Dyson report

The English brand celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. True to its convictions, Dyson continues to offer innovative products, with the aim of improving everyday life. Next step, win new market segments.

Vacuum cleaners without bags, without filters or without wires. In the space of two decades, Dyson has asserted itself as the "Apple" of home appliances. High prices, a rather masculine target and innovations each time more advanced to convince more and more people make the success of the English brand.

"The desire of the brand is to innovate incessantly, even if sometimes, some products do not convince consumers," admits Marie Vendroux, in charge of communication at Dyson France. For if today the brand does not know the crisis, it took time to impose itself with the consumers. "James Dyson has long tested his products with the Japanese before embarking on other countries, less receptive to his innovations," assures Marie Vendroux. Today, Japan remains the country where each new product is launched as a priority.
Getting used to local consumption patterns

Innovation at all goes has also earned Dyson some marketing adaptations. In France, in particular, where consumption habits are not the same as in the Anglo-Saxon countries. "For example, when the brand started to market its 'upright' vacuum cleaners, the French did not really adhere to the concept, analyzes Marie Vendroux. Notably because they usually pull their vacuum cleaners, rather than push them. "And even though this product is not a priority for the brand in the Hexagon, Dyson continues to market several upright models. "They are certainly less successful than other products, more in line with the expectations of consumers, but they flow normally and the brand has never lost money on these models," assures Marie Vendroux.

But his biggest marketing reversal, Dyson met him in the early 2000s, when he marketed his double-drum washing machine. A marketing failure since, faced with sales that will not take off, Dyson will stop its marketing four years later. "This product was sold close to 2,000 euros and reduced the consumption of water and detergent," says Marie Vendroux. But considered too expensive for what he was doing, the washing machine did not appeal to consumers. "


The strength of Dyson? Know how to rebound after these marketing failures by proposing a dozen new products a year. "James Dyson, the only owner of his brand, invests a lot in R & D," Designers receive an envelope of 1.5 million pounds a week to develop new projects. "

And the brand does not hesitate to invest new markets,. Since 2011, the company has opened to professionals with hand dryers. "A sector that represents between 3 and 4% of turnover," . In 2016, the brand should position itself in a new segment, still unknown to the marketing teams. "We are generally warned three months before the launch of the product, which can sometimes prove problematic for a good marketing campaign, admits the communication officer. The designers keep the secret about their innovation as long as possible, this is also the Dyson spirit.

The king of the bagless vacuum cleaner has become rather talented to embark on a category of products that he knows nothing about. (Airblade), a fan without blades (Air Multiplier) or heating that does not burn (Hot), each time Dyson offers a Technological breakthrough and innovative design, is on a (very) high-end segment and unfolds thanks to a well orchestrated buzz campaign. A strategy at the Apple, in fact, which allows the firm of Malmesbury, England, to maintain double-digit growth in its sales (1.32 billion euros in 2011).

To be sure of succeeding in a new universe, Dyson first uses all its strike force in R & D and asks him to design each new product in a "rupturist" way: it is the revolution ... or the trash. No wonder, therefore, that each year it devotes 10% of its turnover to research and that it has almost doubled the number of its engineers in four years - they are now 1,500. At the research center, two hours from London, the same engineers manage the technological research, manufacturing and testing of prototypes, in order to keep control of their product and control its use.

Market research? Prohibited in the house since 1996 panels had - wrongly - assured that the transparent vacuum cleaner would scare the consumer by showing him the dust. "And then our products meet needs whose people are not yet aware," believes Dimitri Peucelle, DG France. The brand prefers to take the risk of crashing, as with the double-drum washing machine sold 1,300euros. Launched in 2001, it was stopped in 2005.


Too expensive ? Perhaps. But this is the Dyson positioning. The manufacturer markets its innovations systematically two to five times more expensive than the competing products already in place. Objective: to reinforce its innovative brand image and become an object of desire. The company justifies these high prices with very practical arguments. Its Airblade hand dryer for professionals is sold 1,000euros while the market turns to 250 in average? Yes, but it takes ten seconds - one minute - to do its job, while being 80% less energy intensive, and saves 1,450euros a year compared to paper towels. It is also guaranteed five years, like all Dyson products since 2008. "Our new device will even have a lifetime of ten years, over-bidding at Dyson France. Theoretically, of course. "

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