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PPG Makes ‘Surfaces’ the Star of Major Brand-Awareness Campaign

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

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PPG Industries announced the launch of “brand-awareness” initiative aimed at generating recognition of the company’s varied product mix and diverse markets.

PPG said the initiative is designed “to support its sales efforts across many of the core markets and industries it serves,” and will encompass a print and online advertising campaign, website and social-media actions, and customer “engagement” plans..

The company said the marketing-communications initiative “redefines the PPG brand by showcasing the unique ways it brings innovation, sustainability and color technologies to its customers in a wide range of markets.” The company added that current overall strength of its global business provides the muscle “to leverage its unique position and more clearly define the unmatched offerings it brings to the markets it serves.”

The “Core Marketing Branding Initiative” also marks the debut of a new corporate tagline—BRINGING INNOVATION TO THE SURFACE™—that the company said positions it as a “surfaces” business, reflecting a product portfolio of paint, coatings, glass, and related materials.

Wide-Ranging Program:
Advertising, Web Forays and Customer ‘Engagement’

The marketing campaign currently focuses on the aerospace, automotive-manufacturing, automotive refinish and repair, commercial-construction, consumer-goods, infrastructure, renewable-energy, residential-construction, and marine markets. The ads show children gazing in awe at a colorfully coated airplane parked on a tarmac; a roadster that catches the eyes of onlookers; and the most modern of buildings, which highlights the company’s many coatings and glass applications for the construction industry.

PPG Industries Inc.

PPG says the marketing initiative emphasizes its expertise in “innovation, sustainability and color technologies in a wide range of markets.” Above are advertisements from the program.

Specifically, the initiative includes the following programs.

• A targeted print and online advertising campaign, featuring high-impact ads that highlight PPG products in color against black-and-white backdrops, showing the ways the company assists customers in tackling some of the most important issues they face.
• A refreshed website and social-media effort to support the advertising and day-to-day outreach efforts of PPG’s customer-facing employees.
• A variety of training and customer engagement tools—presentations and marketing collateral—that empower PPG employees to act as brand ambassadors in talking about the company’s unique offerings.

“Many of PPG’s customers are familiar only with the specific products or services they rely on the company to provide, so through this new initiative, we aim to bring to light the breadth and depth of PPG’s innovative offerings,” said Patrick Kenny, PPG vice president, corporate marketing.

“The campaign reaches the varied industries PPG touches, highlighting the company’s strengths—Innovation, sustainability and color leadership—that some customers may not know about.”

Jack Maurer, PPG director, corporate communications, said the campaign “takes an educational approach and brings to life the unique stories of how PPG truly partners with customers for success.”

The initiative officially launched Tuesday, June 21 with a series of employee events. Advertisements have begun appearing in trade and online outlets throughout the U.S., Europe and the Asia/Pacific region, and will continue on an ongoing basis.