In the United States, the majority of homes have indoor plumbing. Sinks, faucets, toilets, and other pieces
Question:
In the United States, the majority of homes have indoor plumbing. Sinks, faucets, toilets, and other pieces of hardware are largely taken for granted. Only in two circumstances are they prominently in the minds of customers. The first is when a plumbing product is being purchased for the first time, such as when a home is being built or an area is being refurbished. The second is when an item is defective and must be replaced.
The challenge to manufacturers is to make certain that a company’s brand is remembered by consumers and preferred by builders and plumbers. The products must be placed in stores such as Home Depot or Lowes in a way that makes them easy to find and always accessible.
One of the major players in the plumbing fixture marketplace is Delta Faucet Company. A strange path brought the company to prominence. In the 1920s, an immigrant named Alex Manoogian founded Masco Company, which provided auto parts. Twenty-five years later, Manoogian was contacted by an inventor who had created the first washerless faucet. Although it was not related to his current business, Manoogian saw the potential and refined the item, which was first sold out of the trunks of salesmen’s cars, as the first Delta Faucet. The name was chosen because a key part of the product resembled the shape of the Greek letter delta.
The Delta Faucet Company became a separate part of the original Masco Company and relocated. Over the next two decades, it expanded quickly to an entire line of products. Currently, Delta Faucet Company is a multinational firm with four primary locations: Indianapolis, Indiana; Jackson, Tennessee; London Ontario, Canada; and Panyu, China. It sells more than 1 million faucets per month. The overall Masco Company now sells door hardware and locks, cabinets, and glass products in addition to faucets.
The Delta line includes two other names: Brizo and Peerless. Brizo is the high-end line of faucets, Delta is the flagship and primary brand, and Peerless is the lower-end line of items.
The primary advertising challenges appear to exist in four main areas. First, company leaders must make sure that one brand does not cannibalize the others. The brands must remain as distinct products offered to separate sets of consumers. Second, the brands must be viewed as the primary choices and must be remembered by consumers when the time comes to buy a plumbing fixture. Third, there cannot be brand confusion. Builders and plumbers must believe that the fixtures are distinct along several lines, including quality and durability, ease of installation, and strong warranties, but they must also be perceived as being fashionable. Fourth, innovation has become a new part of the plumbing fixture industry. A wide variety of options exist. Delta’s products must compete with all the new faucet variations and retain its position as the one of the premier manufacturers.
Complications occur due to differences in markets and customers. Many contractors and builders are simply looking for a low-cost option, especially when lower-end rental properties and similar units are being developed. Plumbers may be willing to install a wide variety of products. They will consider the costs of a product but also want something that will be easy to install and that will be durable. Individual consumers are the most likely to be interested in other product qualities, such as novel features and the look of the product.
1. Analyse the type of message strategy that Delta Faucet Company utilizes. Should it be the same for all of the brands and in all of the markets (builders, plumbers, customers)?
2. Identify the type of advertising appeal that makes the most sense for Delta Faucet Company advertising to individual consumers (contractors, builders, and plumbers)? How does the appeal you selected match the message strategy chosen in Question 1?
3. Determine what type of executional framework that should be used for print advertisements aimed at the target audiences (contractors, builders, and plumbers). Discuss how it fits with the message strategies and appeals you have already selected.
4. Should the company use a spokesperson? If so, justify your answers.
Source: www.deltafaucet.com
Smith and Roberson Business Law
ISBN: 978-0538473637
15th Edition
Authors: Richard A. Mann, Barry S. Roberts