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Traulsen
, a division of ITW Food Equipment Group
confirmed that prompted awareness of the Centerline brand was extremely low, and unprompted recognition was close to zero.
“ But when we asked existing Centerline customers about their likelihood to repeat purchase, the score was very high. So we had a product people truly liked, held back by a brand name nobody had heard of, when we already owned one of the most admired names in the category. This led us to leave the Centerline brand and call the product what it really is, a Traulsen C-Series. Since making that change earlier this year, we are starting to see real breakthrough growth in exactly the segments we were targeting, including independent restaurants and smaller operations where that tier of product is more suitable,” Jason elaborates.
Value proposition
The clarification of its brand positioning could not have come at a better moment for Traulsen, as the commercial refrigeration market is under growing pressure from lowercost entrants. Many companies that come
from outside the US and emerging markets are bringing products at much lower price points, with different expectations around product lifetime and performance than the established leaders in the category. The challenge for manufacturers like Traulsen, whose equipment is engineered to perform in demanding institutional kitchens and last for a long time, is that these insurgent products are taking meaningful share at the lower end of the market.
As this becomes a greater threat to the middle and upper reaches of the market, Traulsen is dedicated to supporting and defending its market share without taking it for granted. Its response is built on education and innovation rather than a race to the bottom on price.“ Our strategy is to consistently show our customers why Traulsen equipment is worth the upfront investment. That means demonstrating
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