»We’re world-class, but nobody knows us.«
The Mittelstand is full of companies that dominate narrow niches. Businesses that quietly power entire industries. Firms whose products are used everywhere, even though their names are known almost nowhere. Germany alone has hundreds of so-called Hidden Champions. And for decades, being hidden was a strategy. But today, that strategy deserves a closer look.
The hidden champion myth
Being a hidden champion usually means:
Market leadership in a niche
Exceptional technical expertise as a barrier to entry
Long-term customer relationships
Strong margins without loud marketing
Those things are impressive. But the narrative often stops there, as if visibility were something only consumer brands or startups need. That’s where the myth begins, because world-class excellence no longer translates into future security.
Did “hidden” ever really work?
Maintaining a low business profile has offered advantages. Customer acquisition, for instance, has relied on the strength of existing networks and word-of-mouth referrals, with technical reputation being the most valuable asset. When it comes to hiring, prospective employees have been attracted to the promise of long-term stability or to the chance to work on a sophisticated technical challenge, placing far less emphasis on the prestige of a cool employer brand. And the niche nature of the business has shielded companies somewhat from the global, digitally-driven marketplace, and probably from the odd shitstorm too. As a result, marketing budgets have been kept to a minimum, growth being driven by relationships and operational substance rather than brand promotion and performance marketing.
And yet...looking back, if you’ve been hidden you may have always been missing out on talent diversity, wider cultural relevance and probably the ability to pivot in times of change. Skills that are really coming in handy today.
The cost of invisibility
Modern B2B marketing has evolved far beyond traditional word-of-mouth, demanding a multi-faceted digital strategy to build a strong brand and drive growth. Because otherwise:
Talent doesn’t know you exist
Young professionals don’t “discover” companies by accident. If you’re not visible, you’re not an option — no matter how good your engineering is.Customers always buy more than the product
Decision-makers (and AI models) look at values, credibility, innovation mindset, and thought leadership. They buy confidence and trust, not just capabilities. If all they see is a dusty website or an over-reliance on technical prowess, you lose relevance before the first conversation.Crises expose anonymity
In uncertain times, well-known brands are trusted faster. Hidden excellence is harder to defend when pressure rises.
Visibility ≠ being loud
Perhaps what many Mittelstand companies misunderstand is that visibility does not mean with being loud, superficial, or salesy, but being findable, understandable, and credible.
It means:
Explaining what you do in human language
Showing why your expertise matters, how it answers the questions that are important to your audience.
Sharing unique perspectives
Letting people recognize your value before they need it
The goal is not to stop being excellent.
The goal is to stop being invisible.
The most resilient Mittelstand companies of the future will still be deeply specialized - their focus is their superpower - and they will also communicate clearly. They will show their thinking, and demonstrate their attitude, not just their products. And, crucially, they willl build awareness and trust long before the sales process begins.
Time to come out of hiding?
Ask yourself honestly:
If the right potential employees searched for us today — would they find us?
If a new customer heard our name — would they understand our value? Or even just what we do?
If our industry changed tomorrow — would we be part of the conversation?
If the answer is “probably not,” then being hidden is no longer a strength. It’s an invitation.
Turning hidden champions into brands.
Breyden: Braking Boundries
Zultner: Repositioning a hidden champion
Vandaglas: Building a company beyond the ordinary
