Celina Guimaraes, MBA

Brand: Whirlpool Corporation (B2B)

Whirlpool Corporation is the #1 manufacturer of major appliances in the world and has been at the forefront of the appliance industry for more than a century.  However, research conducted by our team revealed a gap in leadership perceptions. There was an opportunity for Whirlpool Corporation to own and define leadership as no other appliance manufacturer was clearly dominating the topic.  Together with the contract channel marketing team, we developed a new creative campaign to solidify Whirlpool Corporation’s position as an industry leader with strong solutions across all trade segments, promoting their robust suite of five brands (including KitchenAid, Whirlpool, JennAir, Amana and Maytag.)

In addition, we recommended that Whirlpool Corporation move from being product-centric to embracing a more customer-centric approach.  Thorough competitive audit indicated that no one was talking to channel customers based on their specific and unique needs.

The new “Count on Us” B2B integrated communications campaign brought authority to the Whirlpool Corporation brand with fresh, consistent and audience-relevant messaging.  Overarching creative was developed to demonstrate leadership within the entire channel, while at the same time, tailored messages were created for each trade audience, proving leadership in segmentation as well.  

The power of the campaign is the ability to make leadership claims across multiple themes, including corporate and innovation themes.   Knowing that Whirlpool Corporation products are found in 3 out of 4 US homes, or that they have been dedicated to innovative appliance manufacturing for over 100 years.  When it comes to partnering with Whirlpool Corporation, customers can count on them for products that deliver style, connectivity, sustainability and quality. 

Campaign tactics included advertising (print/digital), PR, social media, events, sponsorships - all pointing to a new online destination called Whirlpool Pro, also developed and launched by our team.  As the appliance industry’s best in class persona-driven website, Whirlpool Pro markets the various brands to builders, architects, designers, distributors and more by providing tools, tips, trends and insights that help them sell their vision and their homes. The WhirlpoolPro.com site earned a 2018 WebAward for Outstanding Achievement in Web Development from the Web Marketing Association.