Branding that Speaks to the Eyes

Back in the mid-1990s, Whirlpool's then-CEO David Whitman noted a troubling consumer trend that showed a lack of brand loyalty in the household appliance sector. Research indicated that two-thirds of appliance shoppers entered the retail store without a specific brand in mind, a clue that consumers had come to view appliances as commodity products. Little wonder, since the brands all tended to look alike generic and white.