Hunter Fan Co., Memphis, TN, provides one answer: Appeal to a new generation of consumers by focusing on the premium qualities of the brand.
Jim Gallman, vice president of brand marketing for Hunter Fan, explains. “Consumer research showed that while baby boomers are loyal Hunter Fan customers and our brand is strong in the South, Generation Xers are less familiar with us. Plus, competitors had mimicked us in many ways.
“We wanted all visual ‘touch points’ to give off cues about Hunter’s long history and premium position, but to also be approachable and appeal to consumers in a modern sense.”
Hunter Fan updated its logo and packaging in big-box retail stores to accomplish those objectives, focusing on the brand’s two central visual cues.
Working with Interbrand (www.interbrand.com), a branding and design consultancy, Hunter Fan’s cartons were designed to display a large, elegant script logo bearing the designation, “Since 1886.” This tactic, Gallman says, pays respect to the brand’s heritage in a classic, yet modern, way.
Equally important in the on-pack strategy is the new, close-up photography of the ceiling fan contained in each carton. Gallman says the close-range photos display each fan’s finish, the glass type used, and other high-quality product features.
With these tactics, Hunter Fan reinforces the notion of a brand offering technologically superior products to a new generation of consumers.