Manufacturers of plumbing and heating products are not traditionally known for promoting their wares via mass media. In fact central heating has always been the poor relation when it comes to home improvement promotion.

We have all seen the TV adverts for double glazing, flooring and kitchens. But, with a few exceptions you would have been hard pressed to find advertisements extolling the virtues of plumbing and heating products outside the confines of the plumbers trade press.

The reason for this historic lack of hype is probably because plumbing and heating products were marketed exclusively to the installer rather than the end user. Mass marketing was not required because the manufacturer influenced the plumber who in turn specified the products for the consumer.

Nowadays, thanks mainly to the advent of the internet, the route to market of plumbing and heating products is changing. The end user can now research (and buy) central heating systems and products online, independent of the (biased) opinion of the plumber. Magazines such as Which?, manufacturers own websites and blogs (such as Glow-worms great Blog), plumbing forums and DIY sites help the decision making process.

This new found end user power has encouraged manufacturers to rethink their marketing strategy. Some forward thinking brands are now talking directly to the end user using a whole arsenal of methods from improved websites, social media, press advertising and even television adverts.

Worcester Bosch Group sponsor Channel 4′s weather. Saniflo and their TV adverts. I even spotted the Worcester Bosch logo being paraded during the recent Tottenham Hotspur Vs Leeds FA Cup game at White Hart Lane.

Why Vaillant? TV Commercial

The most high profile advert was Vaillant’s recent ‘Why Vaillant’ TV commercial. Vaillant are leading manufacturers of home heating products including Gas Boilers, Solar domestic hot water systems, ground source heat pumps and solar cylinders.

With Vaillant’s high profile advert designed to target the homeowner, the end user is at last beginning to influence which plumbing and heating products are installed within their home.