Home appliance manufacturer Haier UK debuted its name change to Haier Smart Home and announced investment to promote the brand and connectivity to consumers.

At its “Connecting Together A New Smart Vision” conference at Icetank in London, chief commercial officer Jim McEwan introduced the new brand: “We have changed our company name.

“We have been Hoover Ltd. We have been Haier UK. We are now Haier Smart Home, so we are starting to bring together our brands, our platforms and integrate the business in a different way.

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“There’s a different mindset now about what we stand for as an organisation and what we want to bring to the market and to the consumers. It’s all about connectivity.”

Seeking to inspire consumers, Haier plans to engage through emotional storytelling of how they can improve their lifestyle through connectivity, and to become a household name, supported by advertising investment.

Jim McEwan explained how the brand plans to raise its profile: “Haier as a brand is not the best-known brand in the market, we know that.

“We have a job to do around raising the recognition the brand.

“We know we need to invest and we’re going to invest more money in the Haier brand this year than we ever have before.

“We are going to increase our media investment by 400% versus last year, so significant investment from us to make sure we are getting to the forefront of the consumer but we are going to give them a reason to believe in us as a brand, as a business, as a product and the solutions we can deliver.”

The brand will advertise on TV for the first time, alongside its digital and out of home advertising and will continue its partnership with the ATP tennis tour, including principle sponsorship of The French Open Roland Garros.

However McEwan pointed out the company focus would not only be on the Haier brand alone, commenting there was a need for balance across its portfolio: “We are fortunate we have got three really strong brands here in the UK. We have Candy, we have Hoover and of course we have Haier.

“We need to make sure we are finding the right balance between those brands because in the economic environment we find ourselves, people are very careful, very cautious about the product that they want to buy.

“People have different needs and with the different brands and the product portfolio we have, we can meet every one of those consumer needs.”

All three brands can be operated by the company’s hOn app, “so we are giving real flexibility to the consumer to be able to still get the lifestyle solution they want regardless of which brand they decide to go with.”

Commenting on the company’s awareness of its impact on the environment, Jim McEwan stated its factories were ecologically friendly, sited for local sourcing, featured solar panels for energy and reduced water useage, to make “market leading” energy efficient appliances.

“We want to demonstrate to consumers invest in this product and you will save money”, explained McEwan.

Recognising the work of the company’s work in enhancing sustainability, Haier has been presented the Terra Cotta seal by King Charles.

Further demonstrating its prowess in sustainability, Haier showcased its solution for new build Smart Homes, and said there was also a ‘simpler’ model for retrofit.

The hOn app “brain” connects the likes of solar panel and grid electricity with inverter, battery and home appliances, which are all made by the company.

“All our products are solar-ready and you can power them for free using solar panels and battery. This is a message nobody else can give”, said McEwan.

Speaking to KBN, Jim McEwan said retailers are beginning to buy into connectivity, stating: “We are really starting to feel the appetite now around understanding it better.

“It’s always been a concept. It’s always been something that’s tomorrow. Now it’s here, that’s the difference.

“We are talking about what is real now and that is what has caused a lot of change.”

He explains connectivity may have, at one time, been considered a gimmick but says using the hOn app not only measures the energy used in the home but can help consumers save money by recommending the best time to launder clothes during off peak electricity hours, as well as downloading additional programme over the air.

Director of brand and communications Antony Pert said, at the moment, retailers weren’t showcasing connectivity enough in their showrooms but said it was the first company to offer a complete home connectivity.

Jim McEwan added: “We want to take to them about how we get the execution right…If we are going to get the ecosystem really out there in the market, we are going to have the retailers on board with us, so we need to find the right solution.

“But at the end of the day we’ve got to stay mindful of the consumer. We’ve got to make sure the journey is right, so we give them exactly the right solution. That is the key.”