3 Ways to Make Your Home Improvement Brand More Memorable

Like millions of people who watched the Super Bowl LVII battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, I was duped by an advertisement for Tubi–a movie and television streaming service. It got me good.

The ad started with a scene of the game’s actual TV announcers in the booth welcoming viewers back to the game, seemingly after a series of commercials had ended. As the announcers continued to talk, a menu of TV app icons appeared at the bottom of the screen. Audible clicks could be heard as the apps were scrolled through until the Tubi icon was highlighted and selected.

That’s when I momentarily lost my mind.

I began hurling accusations around the room as I sought to pinpoint the jokester guilty of switching off the big game by clicking some random app. It wasn’t until the next morning that I realized the whole thing was an ad.

It was brilliant because it was disruptive. It got my attention. And a lot of people were talking about it that night and the next day. Time will tell if it was worth the investment for Tubi.

The key to having success with a unique way of doing business is to make it a personality trait of your home improvement brand.

The average replacement contractor doesn’t have $7 million to spend on a Super Bowl ad, but what else can you do to become memorable in your market?
 

1. Stop Selling the Same Products as Your Competitors

The home improvement industry suffers from commoditization. In other words, most companies sell the same products as their competitors do and they compete on price alone. That’s boring and often bad business. There’s only one winner in that kind of competition: the company with the lowest price tag. Very few contractors have the resources required to successfully operate a low-cost, high-volume business model.

Solve this problem by selling a brand or product nobody else in your market offers. And sell it at a premium price because it’s unique.

For example, if you offer basement finishing services and everyone you know is installing drywall, you could explore alternative options like a finishing system featuring waterproof and mold-resistant wall panels. You could then focus on the benefits of your products over drywall in all of your marketing messages. Those would become your unique selling propositions, or USPs.
 

2. Promote Unique Customer Experiences

If you aren’t able to set yourself apart with your product offerings, then stand out by promoting uncommon customer experiences to your prospects.

If the majority of the companies in your market are high-pressure sales organizations whose salespersons insist on spending hours in every home, buck the trend by guaranteeing a quote in 60 minutes or less. Or offer your sales presentations completely virtually. Many of you read that last sentence and are now rolling your eyes. Virtual sales calls are not for everyone, but they are being conducted by others inside the industry to meet the changing demands of today’s consumers.

The key to having success with a unique way of doing business is to make it a personality trait of your brand. You need to let potential customers know how you’re different and how it benefits them. Don’t be shy about it.
 

3. Be Bold with Your Brand

Does your brand blend in or are you attracting attention by being bold and different from a visual standpoint?

Home improvement contractors aren’t often creative when it comes to company color schemes. Do some research in your market to learn the most common colors being used by competitors and then re-design your logo absent any of those colors. It’s never too late to rebrand your business. Most companies lack a recognizable brand in the first place.

I’m not suggesting that you re-wrap your fleet of vehicles in pink just to stand out. Although that might help you gain attention, there should be some meaning behind your company logo and brand colors that help you tell a story. What that looks like for your business is up to you. But don’t be afraid to be bold and be seen.

If you’re not memorable, you’re forgettable.