Why Do Many German Century-Old Brands Rarely Use Influencer Endorsements?
Open social media, and you’ll easily find all sorts of health supplement advertisements.
Today it's collagen recommended by a celebrity, tomorrow new superfoods, probiotics, or vitamins appear.
But if you look closely at many German health brands that are over 50 or even 100 years old, you'll notice an interesting phenomenon:
They seem to rely little on influencers and rarely invest in large-scale advertising.
Brands like Heel, Weleda, WALA, Salus, Orthomol, and Hevert are highly recognized in Germany, but their approach to building trust is completely different from many new social media brands.
Because their way of building trust is fundamentally different
The model for many new brands is:
Advertising → Traffic → Purchase
But many German health brands take a different path:
Product → Professionals → Word-of-Mouth → Long-term Trust
For them, the most important thing is not "how to become famous quickly," but:
Will consumers still be willing to use it ten years from now?
Germans Trust Pharmacies More Than Influencers
In Germany, the pharmacy (Apotheke) has always played a very important role.
Many families have been accustomed since childhood to:
- Asking pharmacists first when ill
- Seeking professional advice for nutritional supplements
- Valuing brand history and quality when purchasing health products
- Looking beyond price to source and trustworthiness
Therefore, for many brands, the trust of pharmacies is more important than short-term traffic.
Orthomol: Building a Brand Through Professional Markets
Orthomol's success in Germany is not due to extensive social media advertising.
Instead, it has cultivated for years:
- Medical professional education
- Doctor and pharmacist channels
- Scientific research
- Medical nutrition field
Thus, even without significant influencer exposure, Orthomol has become one of Germany's most representative medical nutrition brands.
Heel: Nearly a Century of Medical Tradition
Founded in 1936, Heel is an important German brand in the fields of natural medicine and bioregulatory medicine.
Rather than creating short-term hits, Heel has long invested in:
- Bioregulatory medicine research
- International medical education
- Professional training
- Accumulation of scientific literature
Today, Heel's products are available in many countries. For many German families, Traumeel, Engystol, or Neurexan are not products that suddenly became popular, but brands familiar since their parents' and grandparents' generations.
This intergenerational trust is difficult to build through a single advertising campaign.
Weleda: Over a Century Old, No Need to Create Daily Buzz
Weleda, founded in 1921, has always adhered to the principles of anthroposophic medicine and natural care.
The brand's most famous products include:
- Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream
- Calendula Baby Care range
- Pregnancy and body care products
Many German families first encountered Weleda not through social media advertising, but from:
- Midwife recommendations
- Pharmacist advice
- Family experience
- Word-of-mouth in baby and mother products
For Weleda, the brand's greatest asset is not exposure, but the trust accumulated across generations.
WALA: Slow is an Advantage
WALA, founded in 1935, is also the parent company of the natural skincare brand Dr. Hauschka.
For many years, WALA has emphasized:
Supporting the body's and skin's own balancing abilities, rather than pursuing quick, temporary changes.
This philosophy may not seem "marketing-savvy," but precisely because of this, the brand has been able to withstand the test of decades, even nearly a century.
German Family Businesses Think About the Next Generation, Not the Next Quarter
Many German health brands have a strong spirit of long-termism.
They care more about:
- Whether the brand will still be trusted in ten years
- Whether the next generation will still be willing to use it
- Whether product quality can be consistently maintained
- Whether brand reputation can be built up over the long term
Rather than just pursuing:
- Doubling revenue next quarter
- Short-term social media virality
- Quickly generating buzz
This long-termism also deeply influences product development, corporate culture, and brand communication.
Trust Built Slowly is Often the Hardest to Replace
In the age of social media, a brand can become famous overnight.
But what's truly difficult is:
Will people still remember it ten years from now?
For many German health brands, rather than chasing traffic, it's more important to continue making good products, accumulating research, taking care of users, and then letting time speak for the brand.
Perhaps this is why, over a hundred years later, Weleda still exists; nearly ninety years later, Heel is still recognized by many medical professionals and families; while many once-popular brands have long disappeared from the market.
Munich Stars Curated Brands
At Munich Stars, the brands we have long collaborated with and represented include:
- Orthomol
- Lactobact
- Heel
- Weleda
- WALA
- Dr. Hauschka
- Salus
- Hevert
- Hübner
Truly trustworthy brands may not be the loudest, but they usually stand the test of time.