Analyzing Whirlpool: Meeting Consumers' Needs on a Personal Level

Whirlpool is a brand that brings reliable household appliances to the minds of many consumers. Whenever I see a Whirlpool commercial, I think about doing chores. I don't, however, usually connect the love and care that goes into household duties.

The brand has, in recent years, made a strong effort to change the narrative surrounding their connection to the every day lives of consumers. The Company created various websites and platforms for their customers to make personal emotional connections (PEC) and share the benefits of its products with the world. This has been successful because it has built a community of over 17k individuals and affiliates that share their experiences with each other and the world. This has created a new view of how functional and essential the products are.

These new connections gave customers a sounding board to share their lives, and ways that Whirlpool products and services have positively impacted them. This is how the Company has addressed social and consumer experiences. As a result, consumer sentiment rose almost five percentage points, while sales activity rose almost 7%. Social media followers were/are encouraged to participate in the conversations, to share ideas and digital content, and to connect with each other over similar experiences. There are even contents and fun games to help draw consumers closer to the brand and each other.

To make the experience more efficient, the Company could have asked some of its employees to join the discussion. Employees who engage with consumers can really help strengthen the human connection. It could reinforce the fact that even though Whirlpool is a huge conglomerate, there are still people with families behind the scenes. The Company's Twitter feed has posts from consumers with everything from funny memes, to product reviews, to stock speculations, allowing posters the freedom to personalize conversations. The Whirlpool app helps consumers manage cooking and laundry tasks from a smart phone for more efficiency.

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References

The Shorty Awards. (2022). #EveryDayCare-Whirlpool, DigitasLBI and CROWDTAP. https://shortyawards.com/8th/everydaycare-whirlpool-digitaslbi-and-crowdtap-2

Twitter. (2022). Whirlpool. Whirlpool Twitter Page. https://twitter.com/search?lang=en&q=%23whirlpool

Whirlpool. (2022). Keeping up from Wherever You Need to Be. https://www.whirlpool.com/smart-appliances/app.html