Maytag recently announced they are launching a new ad campaign that will limit the role of their long standing brand champion, The Maytag Repairman. For over 100 years the man in the blue uniform had nothing to do because of the reliability of Maytag machines. The new campaign, entitled "What's Inside Matters", is going to focus more on the consumer's everyday lifestyle and their specific laundry needs. The repairman will make a cameo appearance to maintain a connection to the brand history, but will not be the focus of the new ads.
I was asked by a friend what my thoughts were on this strategy. If evolving such an identifiable brand figure is a good or bad thing? Of course, only time will tell if this is a good brand strategy, but my gut tells me Maytag is trying to maintain some relevancy in a constantly shifting consumer mindset. No matter the history a company may have with a brand figure, if it's not serving the type of awareness needed to drive consumer reaction then it's time for adjustments. I have a feeling they believe the repairman is not as important to their consumers as he used to be. That the message of reliability is not enough of a brand message by itself. There comes a time when a specific brand message becomes the norm in the marketplace. I call these messages brand mandatories. Reliability is a given in the industry and no longer a differentiator. To continue to hang your hat on that single message would eventually result in a loss of market share because the industry has moved on to newer messages that are now more important to the consumer.
I was recently involved in the purchase of a new washing machine and dryer. I was shocked to see what these machines now do. They talk to each other. They have more settings than a jewelry store. When the bells and whistles start piling up, it's more about what they do than just the fact that they work on a daily basis. I believe Maytag is handling this perfectly. They are not completely doing away with what their brand stands for - reliability in the form of a bored repairman. He's still there, but they are shifting their messaging to things that make that reliability relevant in today's marketplace. They're smart to keep him around, because if their gamble is wrong his limited role can be increased again.
Great post, Mike. It's actually refreshing to see such a mature brand identify that they need to keep up with the times. Ultimately, it's the safest kind of change simply by allowing a cameos of the existing icon. You're right, they can always go back. But this whole industry has been thrust into the world of technology marketing where "feature set" is still the most common language. Meanwhile, the brands that have been in the tech set for ages are starting to branch out into more emotional differentiators.
ReplyDeleteWonderful insight. Thanks for sharing! I have to look at the consumers they’re going after too. Do they know who the Maytag repairman is? More importantly, Do they care? I completely agree with you on the point of Reliability as a given in the industry and no longer a differentiator – true with so many products at this point.
ReplyDeleteMore brands should be taking the time to look at the message that has defined them in the past and developing the message that should define them going forward.
Looking forward to seeing how the Maytag strategy goes.
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