PPG Marketing Initiative Positions Manufacturer as a ‘Surfaces’ Company

PPG Industries has launched an initiative designed to heighten awareness of the company’s brand and support its sales efforts across many of the core markets and industries it serves. The first of its kind for the company, the marketing communications initiative redefines the PPG brand by showcasing the unique ways it brings innovation, sustainability and color technologies to its customers in a wide range of markets. Because of the current overall strength of PPG’s global business, the company is able to leverage its unique position and more clearly define the unmatched offerings it brings to the markets it serves.

PPG’s Core Marketing Branding Initiative features a new tagline – BRINGING INNOVATION TO THE SURFACE– that positions PPG as a “surfaces” company. PPG believes that, compared to its competitors, it has the capabilities to enhance more types of customers’ surfaces in more ways than any other company. The new tagline will appear throughout PPG’s multichannel efforts, which include:

  • A targeted print and online advertising campaign, featuring high-impact ads that highlight PPG products in color against black-and-white backdrops, showing the unique ways that PPG assists its customers in tackling some of the most important issues they face.
  • A refreshed website and social media effort to support the advertising and the day-to-day outreach efforts of PPG’s customer-facing employees.
  • A variety of training and customer engagement tools – presentations and marketing collateral – that empower PPG employees to act as brand ambassadors in talking about the company’s unique offerings.

“Many of PPG’s customers are familiar only with the specific products or services they rely on the company to provide, so through this new initiative, we aim to bring to light the breadth and depth of PPG’s innovative offerings,” Patrick Kenny, PPG vice president, corporate marketing, explained. “The campaign reaches the varied industries PPG touches, highlighting the company’s strengths – innovation, sustainability and color leadership – that some customers may not know about.”

The efforts currently focus on the aerospace, automotive manufacturing, automotive refinish and repair, commercial construction, consumer goods, infrastructure, renewable energy, residential construction and marine markets. The ads show children gazing in awe at a colorfully coated airplane parked on a tarmac; a roadster that catches the eyes of onlookers; and the most modern of buildings, which highlights the company’s many coating and glass applications for the construction industry.

“The campaign takes an educational approach and brings to life the unique stories of how PPG truly partners with customers for success,” added Jack Maurer, PPG director, corporate communications. “The multichannel campaign highlights the technologies PPG brings to the table that help our customers overcome their unique industry challenges and differentiate themselves from their competition.”

About PPG PPG Industries’ vision is to continue to be the world’s leading coatings and specialty products company. Founded in 1883, the company serves customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, PPG operates in more than 60 countries around the globe. Sales in 2010 were $13.4 billion.