Electrolux is undertaking a national training roadshow to present the latest Westinghouse cooking, refrigeration, laundry and dishwasher range, as well as unveil its new brand platform, ‘Happy to help’ to retail partners.
The roadshow commenced with two events in Sydney and two events in Perth earlier this week, with 230 and 200 retail and commercial customers attending across both evenings respectively.
At the Sydney event attended by Appliance Retailer, Electrolux retail sales state manager – NSW, Fiona Mackay said, “This event is about the evolution in innovation of Westinghouse and where we are taking the brand moving forward. We are launching our new brand platform, ‘Happy to Help’ to position the Westinghouse brand as the quiet, reliable helping hand in the home that helps consumers spend more time doing the things they love.
“We’re ‘happy to help’ when life gets chaotic, and you need trustworthy appliances; you get a coffee spill on your shirt before work; your dinner party leaves your kitchen in a mess and when it’s your turn to bring baked goods to the office.
Electrolux retail sales state manager – NSW, Fiona Mackay.
“We’re ‘happy to help’ with our customer care teams available seven days a week. With Australian built and designed cooking products featuring intuitive and user-friendly designs, we’re ‘happy to help’ finish loads faster with our 15-minute express wash, achieve the perfect Sunday roast with our Roast+Steam function, make it easy to access food with more convenient storage compartments and dry clothing without damage using Sensor Dry.
“‘Happy to help’ drives every aspect of our brand’s customer experience from creation to technology and design, from our customer care team and marketing communications to our sales partners. As we enter a new era, Westinghouse will continue to stand as an icon of the home – now that’s something to be happy about.”
Narta representatives at the Sydney training event.
Electrolux managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Kurt Hegvold said, “It is very exciting to bring our valued retail partners together to showcase exciting enhancements to the Westinghouse cooking range. The response was unanimously supportive to the simple touches that our consumers and retailers told us were important in our extremely popular AirFry range and steam cooking.
“It makes me proud that our Sydney-based design team can create such innovative offerings with our team in Adelaide at Dudley Park continuing to produce cooking appliances that deliver exceptional quality and value to our consumers. It truly embodies the Westinghouse message that we’re ‘happy to help’.”
Key products in the new Westinghouse range.
Electrolux brand manager for Westinghouse, Ryan Williams said the brand understands that people are happiest when appliances deliver what they promise on the box and are functional, efficient and uncomplicated to use.
“Our new campaign platform ‘happy to help’ embodies this, by showcasing how, when called, upon Westinghouse appliances effortlessly step up and help out, so you can get back to focusing on living.”
Narta representatives at the Sydney training event.
Electrolux retail and shopper marketing manager, Jess Baird said showcasing the new product range to retail partners in an informative and entertaining way has always been an important part of go-to-market plans.
“We are excited to deliver 11 events across the country over the next couple of weeks to over 1,000 attendees to showcase the innovations we are bringing to market while showing our appreciation for our retail partners’ commitment to supporting the Westinghouse brand.”
Electrolux national training manager, Michael Scuteri explained that the company’s training approach revolves around real-world scenarios that resonate with customers.
“We understand the desire to entertain, maintain a healthier lifestyle, and manage busy schedules effectively, which is why we showcase how the Westinghouse range supports Australian families in achieving these goals. Our new range offers unparalleled value for money, empowering our retailers to customise solutions that perfectly match our customers’ unique needs.”
Designed and made in Australia
Electrolux account managers, Martin Jurgeit and Scott McIlveen highlighted that a number of Westinghouse appliances are Australian made and designed locally.
Electrolux account managers, Martin Jurgeit & Scott McIlveen.
“There are very few opportunities to sell Australian-made appliances. Westinghouse has been in Australia for over 85 years and our cooking appliances continue to be made in Australia, designed for Australian conditions for Australian consumers,” Jurgeit said.
“The controls, programs, recipes and terminology used in our products are influenced by our design team based in Australia, in combination with feedback from our retail partners and end consumers. When it comes to customer care, customers can log a service call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receive industry-leading response times.”
McIlveen added, “Our Dudley Park facility represents innovation and cutting-edge manufacturing. We take great pride in producing our products locally. The facility produces over 230,000 products each year across 150 different cooking SKUs. Our appliances undergo rigorous quality testing to ensure durability, performance and reliability.
“Choosing Westinghouse appliances for the entire home has numerous benefits including seamless design, allowing each product to complement one another, and integrated technology – for example AirFry baskets in our ovens designed to fit into our dishwashers for easy cooking and cleaning, or our Hob2Hood technology that seamlessly connects the cooktop and rangehood. We have also created a wide range of how-to videos to help customers understand the features and benefits and ultimately, get the most out of their appliances.”
Cooking with steam
Electrolux account managers, Robert Lau and Leigh Parkes explained the several benefits of steam functionality in Westinghouse ovens.
Electrolux account managers, Leigh Parkes & Robert Lau.
“Steam cooking provides numerous benefits including better moisture retention because the steam envelops the food to retain its natural moisture, and faster cooking times, when roasting or baking,” Lau said.
“Steam is a great conductor of heat which means better distribution of heat throughout the oven for even temperature and even browning for crisper and crunchier results. With the Easybake + Steam function, you can add steam into baked dishes by adding water to the cavity for a better rise, crisper crust and fluffier centre for bread, pastries and cakes. After adding water and vinegar, turn on the steam cycle for a 30-minute light oven clean that will soften and loosen grime then simply wipe with a cloth,” Parkes said.
AirFry function
Electrolux account managers, Ruby Queipo and Graham Peters discussed the evolution of AirFry technology in Westinghouse ovens.
Electrolux account managers, Ruby Queipo & Graham Peters.
“We first introduced AirFrying into our Westinghouse ovens three years ago. Since then, we’ve been listening to consumer feedback and continually perfecting it to make it an easier experience,” Queipo said.
“Our new AirFry baskets have been redesigned. The two baskets are now larger and can be removed from the oven. We’ve also added a catchment tray underneath to capture any oil or grease,” Peters said.
“Having two different baskets means greater versatility to cook two different dishes. In the 60cm range, there’s six ovens with an AirFry function and in the 90cm range, there’s three ovens with AirFry technology with the top-of-the-line model in each range featuring a TFT touch screen display,” Queipo added.
Induction cooktops and accompanying rangehoods
Electrolux account managers, James Drago and David Nock explained why more customers are choosing induction cooktops and showcased the redesigned Westinghouse rangehoods.
Electrolux account managers David Nock, Rumana Mirza, Ben Hardman & James Drago.
“There are five key benefits of induction cooking – safety, speed, precision, easier cleaning and improved efficiency. All Westinghouse induction cooktops now feature BoilProtect – which was previously only available on two models. This feature senses the vibration of water, detects its temperature and adjusts the power level once it reaches 100°C to maintain that temperature without risk of spillage. BoilProtect is available on all zones all at the same time, if required,” Drago said.
“Our induction cooktops also offer Hob2Hood technology, which automatically connects the cooktop to the rangehood when it’s powered on. This functionality is set up and ready to go straight out of the box,” Nock said.
“Our latest rangehoods are slimmer and less bulky with a more rectangle shape (rather than a pyramid design) for easier installation and more overhead cupboard space,” Drago added.