THE paint industry seems dominated by the likes of Home Depot and Sherwin-Williams, companies which spend a combined $1.5 billion in marketing yearly to tell American consumers where to buy paint.
A marketing spend nearly equal to Benjamin Moore’s total revenue!
To fight the barrage of messaging Benjamin Moore finds niches, market segments less interesting to the larger players such as the super-premium paints category the company is most known for.
In more coveted segments such as residential repaint, Benjamin Moore and their dealers compete without the advantage of huge marketing budgets, obligating an underdog’s strategy in their fight against the giants.
Using two David’s to beat the Goliaths, Benjamin Moore CEO Dan Calkins has a network of independent paint dealers with vans and reps, well-suited to engage Sherwin in the rezi-repaint segment. Leaving Ace Hardware to clean up all the rest.
And it turns out that independent retailers are not the first underdog to bring fame to the Calkins name.
Last week I shared that #Dan’s Northern Illinois Huskies beat football powerhouse Notre Dame in one of that sport’s great upsets, that blog prompting some of you to ponder my motives.
But no one will ever brag that they fired Mark Lipton, twice!
But Dan was not the first Calkins to hail Husky’s to glory nor the first underdog to bring honor to THE name; Calkins’ father Richard was a member of the 1963 Northern Illinois football team which won the Small College Football National Championship. That win earning the senior Calkins and his teammates enshrinement in the NIU Huskies Hall of Fame.
Which reminded me to check in on my plans for the weekend.
Like Calkins’ Huskies, independent paint retailers continue to win despite long odds. Most independents I’m in touch with are sharing that they're hanging on to the market share gains made these past years.
And those within three-mile radius of former Kelly-Moore locations sharing that they're doing more than just hanging on! My sources tell me that those stores are up more than 20% so far this year.
All while Ace continues their growth spurt!
Making it seem as if #Dan is doing everything right, which according to Husky’s head coach Thomas Hammock, could be THE secret to Calkins’ success.
I’m Making a Point!
A demanding critic, my mother often shared her views on my writing even using the family’s last ever gathering to complain of my overuse of the exclamation mark. Her comment allowing a smirk shared with my 26-year-old progeny, the former Buck Wheat of these pages.
It was clear THE kid was already in on the joke!
In my grief my mother’s recent passing the vignette of them laughing at me triggers tears, a longing for my mother to laugh at me in that way one more time.
But I know time will make a sweeter use of that memory, soon allowing recall without tears. Leaving a reminder of mother's love each time I strike that key, and consider its overuse. One final lesson from the woman who taught me how to write.
And punk who thinks having a byline makes her opinion matter!
