Home Latest Whirlpool Duet Launch. Paul Holmes. In , the company conducted its first United States launch of a high-end, front-loading washer and dryer pair. It also presented a communications challenge for a company trying to step outside of that white box.
The Duet is extremely gentle and provides superior fabric care, allowing consumers to wash items that previously had to be dry-cleaned; uses 28 percent less water and 27 percent less electricity than standard washers; is ergonomically designed for ease of loading and unloading; and features a high-temperature sanitizing cycle that kills PR21 and Whirlpool conducted a full-scale media relations campaign to generate awareness and consumer interest in this new product, with no support from advertising.
Consumers needed to be educated about the category of front-loading washer and dryers and persuaded of the advantages of a high-priced appliance. And the Duet faced tough consumer-recognition competition from the Maytag Neptune, a front-loading machine that beat the pair to market.
Moreover, due to budget cuts, the Duet had little to no advertising support for the first year of its launch, so Whirlpool relied on the power of PR to spark consumer interest.
PR21 crafted materials and pitches, as well as the targeted daily media lists, around this angle. However, for long-lead, glossy coverage, the design angle was conveyed, which PR21 did through slick product photography and by emphasizing the products roots in European design.
The strategy was to create an aggressive media relations campaign targeting media outlets read by active balancers, remodelers, and home builders. PR21 and Whirlpool created a multi-tiered media outreach, beginning approximately six months prior to the retail launch of the product. The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, with its high press attendance, was the perfect chance to show off the new appliance. However, the company was not ready to tip its hand to competitors by placing the Duet on the show floor in April of In order to encourage editors, weary from long days spent walking the trade show floor, to take some time out to view the Duet, PR21 had to take a unique approach.
Editors were invited to preview an unnamed product during one-on-one interviews in a private suite. The event was masked in secrecy; they were told, to protect the company from the threat of industrial espionage.
Editors were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement and to hold the story to a strict embargo. This enticing pitch helped to snag interviews with over 20 publications in just two days. PR21 followed up with media materials and phone calls. A New York media tour in July of completed the outreach to the long lead media. This approach was overwhelmingly successful — 21 out of the 25 editors present wrote about the Duet. Because the retail launch of the Duet was delayed, the short-lead outreach and VNR release took place in January of At that time, PR21 secured an advance with Reuters.
The video news release was picked up by CNN and on stations across the country. But the launch did not end there. Whirlpool has an extra reason to celebrate. The U. Commerce Department's preliminary ruling , this past summer, had included Whirlpool International, which was then manufacturing washers in Mexico, mostly over its failure to cooperate in the investigation. Ironically, it was Whirlpool that originally petitioned the Commerce Department to investigate dumping by other companies.
Whirlpool was not included in the final ruling because it moved washer production to Ohio after the preliminary ruling. In fact Whirlpool now makes about 80 percent of the products it sells in this country in U. Still, even an appliance manufactured in America will have some parts that are made offshore.
For Whirlpool's newest front-load washers for the U. The remainder come from Mexico and Asia, primarily China. And while regulations from the Federal Trade Commission require that a product be "all or virtually all" made in America to be labeled as such, parsing the parts is no easy task.
A motor, for instance, might be U. Unfortunately, buying mostly American doesn't guarantee top performance or reliability. HE detergent is recommended for this washing machine.
With a width of 27", it's not stackable, but you can buy the handy optional storage pedestal. This washer also has advanced vibration control—keeping noise at bay and protecting your washer too. Before buying this washer, review the installation guide to ensure you're ready to install when it arrives. And, a quick gander at the product manual will confirm if it suits your overall laundry needs. Also, check the warranty information if you are comparison shopping. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.
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