When officials at Masonite Corporation looked at the door industry, they concluded that opportunities existed to change the business model paradigm, placing more control in the hands of consumers, driving a stronger customer loyalty bond.
As a result, Masonite Corp. relaunched its brand earlier this month with high hopes of sparking greater customer engagement. Loyalty360 caught up with David Perkins, vice president of marketing, North America Residential, for Masonite to learn more about the brand relaunch.
What factors prompted Masonite’s brand relaunch, when did it technically relaunch, and what are the company’s goals for it from a customer engagement/customer experience perspective?
Perkins: When we looked at the door industry as a whole, we saw an opportunity to go to market differently. As our strategy progressed, the look and feel of our brand transformed to help both our customers and Masonite be more successful.
Masonite is empowering its customers to change the conversation around doors through design trend knowledge, allowing them to become the voice of authority. We encourage our customers to think of doors in a new way, to break perceptions, challenge the status quo, and open the door’s true potential as the defining element of a home.
Masonite relaunched the brand internally on Jan. 7, 2017. The brand was then launched publicly to external audiences on Jan. 10, 2017 at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla.
What are your goals for customer loyalty connected to the relaunch?
Perkins: Masonite is empowering more inspired and confident choices for customers by finally simplifying the often-convoluted selection process. We realized that creating a more inspired confident choice is not about having thousands of possibilities to choose from; it’s about having the clarity and confidence to find that perfect door for every need and application.
We’ve relaunched Masonite.com, making it more user friendly and easier to find what customers are looking for with less clicks through the website. Additionally, we are providing our customers with the information and tools they need to feel confident about doors. By offering tools and an easier-to-navigate website, we create loyalty by providing our customers exactly what they need.
What are the main components of the relaunch from a brand messaging standpoint?
Perkins: Masonite is redefining the role of the door. We are not only changing the conversation about doors, but making the entire category more relevant within the home and in commercial environments. Additionally, we are creating stronger loyalty throughout the channel, becoming an indispensable resource for the success of our channel partners, and creating extraordinary customer experiences.
Did customer feedback play a role in the relaunch (focus groups, surveys, etc.) and, if so, in what way?
Perkins: Yes, customer feedback played a large role in the relaunch. It went far beyond focus groups and surveys. In 2016, we conducted test and learns in markets partnering with our APDs – All Products Distributors – to learn what resonates in markets.
At Masonite, what are you most proud of?
Perkins: Our new brand embodies the personality of Masonite. It’s not just something we’re talking about, it’s something we truly believe in. This is a company-wide mind shift, one that goes across both our architectural and residential divisions. It is a change in our approach and voice that will resonate with each of our customers and throughout the channels where we play.
We are proud to see that our market-forward evolution of our business and brand is creating excitement both internally and externally in the short amount of time since the brand launch.