RIPON, Wis. — Having served the commercial laundry industry for more than 100 years, Speed Queen is among the best-known equipment brands in the business.
But the Alliance Laundry Systems company has decided that it is time to refresh and revitalize its iconic brand, says William Bittner, Speed Queen Commercial’s North American sales manager, who visited the American Laundry News offices Thursday to announce the relaunch.
To further strengthen the Speed Queen brand in the marketplace, the company’s various segments, including Vended, Multi-Housing, On-Premises and Home, will be united under a single brand identity, according to Bittner. It includes a new look, feel and message platform focused on what the brand says are its key attributes: “Reliable, Renowned, Dedicated, Knowledgeable and Independent.”
Accompanying Bittner was Marty Ellery, vice president of public relations for Nelson Schmidt, the agency assisting Speed Queen in spreading its message. “We’re trying to look like the market leader we are,” she says.
The campaign includes message and creative platforms, website, public relations program, sales collateral, online and print advertising, and distributor marketing tool kits. Bittner called the company’s investment “significant.”
“Our brand campaign is more than just new ads and a new website,” Bittner says. “It’s about conveying our knowledge and dedication to the laundry industry. … This brand relaunch will clearly define who we are today, where we see ourselves in the future and why we are the leader in commercial laundry.”
Speed Queen received an “overwhelmingly favorable” response when it rolled out the program to distributors the first week of May, he adds.
Bittner says the “marketing spend” is targeted primarily at the coin laundry segment. “We’re still selling OPL equipment, but we are heavily slanted to vend,” he explains. “We are trying to attract new investors.”
Visitors to Speed Queen’s booth at the Clean Show will see imagery that touches on the company’s history and its next 100 years, says Bittner. “We will be shining a big light on it.”
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