jaime Salcedo wants to gain even more customer trust in the area of ​​sustainability. “They need to know that MediaMarktSaturn will provide the best product in terms of ‘Better Consumption’, e.g. a refrigerator delivered without CO2 emissions, or a computer mouse made with recycled materials and without child labor.” But it will take some time before this has reached the majority of consumers.

Sustainability is a tough nut to crack

If sustainability shall not remain just a mere promise, it must be anchored in every structure and process of the company. This also applies to all worldwide suppliers of MediaMarktSaturn. The assessment of risks or the exclusion of a supplier, as provided for by the new law on the protection of human rights in global supply chains, is not an easy task for a company of this size to undertake, but it is certainly doable.

“The more sustainable you live, the lower your costs.”

Many consumers continue to believe that sustainability always costs more money, e.g. for organic food or clothes. And in the electronics sector too, few are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Jaime Salcedo sees this the other way around. Especially if you use electronic goods sustainably, you will save costs in the end: by relying on durable, energy- or water-saving devices, producing your own energy on the roof, or buying “refurbished” smartphones and often even receiving a bonus for your old device. Customers are not always ready for this, but Jaime Salcedo is certain that the time will come. “Refurbished products become more and more important, not only for us but also for the manufacturers”.

Hot Topic: “Circular business”

The idea of ​​”circular business” is a hot topic for MediaMarktSaturn. Jaime Salcedo also talks to manufacturers like Apple about the changing framework conditions and new forms of offering. “It’s our job to let the producer know: the customer is changing, what does the customer want?” MediaMarktSaturn wants to support consumers in this period of transformation. Advice and services are very important here, e.g. trade-ins, repair offers, or the labeling of products with a “Better Way” sustainability label, which is already attached to over 3,200 of the products sold in the branches. Consumers should become aware of these products and see them with different eyes and perspectives. Here the company will focus even more on simplicity and clear guidance in the future.

“Simplicity and clear guidance – must be a matter of course if consumers will choose the sustainable product.”