Mixing It Up

KitchenAid turns to DRTV again to promote its iconic stand mixer. However this time, it adds another ingredient to its marketing recipe–social networking.

The Fuller sisters can’t get enough of their KitchenAid stand mixers. Growing up in Wisconsin, these eight siblings watched their mother prepare countless meals using the countertop appliance. KitchenAid also serves as the basis for the family’s “Bake and Swap,” an annual tradition started 10 years ago in which they spend the entire day baking cookies using their trusty stand mixers. The Fuller story is just one of a handful of loyal customer testimonials featured in the company’s latest DRTV campaign.

This year, KitchenAid celebrates its 90th anniversary. Its longevity can be attributed to its manufacturing practices, as the company–which is a division of Whirlpool Corp.–still produces these small kitchen appliances in its Greenville, Ohio, factory. The stand mixer has not only been the gold standard in kitchen appliances, but it has also outlasted many household products that have entered the market over the years. Yet while this iconic brand has enjoyed nine decades of market success in the U.S. and around the globe, the company believed it still needed to do more to get the word out.
“People think that a mixer is a product that people who bake a lot need,” says Marty Armstrong, vice president of sales and marketing at KitchenAid. “We really wanted to stress the point that it’s not just for the baker; it’s for anyone who enjoys preparing meals for themselves and entertaining guests.”

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