Joe Martoccia, sales and Marketing Director at Ultraframe gives his perspective on the state of the conservatory market, new product innovation, the G12 awards and what we can look forward to seeing from Ultraframe at the forthcoming FIT show.
“We launched Loggia in July last year at what was heralded a sensational event at the National Motorcycle museum. We were amazed at the number of people who attended the launch, easily the biggest single company event seen in the industry for a number of years. That factor alone vindicated our view that the industry is looking for new products to satisfy an ever increasingly discerning and demanding buying public. We have seen some excellent traction with our retail installers.
Those network partners with a Loggia showroom model are easily picking-up the lion’s share of sales in the early launch phase. Consumers really do have to see Loggia to understand what it is and how it can enhance their living space. Our challenge is to provide the right imagery and sales tools to help our retail installers sell the benefits of Loggia and win orders, we are well on the way to introducing a new generation of literature, which shows how Loggia can fit every price point, improving a conservatory, adding to an orangery and providing a cost-effective alternative to an extension. It is reassuring to see some of our competitors, trying to recreate what we have with Loggia with imagery alone, I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, however, aesthetics whilst important, is one thing, but inner strength and thermal performance is what Loggia is about, there is nothing to touch in the market.
“Providing an end to end solution is vital to success, delivery is arguably the most important element, to aid faultless delivery, we have been holding regular Loggia installation courses at Clitheroe, to date we have seen several hundred installers attend these courses, the feedback is amazing. For information on how your readers can enrol, they should contact the Ultraframe customer service team.
“Whilst it may appear that all we have been concentrating on of late has been Loggia, in reality, the work to carry on perfecting our three core roof systems, Ultraframe, Wendland and Quantal, has continued at a pace behind the scenes. We know that there is significant brand loyalty among installers and this loyalty should be rewarded with, faster, easier to fit systems with a number of variations delivering high customer satisfaction and built-in longevity and performance – that’s what we promise from the Ultraframe family of products.
“Winning the G12 award for best retail promotional campaign was a real fillip for us. The team and our PR consultants, worked incredibly hard to develop our retail campaign, we felt it was critical to begin influencing the consumer to kick start demand, ultimately benefiting our network. This consumer work continues with a number of Loggia case studies appearing in a variety of home improvement and lifestyle media.
“Looking ahead, there is little to suggest that 2013 will be any easier than recent years, however, we believe that continued product development and innovation backed by award winning marketing and uncompromising quality and service, will help our dealer and retail installer network take a larger share of the available market. We are working on a number of initiatives designed to do just that.
“We are looking forward to the FIT show where we will have a large presence, showcasing a number of new initiatives and products designed to future-proof our business and that of our retail installers. And as usual, you can rely on a surprise or two from Ultraframe to grab the attention.”
Visit Ultraframe at the FIT Show on stand 1-140.
