The other day, I attended one of my favorite stores – Target. The moment you pull into the parking lot, your eyes are bombarded with the bold, deep red that is present the second you pull in. When you grab a shopping cart, it’s red. When you look at the sign – red. And that Target symbol? It’s everywhere. There is no mistaking where you are shopping. You’re shopping at Target – and don’t you forget it. But how could you?

There is something to be said with top-of-the-mind awareness. When you see the Target logo, there is no mistaking what business you are thinking of. When you see a commercial, the business’s name doesn’t even have to appear, once you see that red, Target symbol, you know what company is advertising. So, shouldn’t your HVAC business do the same?

While attending the 2017 IE3 show in Nashville, Tennessee, hosted by ACCA, the keynote speaker, Jon Taffer, host of Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue,” addressed this topic to the audience.

“How do we look a certain way to brand ourselves? Is everything hot pink? Do we have a color? Do we have a look? How do I get myself known? See to me, our business is three things: Incoming traffic that comes out in branding and getting the phone to ring; making contact with the customer and turning that call into a lead, and the third thing is having goals within your marketing, ads, website, trade show events, and so on.”

Taffer later told a story about an HVAC company he knew that decided to paint all of their service trucks pink with polka dots. As much as it seemed silly to some, the marketing plan worked, and he generated a lot of business as a result. His trucks stood out on the road versus his competitors. Now, his entire business, including his employees’ uniforms, are pink with polka dots and his company is recognized – they are a brand.

Think about how many HVAC companies are in your surrounding area. Most of them look pretty similar, but once in a while I see one that catches my eye, and that’s the one I’m thinking of when I need an HVAC tech. Similarly, don’t you want someone thinking of your company when they think HVAC? Do yourself a favor, become the Target of the HVAC industry, your profits will thank you.