#ElevateEverything

Monogram Executive Director Julie Burns

Monogram delivers luxury and innovation to retailers

By Janet Weyandt, YSN 

When it comes to providing products to the luxury-minded consumer, Monogram has done the research.  

Monogram, GE Appliances’ super-premium brand, is one of BrandSource’s LUXE vendor partners. The brand constantly strives to innovate and perfect its product line to deliver what people want, said Julie Burns, executive director of Monogram.  

“We say we’re redefining the world of luxury appliances,” Burns said. “It’s enduring materials, unparalleled performance and a personalized ownership experience.” 

Monogram has been around for more than 30 years, but about five years ago GE underwent a major branding revamp, creating its House of Brands that includes Monogram and other GE lines such as Café, GE Profile and Haier.  

Mission Statement 

Monogram now uses the hashtag #elevateeverything to convey its mission.  

“The idea is we want to be able to have all those design touches throughout the kitchen elevate the whole design,” Burns said.  

Monogram products — which include, among others, refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, cooktops and conventional, convection, steam and microwave ovens — are developed specifically for the luxury market.  

The lineup includes the Monogram Forge, which the brand describes as the only heated ice press in the country. Perfect for bourbon cocktails, the Forge presses clear ice into a 2.5-inch spherical cube. Monogram has partnered with Kentucky Straight Ice to provide clear ice for the Forge.  

“Another purposeful thing we’ve done is we’ve partnered with other like-minded brands like Lexus,” Burns said. The result is the Lexus GX, a high-end concept vehicle that includes a built-in Monogram Forge and a hearth oven.  

“We had one at KBIS so people could see it,” Burns said. “The Lexus team took it to NAPA and cooked out of it. We were super honored to be able to work the GX; it was really a fun project to work on with them. We’ve leaned into the luxury lifestyle.” 

Channeling Independents 

To get their products into customers’ hands, Monogram has established strong relationships with independent retailers.  

“They’re incredibly important to us,” Burns said. “We’re fortunate we have really strong, sustainable relationships with BrandSource teams.” 

Monogram is selective about where its products appear, but that doesn’t mean they’re not available to retailers who want them, Burns said.  

“We want to make sure it’s a luxe market, that they understand luxe,” she said. “We watch for saturation so we’re not overdoing a given market. It’s about us growing together; we want to make sure it’s the right partnership for us both.” 

Monogram also values its relationships with interior designers, Burns said, because they’re an important part of the decision-making process for consumers.  

“Designers are incredibly important to the business,” she said. “What often happens is they’re going to contact their designer, and also the architect, the general contractor, the landscape architect, all of those folks. It’s important for us to build those relationships across the luxury customer touch points.” 

To nurture the relationship, Monogram offers designer training at its design centers in Chicago and Louisville, she said.  

“We bring in the whole trade community — builders, designers, architects. We also train customer salespeople out of those as well,” Burns said.  

Sense and Sensibility 

Now, Monogram is refining its purpose.  

“We’re putting together a new perspective around how Monogram goes beyond the kitchen and how we fully embrace a full sensorial experience for owners,” she said. “We know in the luxury category, it’s important to make an emotional connection with consumers. You have to be able to tap into those five senses. We’ve been really thoughtful over the years about what that means.” 

What that means is paying attention to the details, such as the sounds the dishwasher makes during a cycle and the exact weight of the handles on refrigerators, for instance. 

“There’s a thoughtfulness behind all the details for us, and everything we’re doing is purposeful,” Burns said. “You want to be able to tie into all those things. Elevate everything. Provide that elegant touch that elevates the entire design.” 

The post #ElevateEverything first appeared on YourSource News.