Hamilton Beach 2007 Annual Report Download - page 29

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coffeemaker, featuring carafe-less, cup-activated dispensing,
continued to be a leading seller in the United States. Other
examples of innovative new products include the Hamilton
Beach® OpenStation™ Multi-Opener, a can opener with tools
to open jars, bottles and plastic clamshell packaging, and the
Stay or Go™ Slow Cooker, a travel-friendly slow cooker with
full-grip handles, a tight-latch lid and a clip-on serving spoon.
The company introduced several new commercial
blenders in 2007, which were well received by the market, and
plans to introduce a number of other new commercial
products in 2008, including a high-performance blender, a
line of commercial-grade toasters and a line of stainless
steel beverage urns with cup-activated
dispensing inspired by the Hamilton
Beach® BrewStation® coffeemaker.
This growth program is expected to
provide revenue and margin
improvements for the commercial as
well as consumer businesses of HBB.
Key Programs for Professional
Sales and Marketing
HBB also has an ongoing strategy
to develop and sustain the most
professional sales, marketing and
branding programs in the industry. The company has a
proven ability to match products, services and brands to
specific retailer assortment needs. Programs supporting this
strategy include:
Retailer and channel focus. HBB works closely with
retailers to develop product assortment strategies to optimize
category profits. In-depth data analyses are used to recommend
the most profitable combination of products, features and price
points in each product category. In turn, these analyses drive
the HBB product development process, improve speed to
market and increase the success rate of new products. HBB’s
category management approach is applied across all types of
retail channels, from mass merchants to smaller regional
retailers, and is being applied in the United States, Mexico,
Canada and other selected international markets. This growth
program has helped enhance revenues and margins and is
expected to continue to do so.
Strategic brand application. HBB has a broad complement
of key brand names targeted at distinct consumer segments.
Underlying all brands is a commitment to safety, performance
and reliability. The Hamilton Beach® eclectrics® brand targets
high-end consumers who demand the best in performance
and style and are willing to pay more
for those benefits. The Hamilton
Beach® brand targets mid- to higher-
end consumers desiring a strong
brand name, innovative features, great
performance and attractive styling.
The Proctor Silex® and Proctor Silex®
Plus brands target middle-market
consumers who prefer a strong
heritage brand name and good
performance with good features and
appearance at a reasonable price. The
Traditions by Proctor Silex® brand
targets entry-level consumers with basic, lower-priced products.
The TrueAir® brand, used for home health products, continues
to demonstrate strong appeal in its market segment. HBB also
uses its brand names in conjunction with other companies’
brand names. For example, an agreement with Procter & Gamble
(“P&G”) created a successful, co-branded odor eliminator with
P&G’s well-known Febreze® brand.
The Hamilton Beach® Commercial brand targets
restaurants, bars and the hotel amenities markets. The strong
heritage of the Hamilton Beach® Commercial brand name
results from many successful years of producing blenders and
the classic soda fountain-style milkshake mixers that could be
seen on the back counter of almost every soda fountain across
America. Today, the Hamilton Beach® Commercial brand
name is associated with a wide variety of products found in
commercial kitchens, restaurants, bars and hotels. It remains a
leading brand in commercial blenders and spindle mixers in
the United States.
Both the strategic application of its current brands and the
introduction of new brands are expected to benefit HBB on an
HBB strives for high
performance on the
countertop, at suppliers,
in sales activities, in
marketing activities
and on the bottom line.
Left: Hamilton Beach® Commercial products. Top: Hamilton Beach® Commercial Tempest® high-performance blender. Bottom left to right: Hamilton Beach® Commercial
4-slice heavy-duty toaster, Hamilton Beach® Commercial juicer, Hamilton Beach® Commercial Brewstation® coffeemaker.
● 2007 Products ● 2006 Products ● 2005 Products ● Established Products
2007
60.5% 11.5%
18.0%
10.0%
A significant portion of U.S. consumer
sales were from products introduced
in the last three years