Maytag Emphasizes Dependibility on Facebook to Build Trust

Maytag has invested years in associating its brand with the concept of dependability. It is that notion that underscores what the company perceives to be its key value proposition to consumers.

Adapting this brand strategy to social media is important because the message any company puts out must be consistent across channels and media.

Sheila Shayon reports in Brand Channel how Maytag has cleverly humanized the dependability meme for its Facebook presence:

"Maytag's new "What's Inside Matters" tagline doesn't refer to the technology powering their laundry machines. Just ask James Seaton, unit director of the Boys & Girls Club of Lenawee in Adrian, Michigan — one of the faces in Maytag’s new corporate citizenship effort.

The pro-social campaign goes beyond the brand's familiar product story to explore the more human side of dependability.

As part of that exploration, the brand is launching Faces of Dependability, a multimedia effort centered around Facebook to promote Maytag's ongoing relationship with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America as well as start a conversation about the quality at the heart of the values the brand stands for: dependability.

Hence the "Faces of Dependability" name for the Whirlpool-owned brand's new community-engagement initiative, which highlights four Boys & Girls Club professionals to embody that theme. It all drives to a Facebook campaign that asks users to “Tell us who you find dependable.”

Each of the four BCGA staffers was nominated by a local chapter and chosen for strength, performance and dependable service to the community. “We…chose to launch our new ‘Faces of Dependability’ recognition program with Boys & Girls Clubs of America because they have a strong heritage of dependability, going back more than 100 years. They serve nearly four million youth annually helping them become productive, caring, responsible citizens,” said William Beck, director of Maytag marketing in a press release.

It also goes back to the iconic "Maytag repairman" character, a sad sack techie whose professional services were rarely needed because Maytag machines wouldn't break down.

Maytag is still on track for dependable appliances, and the partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a clever match for two brands that have each endured more than a century, with dependable performance…whenever needed.