Approved installer schemes. You’re probably part of one, if not more. Essentially they serve a couple of purposes for manufacturers and systems companies. Firstly, they help tie in an installer and ensure loyalty to that manufacturer. Secondly, it’s an attempt to raise the profile of a manufacturer or systems company so much so that the homeowner might start to recognise the name and the brand.
It’s easy to see why everyone is going for it. Imagine a network of hundreds, if not thousands of a supplier’s customers all carrying the same branding, marketing, literature etc. It’s quite a powerful army of support on the doorstep of the homeowner. But I read an interesting article from the guys at Deceuninck that is sure to get all the other systems companies (or Syscos which they have cleverly coigned) talking, and if not a little ruffled. This is their article:
Approved installer schemes are not new. But recently a number of Syscos have launched new schemes, offering their brand of approval as a marketing tool. As if it’s a basic franchise system.
But a franchise relies on a powerful brand: Hilton, Subway and McDonald’s for example. Names anyone would recognise. Can the same be said for a systems company?
Syscos that lavish these schemes must think so. They stamp their brand everywhere! Members get a badge for their vans and website, POS and a brochure that’s virtually the same as their competitors. But homeowners want to buy from a brand they recognise and trust. So how does that help them stand out and sell? It doesn’t, if we are honest.
As a systems company we know homeowners won’t recognise us any more than any other Sysco. Why should they?
That’s why we will not be following this trend. We want to help our fabricators and installers build a strong brand of their own and stand out from the crowd. Offering the best professional, bespoke marketing materials from the MyBrand suite gives the power to fabricators and installers. They can choose the cover, colour, text, images and logo for their marketing material, so they will never bump up against a competitor with the same brochures.
We will give them the tools and help to generate their own leads, and leave a lasting impression. We’re not aiming to compete with them as a B2C consumer brand. If they stand out and sell, we’ll do well.
Quite strong stuff don’t you think? Certainly setting themselves on the other side of the fence on this issue. As many of you reading this will probably be members of some form of scheme, it will be interesting to see if you agree with the guys at Deceuninck or if you fully believe in the power of approved installer schemes and have found them to be beneficial. All comments as always welcome in the section below.
You can find the original article by Deceuninck by following this link: http://askroyfrost.com/blog/article/approved-installer-schemes-why-deceuninck-doesnt-have-one
