If you’ve tracked the product development strategy of Ultraframe over the last four years then you’ll know since the launch of Loggia the market leader has delivered significant new roof systems, keeping to its promise of “reigniting the conservatory market”.  In this feature, we talk to Ultraframe marketing director Steve McIntyre about the development and launch of the ExtensionPlus Collection.

Steve, Ultraframe made some fairly heavyweight promises at the launch of Loggia back in 2012 about reigniting the conservatory market with a range of roof systems that would inspire and excite the consumer.  Are you on track? “I think we’re well beyond being ‘on track’.  We’re the first manufacturer to develop, and launch, the UK’s first preapproved, Building Regulations compliant extension.  That’s a huge leap for this industry and we’re proud that we’ve delivered it well within the timeframe we said we would.”

That’s fantastic news for your network partners Steve.  Just explain the background to this development. “Several years ago we set out a very clear strategy that would support our network partners in delivering sales levels they were used to in the peak of our industry.  The first output of this strategy was of course Loggia, which very much has its place in todays overall extension proposition.  This development was quickly followed by the launch of LivinROOF – our solid roof system which picked up the G14 Award for the New Product of the Year.  At a similar time we also launched RealROOF – still, the only roof system in the market that can take the weight of a heavy roof tile.  Both of these developments were significant in as much as they were, both developed on the back of extensive consumer research.”

So Steve, where is Ultraframe today? “Over the last couple of weeks we have been meeting with our network partners to reveal The Range and the ExtensionPlus Collection.  They go hand-in-hand but critically, we are the first manufacturer to ‘package’ our collection of building systems in a way that will enable our network partners to easily engage the home owner with clear, concise and benefit-driven options.  This is a real departure for this industry.  We accept that with the launch of our roof system range that, by its very nature, we are adding complexity into our offer – we often hear from retailers that they struggle to fully exploit the virtues of our roof range – so how do we expect a consumer to easily grasp it?”

I’ve seen a copy of the new marketing material that positions The Range and the ExtensionPlus Collection and it’s more akin to High Street retail material – I’m guessing that was the aim?  “You’re absolutely right.  Our entire offering is about giving choice – choice for our network partners to pick the roof systems that meet their business needs, but ultimately choice for the consumer to pick a glazed extension that exceeds their expectations.  But conveying the complex offer, is in itself a challenge.  We’ve met that challenge head-on with our new range of literature and sales tools that work in much the same way as other retailers use info cards to sell the benefits of other goods, from sofas to appliances.  The reaction from our network partners has been tremendous – it’s exactly what they want in terms of simplifying the sales process by giving the consumer a clear point of reference about the one thing that matters most in any home extension – the thermal performance versus the cost.”

Looking at the literature, it’s not dissimilar to the way we specify a new car – you start with the base model and ‘spec’ the car according to your budget and needs? “Knowing your love of cars Luke, you’re spot on.  If you look at the individual components of our total offer – it’s incredibly broad – it starts with classic roof, still the mainstay of our business, and goes all the way through to extensions that can be configured and preapproved to Building Regulations.  So we’ve given our network partners clear and defined systems that will enable them to easily position the benefits of each system.  It starts with the ‘Alston’ – which we would all know as a standard conservatory, the next step up is the ‘Houghton’ which incorporates LivinROOM.  We then move into the orangery range – the Portland, Hadleigh and Winchester  – and finally we get into the ExtensionPlus range – the Mottram Harlington and Tatton, all of which are configured to be preapproved to meet Building Regulations.”

You’ve incorporated a very clever thermal performance rating for each system, that’s clever marketing Steve.  “I’m biased.  We haven’t invented anything new but we’ve taken the essence of what is now common understanding about thermal performance ratings – you see it on light bulb boxes, domestic appliances – even food goods give a traffic light style ‘warning’ to detail nutritional performance.  We’ve applied that same logic and clear visual indicator to the energy performance of our new Range.  It not only serves to give the consumer guidance, it also enables the retailer to sell the features and benefits of better performing systems, thus increasing the potential sale value.”

So, Steve, is this the end of the extension journey at Ultraframe?  “I think we need to give our retailers the opportunity to fully embrace this new approach, but there’s no question, it enables our network partners to truly engage consumers in a way that is both transparent and relevant in today’s cost-conscious market. However, it’s not the end of the journey, watch this space.”