CLEAN BRANDING: BRAND DEVELOPMENT FOR DRY CLEANERS

Brand development for a dry cleaner is an actual service that is often ordered from branding agencies, including KOLORO. This is not surprising, given the statistics. Thus, in 2014 there was one dry cleaner per 175 thousand Ukrainians (in Europe this figure is equal to 50 thousand inhabitants per one point). That is, the market is not filled and offers many interesting business opportunities. In addition, dry cleaners are located predominantly in big cities, while in the provinces there is a deficit of specialized workshops.

To calculate how much it costs to open a dry cleaner, you need to consider the following cost items:

• rent (purchase) and minor repairs to the premises;
• installing fire and security systems;
• business registration and obtaining all necessary permits;
• the purchase of professional equipment;
• advertising budget;
• hiring employees, providing them with overalls and consumables;
• reserve fund.

Interestingly, it is easy to find a dry cleaning business plan on the Internet. After analyzing a couple or three examples, even a novice businessman will be able to draw up an effective business plan on his own, estimate the costs of opening and the payback of the dry cleaner in the future.

Read also: 7 factors affecting the cost of brand building

Despite the favorable ground for growth and development, many startups “fail”. The reason is weak, ill-conceived branding of the dry cleaner. Most business plans include a budget for advertising, but do not take into account branding costs. A bright advertising campaign will allow you to “break into” the market and declare yourself, but will not help to hold positions in crisis situations and gain the trust of the clientele. These are the tasks of branding.

To build a powerful brand, it’s important to consider several factors.

• Clear positioning. To reach the target audience and occupy your niche in the market, you need to develop a positioning strategy. The choice of future promotion methods also depends on it.
• Competitors. The biggest players in the market are chain dry cleaners who have earned the trust and appreciation of the audience. Therefore, newcomers in this field will still have to compete with established competitors, especially since the giants are actively continuing their expansion and opening new reception centers.
• Specifics of the Ukrainian market. Most Ukrainians, especially the older generation, are not accustomed to renting clothes or carpets to a dry cleaner, preferring to cope with stain removal on their own. It is believed that dry cleaning services are unreasonably expensive. It is especially important to overcome this stereotype for companies that represent the low and medium price segment.

Cleaning, washing and more: what modern dry cleaners do

Originally, dry cleaning (dry cleaning) is the cleaning of fabrics, leather, fur and other materials using a solvent. The shops that provide this service are referred to as the process itself.

Today, businesses go beyond standard cleaning and offer a number of other services:

• repair of clothes, shoes, umbrellas, bags;
• express stain remover;
• laundry and ironing;
• renewal of leather and fur products;
• silver treatment;
• chemical-free eco-cleaning.

It is worth considering that a brand for a chain of dry cleaners, which provides a variety of related services, will be perceived positively by the audience. Obviously, a large company can hire as many qualified employees as needed. At the same time, a provincial dry cleaner with a small staff, which promises everything at once, will cause distrust and doubt in the quality of the result. Therefore, small businesses should focus on one or two basic services and add to the list as they expand.

TSS for dry cleaning: examples

A unique selling proposition (USP) is a feature, a brand highlight that sets it apart from its competitors and makes it attractive in the eyes of consumers. Here are five examples of successful UTS for dry cleaners.

Dry cleaning of furniture and textiles at home. The customer can call a specialist from Belissimo to clean sofas, armchairs, carpets, curtains and mattresses. Of course, this is beneficial for the consumer, because it saves time and transportation problems.

Dry cleaning of pet clothing and accessories. This service is provided by the Lotus Premium network, but there is no specialized institution in the country. So the niche with interesting opportunities is still empty. Perhaps your brand will take it over?

Sneaker dry cleaning. KAPKAN was originally an online youth clothing store, but for 5 years now it has had a full-fledged snicker dry cleaner. To drop off or pick up shoes, you can come to the point in person or order courier delivery.

Eco-cleaning. The eco-trend “penetrates” into different spheres of life and activity. Ecological food, cosmetics and jewelry have been followed by eco-dry cleaning (e.g. GreenWay). Cleaning with organic solvents, e.g. hydrocarbon solvents, is popular among the adherents of the eco-movement and those who carefully take care of their health.

