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Industry Insight Paint a Diferent Picture By Jack Innis, Contributing Editor W e all know irony, right? There's the twice-divorced marriage counselor, the police station that got robbed, or the firehouse that burned down. It's not hard to spot irony just driving around town: dirty car detailers' vans, dented auto body shop trucks — you get the picture. Irony is great for grins, but not for business. That's because most people think twice about hiring a car detailer who drives a dirty rig or trusting an auto body guy who works out of a dinged-up truck. The same reasoning holds true in our industry. It's not that spraying a plural component water-tank liner is the same as rolling and brushing a living room. We all know the two processes are practically at opposite ends of the same spectrum. But there's potential irony in that because in the eyes of the general public — and likely in the backs of minds of most everyone in our industry — paint is paint. Let's sit with that thought a moment: Paint is paint. Let's lay down our airless spray guns, don our painters' caps, and consider paint as décor, paint as the way people visually interact with things, and paint as a way to positively affect perception, mood, and decision-making. Now, let's consider everyone who visually interacts with our coatings business and ask, "Do we want to positively affect these individuals' perceptions, moods, and decision-making?" If you answered no — or if your coatings business has just had a complete, top-to-bottom paint overhaul from business cards to the men's room floors — then by all means turn this page and jump back to the table of contents for a roster of more useful articles. For the rest of us (I say "us" because even as I write this column in my home office, I am aware that dingy paint on the ceiling and heavily chipped door jambs in some way affects my perception, mood, and decision-making), it may be time to paint a different picture. Here's some good news: Paint is still the least expensive way to dress If done properly, painting and branding your coatings business may pay for itself sooner than you can imagine. 114 JANUARY 2014 COATINGSPROMAG.COM something up. Here's some better news: Nice paint positively affects the way everyone regards us — from prospective clients to longtime employees. So where to begin? I personally believe the best first step is to decide on a company color and then hire a graphic artist to develop a logo to go with that color. This is a great way to begin branding your business. If you're not familiar with branding, it's a powerful business and marketing tool. Branding's outside the scope of this column, but you can easily learn more by typing the term into a search engine. As they say, "Google (what a brand!) is your friend." So what to paint and brand first? How about inexpensive items like business cards, letterheads, and other printed materials? Consider springing for long-sleeved, company colored T-shirts for your crews. At busy job sites, the colors help everyone identify your crews more easily and let others know (including important decision makers and those who inf luence them) that you care about workers and worker safety. Collared shirts with logos should be in the wardrobe of everyone who makes business calls or attends trade shows. Websites are easy targets, too; just think pixels instead of paint. Don't forget outdoor signs, facility and office interiors, and company vehicles with logos on doors! If done properly, painting and branding your coatings business may pay for itself sooner than you can imagine. How ironic would that be? CP