PPE - THE VALUE OF A TOP BRAND

A colleague recently asked me if I thought a product brand was "aging". I had to think about it for a while because "aging" is not a term I was familiar with in terms of brands. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there might be confusion between classic brands longevity and "aging" in the context of losing properties or function.

Recently, a study was done on the top brands in our daily lives. The graph below shows the results:

With very few exceptions, the brands that we value most have been on the market, and been the top in their category for a very long time. Most for 50 to a 100 years or more. Why? Because they provide products we like and they have not changed them just for the sake of change or to try to give the appearance of not "aging". They have added products, gotten bigger and stronger, but they still produce the classic products we expect from them.

The same is true in Personal Protective Equipment.  The top brands have longevity on a par with the top consumer products shown above:

Each of these brands is a leader in their product catagory and each has been on the market for 50 to 100 years and more. Are they "aging" or are they traditional, classic brands of PPE that have kept millions of workers safe over the years?. Each company has under gone at least some degree of change over the years, but they continue to produce the core products, the "classics" that established their brand and kept it in the forefront over the years.

50 years ago, MSA, Fibre-Metal and Bullard were the top 3 brands of head protection. They still are today. 50 years ago, Fibre-Metal, Jackson and Sellstrom were the top 3 brands of welding helmets. They still are today. And there is a reason for that. The CEO of a Top 400 Construction Company said that "PPE is one of the top 10 most important things we buy and for that reason, we only consider the top brands".

There are some commodities where customers value trendy products, and the latest fads, and want whatever is "new" no matter whether "new" is "better" or not. They want change for change sake because they think it some how makes them more contemporary. But PPE is not one of those commodities. It is serious business. It is relied upon to save lives and prevent serious injuries that can affect the quality of life. For those reasons, buyers want experience and expertise. They want companies and products with long track records of success that they can rely upon.

That is not to say that PPE users do not value and want innovation. What they actually value the most is the brands that provide a good blend of tradition and innovation. Evolution, not revolution. Look at head protection for example. Not only are the same 3 brands still the market leaders, the same 3 products are still the market leaders. But the Fibre-Metal model has been continually upgraded. First Fibre-Metal introduced the ratchet headband to the trade which provided new functionality without changing the classic design or SUPEREIGHT Impact Energy Control System workers relied on. The entire head protection industry followed and today most protective caps sold contain a ratchet headband. Fibre-Metal followed that up with the introduction of their patented SWINGSTRAP which again made their classic cap more functional for those who had to mount a welding helmet or faceshield.

Most head protection users consider the Fibre-Metal brand head protection the most innovative and sophisticated on the market

Few would describe it as "aging" even though it has been protecting workers for more than 60 years and is, in fact, the original Fibre-Metal protective cap design, with occasional updates as head protection needs have changed. I have never heard an end user ask for it to be changed.  To the contrary, I have received numerous comments over the years asking that it NOT be changed. I am sure that the other PPE brand leaders have had the same experience with their classic products.

A Vice-President of Xerox Corporation said "the strongest, most compelling brands are the ones that stay fresh in the minds of customers and prospects. They convey a consistent message to an audience every time they encounter it, but always in new and unexpected ways that suggest the brand can do things no other brand can do". This is very true with the brand leaders in PPE.

Take the Fibre-Metal brand of head protection as an example again. A long time user recently said "when I think of head protection, I think of Fibre-Metal and have for years. But now, when I think of Fibre-Metal, I think of the possibility of driving my injury costs down even lower and increasing my productivity. I just don't get the sense that other brands can address those things"

When you go through your due diligence to evaluate and select the best PPE for your operation, make sure you understand the difference between an "aging brand", one that is no longer capable of doing the job for you, and a traditional, classic brand with the experience and expertise, tempered with the right blend of innovation, that will do for you what it has done for countless others over the years. It is fine to look for what is new, but in PPE, "new" is not good enough. Make sure it is better than the classic brands in enough ways to make a difference. You do not want to use your workforce as a test lab for an new product from an unknown source. You usually cannot go wrong with the brand leaders.

PPE IS ONE OF YOUR 10 MOST IMPORTANT "BUYS"

The CEO of a Top 50 construction company said "PPE is one of the top 10 "buys" my company makes so we focus on only the top brands". Interesting. But what is a "brand"? It is not just a well known brand name, or just a physical product. It is the sum total of your and others experiences with a manufacturer of PPE.

It begins with a product but extends to your experience with the suppliers sales person, customer service, marketing, physical distribution, invoicing, return policy, and any other contact you may have with the company and its employees. If each touch point results in a memorable experience you develop positive feelings about them which builds equity in the brand.

A leading brand of PPE should also bundle intangibles with the tangible product. What do they offer that others do not? What "comes with" the tangible product? We are in the knowledge age. We have said before that information, knowledge and ideas before, during and after the sale should be provided. The primary source of those intangibles is the salesperson. It has been said that the value of a salesperson can account for up to 40% of the buying decision.

Leading brands communicate a clear, compelling and consistent message to define and differentiate their offering. There should never be any doubt in your mind what they believe in, what they stand for and what they do. And what they claim should match your experiences with the brand. They use the full marketing communication mix: catalogs, brochures, flyer's, websites, phone, and email to provide the information you need to help you make a buying decision and support your decision afterward.

Top PPE brands provide training programs and experienced, skilled trainers to help you get the most from your PPE Program. They make sure you get what you pay for and that each employee knows about and how to use the PPE you supply them.

Quality Assurance Programs are another intangible hallmark of the best PPE brands. Every PPE supplier has some degree of in-house quality control program. But only the top brands take it to another level with 3rd party quality assurance like the SEI (Safety Equipment Institute) certification program. More can be learned about the SEI Program at their website www.seinet.org including a listing of SEI Certified brands and products.

Longevity and innovation are also important intangibles. Brands that have been in existence for a long time have survived and prospered for a reason. One PPE brand, the Fibre-Metal brand, has been on the market for 105 years. During that time it has established a brand identity for quality and innovation. Experience and innovation are important. Ask yourself if your PPE supplier leads or follows in producing new products to satisfy the ever changing needs for more and better PPE products.

A PPE suppliers Value Package of tangible and intangible products and services establishes a clear identity for their brand in the marketplace. Your experience with them crystallizes the perceived relative quality of the brand in your mind. The brand name becomes a symbol of that perceived relative quality and is something you can depend on when considering additional PPE purchases.

Over time, no one remembers who had the lowest price but most remember what brands provided the best value package. To manage your risk and get the best return on your investment, only include the top PPE brands in your buying decision choice set.