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May 15, 2007
Going wild cherry
Why are most washers and dryers white? Historically, it's because if one appliance dies, a replacement of any make or model will match the other mate. Since most laundry rooms or closets are out of sight, most manufacturers don't think twice about style or color. It's as if the the industry is run by Henry Ford.
So when I went shopping for a new washer and dryer last weekend, I saw the usual row after row of white appliances. An occasional gray model broke the monotony, but not by much.
Then, pow! A LG TROMM Steamwasher and dryer painted a wild cherry red stunned me with its remarkable presence. It was just like seeing an eye-popping car among hundreds of ones that look virtually the same. The red paint sparkled. The buttons were high-polish chrome. The Batman-level features were sexy. Sexy!
They were a bit more expensive than the standard white ones nearby, but the LG's became the new standard by which to judge all others. Red struck a chord. Red stuck.
A washer and dryer is not an impulse purchase, so like 87% of most Americans, I went home and Googled the LG's up and down. The word of mouth held up. Much of the online buzz was about the washer's SteamFresh Cycle, which uses steam to remove wrinkles and odors or just refresh clothes. Even the clerk at another store who sold a high-end German brand conceded he hears few complaints about the LG's.
A red washer and dryer is not for everyone. You might even be saying, "A red washer and dryer? How stupid. Why pay more for a fancy paint job?" But, of course, people hundreds or thousands of dollars for watches that do the exact same thing as a $16 Timex does. Homogeneity is not the pathway to word of mouth. Incorporating wild cherry word of mouth into the DNA of a product is the first step.
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These work because they look like iPods from the front. Ex Apple designers probably work there now.
fresh steam is a unique feature
ummm wild cherry paint
We were shopping for a washer and dryer a year ago. Fell in love with the stainless steel set from LG. Would have cost $150 over the white set. Of course, the only ones they had (or would have for more than a month) were the floor models, which weren't for sale. Same with the deep blue set. So we're stuck with boring old white ones.
"Homogeneity is not the pathway to word of mouth." What a great sentence. Safety lies in the "same old same old". Who is going to notice (or blog about) a white appliance??
I imagine the color would be hard to get to match. But great example of a purple cow :)
Thanks for sharing!
I love this post. As my company moves toward the launch date of our product we are discussing ways in which we can promote word-of-mouth. Some of this involves alterations to the product itself. I wonder though, what are the downsides to producing a wild cherry washer and dryer? What does one risk by taking a drastic step away from the mainstream?
That asked, I still want one myself.
Sometimes we just have to think a "little" outside of the box. Sometimes all it takes is a little "wild cherry" paint to make the difference. But at the end of the day, you still have to have a quality product.
The wild cherry caught your attention, but it was the product's reliability that sold you.
The trick is to shake things up without compromising the product. Now that's great marketing.
P.S. The next time I throw a load in my boring white washer, I'll think of you with envy!
Hi Jackie,
I must agree that those sparkly, high-tech washer/dryers also catch my eye quite often when I'm at Sears in a sea of plain white washers/dryers. I was researching a new TV and I read some negative reviews about LG's customer service. I would suggest you do some research into their service history before buying a set. I know that Kenmore also makes colorful washer/dryers (no steamfresh tech though) and they tend to come out on top of consumer report ratings.
disclaimer: I don't work for kenmore/sears and i have nothing against LG.
Nice work there by LG which changes the parameters of the game for "white" goods. If all companies can bear these priciples in mind, we will have interesting products on our shelves beyond just their features. Now if only air conditioners and fans - a necessity here in hot and humid Singapore - could look as funky as that.
Incidentally, we did something to our postboxes recently too. Have a look:
http://coolinsights.blogspot.com/2007/04/art-of-branding.html
Jackie:
Great post! Karen and I are in the market for a new washer and dryer, and noticed the same thing when we went shopping. Consumer Reports gave the LG Steamwasher a top rating recently, so we may end up buying those very same Wild Cherry models!
Aneil
Aneil,
That is so funny! We will have to compare notes after you get your set : )
Four and half months of flawless performance from our LG Steamwasher (we went with the blueberry model instead). I love it!
Aneil Mishra
Purchased the 50PY3DF and from day one it was faulty. The tech had a look and informed me that my set needs two boards. The shop where I purchased the set gave me a replacement 50PY3DF and it's also faulty. I been informed by LG that it will take three weeks to get the parts because of their new system and the parts will be arriving in a container with the other stock and LG are not interested in air fright. After a number of E mails to LG they are not interested in customer service, Perhaps LG should change the slogan from Life's Good too buy a product and wait three weeks for parts
My husband suprized me last night with the cherry red UNBELIEVABLE!
I love it.
Now we have to figure out how to hook things up and how to use!
Adorable...and so unique.
