GE Appliances is bringing its luxury appliance brand to life with the new Monogram Design Centre and Cooking Studio in Toronto.
The freestanding building is made up of a 4,000-sq.-ft. showroom on the ground floor, where Monogram’s products are displayed in a house-like setting. Upstairs, there’s a 2,500-sq.-ft. culinary centre, as well as a rooftop herb garden.
The idea was to redefine shopping for appliances and translate a product brand into a retail space.
“Monogram is inspired by the love and respect of food, and it’s very hard to differentiate ourselves in the current retail environment,” said Philippe Meyersohn, GM, marketing and training, & Monogram, GE Appliances/Mabe Canada.
He explained that for consumers, shopping at an appliance store is a very overwhelming experience. A typical store will have numerous brands adjacent to one another, and customers are usually only presented with a list of an appliance’s features, which isn’t conducive to Monogram’s message.
“We wanted to create space that would allow the consumer to feel like they’re in a home where they can experience the brand and the products, and feel they know how to make a [purchasing decision],” said Meyersohn.
The state-of-the-art facility, designed by Canadian firm Hariri Pontarini Architects, incorporates natural materials such as marble and wood. There are also little touches to make the space feel warm, like cookbooks on the shelves and food in the pantry. “It’s a high-end, but approachable feel,” said Meyersohn.
The cooking studio is headed up by two veteran culinary personalities: Donna Dooher, owner of Toronto restaurant Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, and Esther Benaim, owner and CEO of Great Cooks. The studio offers cooking classes and corporate team-building events, and can be used by the culinary community for filming and photo shoots.
The new facility is being promoted with print ads in publications such as Canadian House & Home, Azure, enRoute and Toronto Life, as well as some digital advertising. BrandFire created the ads. Monogram also worked with Ove Brand Design on brand communication.
Meyersohn also said GE Appliances is opening a Monogram cooking studio at Langdon Hall in Cambridge, Ont., in September.
