By Claire Reilly
Alongside its popular SuperSteam and SteamWave microwave ovens, Sharp was busy promoting its latest line-up of refrigeration products at today’s MasterChef Live event in Sydney, giving consumers and retailers a first look at the appliances.
The good-better-best offering features the high-end Supreme Refrigerators in mirror black or silver glass, the Premium Stainless Steel refrigerator in silver or tinted black, and the entry-level Essential refrigerators in Champagne Silver and White (which were not on display at the show).
According to Sharp’s national marketing manager, Mark Beard, the new models take the humble refrigerator out of the corner and give it pride of place in the kitchen.
“Consumers are moving out of the realm of having all their appliances matching, and the fridge is becoming the outstanding piece,” he said, comparing the range to a signature fashion item for the kitchen.
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Certainly one of the stand outs of the collection, the black French Door Supreme fridge brings a new look to a traditionally plain appliance.
It features smooth mirror-glass doors with a recessed silver handle on one side and a light-up touch control panel with interactive display. Running alongside the silver handle is a thin strip of LED lighting which indicates the internal status of the refrigerator, and can be set to different modes for a different look.
Both the middle and top-end Premium and Supreme models feature PlasmaCluster Ion technology for keeping food fresh, while the Supreme models also feature an automatic ice maker.
While Sharp is not selling direct from their stand, representatives from Bing Lee were on hand to talk to consumers about purchasing, and Beard said the drive to retail was a strong focus of the brand's display at the show. He also noted that MasterChef Live was a great way to get the Sharp brand – and the new product line-up – into the hearts and minds of the target consumer.
“We think it’s a great way to talk to people and demonstrate to people,” said Beard. “The audience here is already pre-defined: they’re foodies. Based on previous years’ questionnaires, we know they’re identified as people who love food.
"We think by talking to the 30,000 people that come through here, they’ll get a bit of a take-home memory and we get a database together and we can follow up to say, ‘Thanks for visiting the stand, and if you’d like to take advantage of these offers, you can head to a retailer’.”
Sharp product manager for Whitegoods, Chasnyn Ousmand, with the new top-of-the-line Supreme Black Glass French Door refrigerator (RRP $4,399).