Read also: Eco-trends in packaging and the Ukrainian market of organic products: an overview

A chain of gas station dry cleaners. Imagine you are driving in a car. Suddenly, the appetizing hot dog you decided to eat on the road falls on your light-colored shirt or dress, leaving an ornate pattern of ketchup. In this case, the BOLLA dry cleaner, who works at the nearest gas station, will quickly remedy the situation: in just a few minutes your item will be spotlessly clean.

Based on the examples, a dry cleaning brand’s UTP can be related to providing unique services, methods of operation, and location. But of course, these are just a few ideas for inspiration, because there are many more possible variants. And KOLORO marketers know them 🙂

Dry cleaner’s corporate identity is the key to brand recognition

Corporate identity is a tool with the help of which a brand image is created in the consumer’s mind. Let’s consider its main components.

Logo. The hanger is probably the most popular element found in dry cleaner logos. Therefore, another image with hangers is unlikely to be remembered by the general public. However, some designers still managed to successfully play with this typical element.

Although the development of a dry cleaner’s logo is a creative process, it is necessary to take into account objective factors. For example, the logo should reflect the positioning or UTP of the company, organically fit into the concept of the brand, and not contradict it. For example, the Front Door logo immediately makes it clear that the company provides dry cleaning services at home. And the PingWin dry cleaning chain used a corporate character.

Trademark. It is the most recognizable element, thanks to which a brand can be identified among others. It can be graphic (Chanel’s connected semicircles), verbal (FedEx’s purple and orange name), volumetric (Pringles chip packaging) and even audible (remember the melody from the Mr. Proper detergent commercial). The Oscar dry cleaner’s trademark can be a bird sitting on the letter C.

Color scheme. Most often shades of blue, green and white – the colors of purity, freshness and naturalness – are used to create brand identity. In addition, green is present in the corporate identity of companies that position themselves as supporters of the eco-movement. Black and white elements – a design classic, they are also often present in the identity of dry cleaners. Red, pink and orange flecks are used less frequently.

Business cards, letterheads and booklets should be designed in the chosen color scheme, and display the logo, motto and trademark on them. It is recommended to use the same fonts andgraphic elements in the design of printed and electronic documents.

Developing a website for a dry cleaner is another important step in building a modern brand. The online resource should also correspond to the corporate style and be a continuation of it. By the way, you can also order the creation of a website from KOLORO.

Read also: How creating a brand identity helps increase the price of your product

Rules for building a dry cleaning brand from Tuchman Cleaners

Sidney Tuchman is the founder of Tuchman Cleaners, a chain of dry cleaners that is now incredibly popular in Indiana, USA. Based on his own years of experience, he has compiled a list of recommendations for building a powerful dry cleaning brand.

• Develop a clear brand concept.
• Not only anticipate, but exceed the expectations of the target audience.
• Hire qualified, loyal and motivated employees.
• Seeking new opportunities and expanding the list of services.
• Develop an effective brand marketing strategy.
• Adhere to the principles of customer centricity.

Read also: Loyalty programs: love from the first purchase

Results

1. The dry-cleaning market in Ukraine is not full, so opening a dry-cleaning shop is a successful business idea. And it can “shoot up” both in a big city and in the provinces.
2. Quality branding helps a company not only to make itself known, but also to become successful in the future. In addition, a brand that has earned the trust of its audience can more easily withstand all sorts of crises.
3. Today, dry cleaners provide a wide range of services – from dry cleaning of textiles, leather and fur to shoe repair and seasonal storage of outerwear. This should be taken into account when developing a brand.
4. A unique selling proposition is the highlight of a dry cleaner’s brand that sets it apart from its competitors and creates an attractive image for the audience. UTP can be built on the basis of a convenient location of a dry cleaner, a list of current services, an environmentally friendly approach to work and other features.
5. A carefully developed corporate identity makes a dry cleaner recognizable and contributes to the formation of a coherent brand image in the minds of consumers. It consists of the following elements: logo, slogan, trademark, corporate colors, fonts, etc.

Development of brand style of a dry cleaner is a service offered by KOLORO branding agency. Contact our managers to place an order or find out more information.