Mercedes-Benz Bank is one of the leading automotive banks in Germany. Headquartered in Stuttgart, the bank offers mobility, financial flexibility and security to approximately one million customers. The company is known to be an exemplary employer, placing particular attention to the well-being of its talent. With an exceptional work-life balance, employees profit from various measures that favor the reconciliation of family and career. Besides, the bank takes great pride in conceiving workspaces that put the comfort of employees at the very center.

In line with this philosophy, was the more recent move to renovate the main canteen from a conventional dining area to a stylish, cozy and multi-purpose cafeteria. The intention being that of promoting sharing, providing comfort, entertaining and inspiring - and where colleagues become family members.
In the process of framing the requirements for the space - from architecture all the way to design and lighting - the topic of sound was also to be scrutinized. After presenting its audio branding concept to Mercedes-Benz Bank, HearDis! came on board to assist the enterprise with both creative and technical audio-related matters for the desired space.

The bank is rooted in values that nurture a close-knit community and drive performance: a culture of trust, personal responsibility and openness to new ideas are the constant source of inspiration and motivation for employees to join in moving the future of Mercedes-Benz Bank. This approach allows the company to exceed the high demands of its customers. So when selecting content to lay the foundation of the musical profile for the bank, HearDis! hand-picked hundreds of songs that would manifest the company’s culture in its distinct positive frame of mind, enthusiasm, diversity and integrity.

The resulting musical profile was made actionable in the form of an ever-changing soundtrack: songs were compiled in an endless playlist that ensured smooth transitions between titles and followed a specific scheduling. As a matter of fact, HearDis! went further than to just provide a general sound atmosphere for inspiration and motivation.

Moreover, HearDis! technical representatives worked closely with the bank’s own IT and construction teams in order to realise different sound zones and layers designed to fit the different types of activity employees may occupy themselves with while at the canteen.

Just as the space offers a blend of furnishing and decor to encourage mingling with peers, team meetings or solo heads-down work, sound specifications were also applied to specific settings. Three activity “zones” - social, neutral, work - were created by smartly arranging sound systems and calibrating volume for a seamless experience: therefore the sound is perfectly suited to peers socialising around intimate couch and coffee-table areas, teams challenging themselves in booths for smaller group chats or others focusing individually in quiet corners.