February 18, 2004
"PEOPLE LIKE COLOR"
"Design and aesthetics have never played a more important role in consumer goods," noted Andy Fracica, YORK brand marketing manager. "So the Affinity 12 Series 12 and 13 SEER units arrive with something never seen in the industry before - a choice of six exterior colors to complement consumers' homes, landscaping and lifestyles. When you add the energy efficiency and quiet operation of the Affinity Series, you'll see that YORK offers a full pallette of style and value."
The YORK Affinity Series is "a product line that offers true differentation through a striking appearance and an innovative feature set that will appeal to both the imagination of homeowners and the expertise of our dealers. With the YORK Affinity Series, we have arrived!"
To fulfill this vision and create the new generation of UPG products, York International embarked on an intensive product development program, enlisting the services of Fitch: Worlwide, a leading branding and design firm. YORK shared its design goals with Fitch, including powerful brand and market differentiation, consumer appeal and dealer preference. As part of its research, Fitch developed focus groups and conducted online surveys of distributors, dealers and consumers, asking consumers what they wanted and dealers what they needed. Armed with these insights, YORK defined feature sets, showed prototypes to research participants and then integrated the comments and suggestions into the Affinity product line?s aesthetic and technical design elements.
Customer research affected all aspects of the final designs, from exterior shape and color to fins, grills, sound attenuation, rated capacities, refrigerant choice, refrigerant connections and fan technology. With a design in hand that successfully addressed the market research findings and met with approval from focus groups, field-testing began last July on prototype units.
Concurrently, YORK equipped its manufacturing facility in Wichita, Kan., to produce the new Affinity line of heating and cooling products. The company invested nearly $20 million in new tooling, created 12 assembly lines to accommodate the new line, arranged capacity for R-410A systems, constructed a new sound lab and designed the manufacturing facility with capacity to meet future demand.
YORK unveiled the results of its extensive product development program during the 2004 AHR Expo in Anaheim, Calif., January 26-28. This new generation of products includes a complete family of central air conditioners, heat pumps and furnaces. Cooling products range from 1.5 to 5 tons of refrigeration capacity, with efficiencies from 12 to 18 SEER. Heat pump efficiency is as high as an HSPF of 8. Furnaces will be offered from 60,000 to 120,000 MBH in 80 and 90+ percent AFUE models.
?The Affinity line provides dealers with the durability, reliability and serviceability they requested. At the same time, its sleek, contemporary look, quiet and environmentally friendly operation, and improved efficiencies address the demands of today?s savvy, retail-oriented consumers,? said Matt Peterson, vice president of sales and marketing for YORK UPG.
Each of the products in the Affinity Series features single side panel access to electrical components, refrigerants and line hook-ups for easy installation and serviceability. ?Product differentiation based on performance and design will help dealers maximize profits,? Peterson said. ?In addition, the Affinity Series is a product family, where components can be matched to one another for a true systems sales approach that separates YORK from its competitors and appeals to style-conscious consumers.?
Aesthetics differentiates the Affinity Series in another groundbreaking way. Affinity products arrive with something never before seen in the industry. Homeowners can now choose from a palette of dramatic colors, including Champagne, Stone, Terra Cotta, Bermuda, Gun Metal Blue and Jet Black to match the colors selected for the home.
?And why not?? asks Doug Widenmann, director of marketing for YORK UPG. ?People like color and they spend significant amounts of time, energy and money enhancing the comfort and appearance of their single largest investment -- their home. In fact the Affinity color options are based on some of the most popular colors for home decor.?
Consumers will also appreciate the energy efficiency and quiet operation of Affinity. High-efficiency, remarkably quiet compressors are isolated behind an advanced composite material that absorbs sound, and an advanced fan design results in smoother airflow and reduced noise. The Affinity Series also addresses consumer demands for environmentally friendly products by using R-22 and R-410A refrigerants.
?The launch of the entire line of Affinity products will be marked by strong marketing support,? said Widenmann. ?Product sales and service training, sales tools, including literature, Web updates, distributor/dealer resources online, and integration into existing e-business tools will figure prominently in the launch throughout 2004, along with trade and consumer advertising and public relations, special promotions and trade show exposure.?
According to Andy Fracica, YORK brand marketing manager for YORK UPG, ?Affinity positions YORK and its distributor network for growth at a time when favorable interest rates, higher energy costs and consumer confidence are increasing sales of high-end, high-efficiency, high-profit HVAC systems. The all-new Affinity product line brings the right product to market at just the right time and clearly demonstrates YORK?s continued commitment to the industry as a leader in design and innovation.?
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