Best In Category Profile: 2009 Home Environment Electrics
Humidiheat
When Sylmark sensed the opening about four years ago to become a full-line supplier of air purifiers to the retail market through its Ionic Pro unit, it deployed a strategy of value-packed design and performance at attractive pricepoints.
Leveraging the success of its infomercial-driven Ionic Pro fanless air purifiers, Sylmark launched several new purifiers featuring technologies ranging from an ionic collection and electrostatic precipitation to HEPA filtration and UV light.
While infomercial support remained a backbone of the company’s air purifier strategy, the expansion shifted the company’s approach in the category from a TV model to more of a retail model.
And with the subsequent retail growth came the opportunity to consolidate its retail branding strategy— which included such brands as Ionic Pro, TheraPure and PurePro— to create a platform that would support not just a diverse selection of air cleaners but also a full range of home environment categories.
Last year saw the launch of that new brand— Envion, a name that combines the group’s broader home environment objectives with a nod to its ionic roots.
It didn’t take long for Envion to get noticed for its first move beyond air purification— the HumidiHeat, this year’s Best in Category winner in Home Environment Electrics.
As the initial new product to carry the Envion brand, the combination humidifier/ceramic heater was developed with the same goal as the company’s previous air cleaners— to amp up the value proposition with unique design, advanced performance and accessible pricing.
“Heat can cause dry skin and other problems, and we felt if we could create a combination product with the ability to add moisture to a room, there would be a real consumer benefit,” said Craig Shandler, executive vp/business development for Sylmark/Envion. “This is a unique selling premise; it solves a real problem.”
While the HumidiHeat’s function is its primary differentiator, Shandler said the aesthetic qualities and shelf appeal of the unit’s sleek tower style should not be discounted in the overall evaluation of its design.
“Every product has a lifestyle aspect, and if a consumer sees something that will look good in the home, that adds a lot to the product,” Shandler said.
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