Challenge
Launching D2C Success Through True Partnership Whirlpool entrusted Wpromote to help develop and deploy its D2C go-to-market strategy across multiple brands. Since launching right before Q4 2019, the partnership has expanded beyond the traditional agency-client relationship to a true collaboration that embraces innovation. The World’s Home Appliance Destination Whirlpool Corporation is the world’s leading major home appliance company, with approximately $20 billion in annual sales, 77,000 employees, and 59 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2019. The corporation includes Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Amana, JennAir, Indesit, and other major brand names, with customers in nearly every country throughout the world. Bringing Brands Straight To The Consumer Whirlpool came to Wpromote in 2019 looking to develop and launch a multi-brand, go-to-market D2C strategy. This was a complex ask with distinct challenges: There were many stakeholders, client teams, and third parties involved. Each brand or business unit was at a different stage in their D2C journey: for example, the major appliance brands had only recently enabled D2C functionality with no supporting media, whereas KitchenAid Small Appliances had been gaining some momentum online and had campaigns live already. Consumers were comfortable with and confident in the D2C buying experience for some brands and products, but still heavily reliant on the in-store experience when purchasing major appliances.
Solution
Transforming The Company, One Business Channel At A Time Wpromote adopted a custom approach to each business channel and brand to maximize the learnings and associated KPIs. KitchenAid Small Appliances (USA) – Wpromote worked successfully to complete a tailored go-to-market Q4 holiday plan which included a full-funnel approach in order to reach the target consumers–the passionate maker and gift-givers. This included launching refurbished vs. new product campaigns, as well as adding a customization feature to create a unique value proposition. Major Appliances – Maytag, Whirlpool & KitchenAid – Wpromote initially launched with the Maytag brand in Q4, with a robust learning agenda guiding our strategy. The team then replicated the most successful campaigns for the launches of the other two brands, which meant it was possible to accelerate the go-to-market strategy. Wpromote partnered with other agencies and the brand teams to create “swimlanes” to help avoid competing against ourselves while maintaining various touchpoints with the consumer. Post-launch, the partnership between Whirlpool and Wpromote has focused on new opportunities and potential for innovation. Pivoting Strategies – As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Wpromote partnered closely with the team to develop a tailored plan for each business vertical, to great success. Specifically, the team responded to the significantly increased demand across KitchenAid Small Appliances during this time, launched new campaigns and initiatives, and quickly assumed the role of the primary retail channel. On the Major Appliances side, the Wpromote team worked with brand teams to adopt a nimble framework to help tackle inventory challenges as production slowed, as well as capture interest from consumers that could no longer shop in stores. Growing The Partnership – Finally, Wpromote recently expanded our support to Whirlpool by launching KitchenAid Small Appliances Canada on a super tight turnaround time. The first weekend after launch, the KASA Canada campaigns drove a blended ROAS of 16x, which highlights the team’s determination to drive strong performance for clients and tailored approach to the build and targeting. Wpromote has also partnered on a new campaign for Whirlpool’s extensive corporate discount program, Inside Pass. Strong performance is the foundation of this partnership, but it is not the only way to evaluate the success of the Whirlpool-Wpromote partnership. In the spirit of innovation and collaboration, the Wpromote team attended the Whirlpool brand team’s annual discovery trip as a trusted advisor to discuss trends in digital and brand journeys. In addition, Carol Wolowic, Senior Manager of Media Strategy for Whirlpool, was able to share her brand expertise at Wpromote Challenger Summit 2019, and has participated in various panels.
Results
Comparing our first Black Friday promotion period to our most recent July 4th promotion period, through a combination of media optimizations, website enhancements, COVID-19 strategies, and overarching teamwork across Whirlpool & Wpromote, we have seen the below increases by business unit: FOR MAJOR DOMESTIC APPLIANCES - 3575% Increase In Adobe ROAS - 675% Increase In Media Conversion Rates FOR SMALL DOMESTIC APPLIANCES -212% Increase In Adobe - ROAS54% Increase In Media Conversion Rates
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