But owners often don’t recognize that by spending money just to get their name out there, they’re actually investing in their company’s future. “They’ll spend $40,000 on a new truck, but they won’t spend $40,000 building their brand because they don’t see the return on investment,” Meehan says. The danger for such companies, he points out, is that “competitors will learn how to niche themselves and take that message and sell it in the home.”
Bob Dillon, owner of Unique Home Solutions, in Indianapolis, found branding essential as his company moved from windows and doors to becoming a multiple-product home improvement operation. If no one knew that Unique Window & Door did siding, how would they know that the company did basement waterproofing and operated a luxury bath franchise as well? A name change created an umbrella brand under which he could market all his company’s products and services. Today about 10% of Unique Home Solutions’ marketing budget is earmarked for brand-building. Half goes to company participation in community groups and events, the other to TV. Of the company’s 35 vehicles, 34 are branded with all its products. “The only one that’s not is mine,” Dillon says.
SMALL-BUSINESS BRANDING Colorado-based marketing expert Michael Morgan, whose clients have included Champion Windows, points out that companies don’t need to be big to build brand. Because “branding is anything connected to your company,” any company can transform itself into a brand. It requires a commitment to develop a brand image and shape the company around that image, as well as management discipline to implement and enforce it.
“A local or regional company can brand by the things it does,” Morgan says. “[Branding is] how you deal with the customer.” That makes managing for brand even more critical. You can hire an agency, develop a logo and tag line, buy image-oriented advertising, but all that will be for naught if you don’t have employee buy-in. Not only should every point of contact with the customer be a pleasant, professional experience, and not only should such contacts be scripted as much as possible, but employees (and dedicated subcontractors) must be onboard with it. You, the owner, have to lead the effort and communicate with employees.
“For this to work, the owner has to commit, times 50,” says Dan Billings of Monopolize Your Marketplace, a Dallas marketing firm with many clients that are home improvement companies. “You have to decide who you are and what you stand for. And you have to decide to take the high road,” he says. From there, the task is to get employees to sign on.
“The first thing everyone in the organization must understand is, what is the brand trying to promote in the minds of customers?” professor Park says. It’s up to the organization’s leader to “spell out the nature of those uniquely differentiated benefits” that make up the brand. Make sure everyone in your organization understands what makes your company different and better. “If yours is a small company, call companywide meetings to discuss what the company is all about,” Mack advises. From there, he says, “it gets down to every point of communication from Web sites to brochures. Every step, from lead generation to confirming the lead to closing to follow-up. Map out every phase of your sales process and get your brand message into each.”
Consistency and longevity are also key pieces in a branding strategy. Allen Erskine, owner of home improvement heavy Alenco, once noted that his was “the largest company in Kansas City that no one knew about.” Alenco grew largely by its participation in sell-furnish-install programs. But Erskine says his branding position — offering consumers a menu of top-quality exterior products and guaranteed flawless installation — had to be made known, which he now does through radio, community events, and by making the company’s logo visible in all face-to-face marketing, i.e., SFI, shows, and events. The promises made have to be carried through, he points out, and production people are the ones to do that. “Consumers’ expectations are very high, and we’re not the lowest price,” Erskine says. “So we have to provide superior service.” One way Erskine does this is through a stream of digital messages that keep window and sunroom clients in the loop.
FEED BACK LOOP You’ve developed a brand, created a tag line, integrated all your marketing under the umbrella of that logo and tag line, brought employees into the process, and re-engineered systems to deliver on your promise to customers. If it’s working, you should be getting more leads, getting more qualified leads, closing more, and retaining more customers. All measurable. More to the point, customer satisfaction should be up. To measure that, ask homeowners for feedback.
“You must have a regular system of going out and talking to customers,” Morgan says. “Find out how you’re doing in service, price, value.” In addition to getting feedback, he points out, surveying customers is “an opportunity to keep that relationship going. But you have to do it on a regular basis. You can’t just do it a few times and then stop.”
True North Home Systems recently found that out when the company surveyed 2,000 of its customers via e-mail. The questionnaire included 12 multiple-choice questions and a comment box. “We were just doing a survey,” Meehan says, “and we got 27 leads out of it.”
Customer satisfaction surveys can be mailed, e-mailed, or conducted over the phone. Sellani suggests e-mailing surveys because “people will feel they can be more honest.” On the other hand, she adds, a personal phone call lets clients know that “someone cared enough to call.”
What should you ask? Make it brand-specific: Who else did you consider when choosing a company? Why did you select us? “Clients,” Sellani says, “will tell you what your differentiator is, if you don’t already know it.” A 60% to 70% response rate is good.
Transforming a company into a brand through marketing takes strategy, dollars, time, and dedication. But, done successfully, it should not only pay off but put you in front of the home improvement pack. “You can do it,” Billings says, “If it’s done properly, the money will follow.”
