Science and engineering drive Dyson's marketing approach

The science-heavy campaign is typical for the company, which markets itself from the engineering department outward. 

The Dyson Pure Cool, an air purifier designed specifically for Asia, is designed to clean particle-heavy air that “hangs over cities” and puts peoples’ health at risk, according to the company. The product is able to capture particles as small as 0.1 microns (a micron is a millionth of a meter, 1,000 times finer than a strand of hair), Dyson said. The company maintains that such small particles are damaging because they can penetrate lung sacs and enter the bloodstream.

For the Hong Kong market, Dyson has emphasised winds from China carrying industrial pollution down to Hong Kong, which then gets “trapped above the city”, especially when the airflow is poor.   

Dyson is active both online and offline, with Fortress and Broadway as key carriers in the Hong Kong market. The company's products feature in branded areas in these chain stores, where demonstrations take place.

Online, the brand uses Dysonreviews.hk as a platform to share stories and experiences of “real Dyson owners”.

Dyson Reviews is a core part of Dyson's organic social strategy

The Dyson Pure Cool will be available on the market toward the end of April.

According to Tammy Ng, marketing director at Dyson Asia-Pacific, Dyson works “back to front”. “Engineering is at the heart of the company” she said. “We really focus on organic word of mouth. Our products also speak for themselves.”

The design and product-led approach means that marketers working for the company also need to understand the science and physics behind many of the brand’s products. For example, employees in the marketing and communications team at Dyson are required to strip down and rebuild a vacuum cleaner when they first join the company.

“Other brands try to tell you how happy you will be using their products,” said Ng. “But Dyson rationalises why you need a Dyson product. It’s based on science and factual information.”

For example, the brand uses informative, educational and documentary-style videos, online and offline demonstrations and customer testimonials to make its points. All marketing is done in-house, and the brand's marketers work closely with engineers to craft brand and product messaging.

The company has a microbiology lab in the UK to study health risks and conduct research for product innovation. This lab's scientific findings generate material for the company's marketing and brand content.

For example, Ng pointed out that every week, people shed 28 grams of dead skin, which can feed about a million dust mites on a mattress. “They in turn produce faeces and the combined effect can cause health problems over time,” she added.

Some of the company's strongest markets in Asia are Japan, Taiwan, China, and Singapore. “In Japan the market is mature and people understand why they need a good vacuum cleaner,” said Ng. “With other markets in Southeast Asia, we’re continuing to focus on education.”

Challenges for the brand in Asia have included traditional ways of cleaning. In China, Dyson created educational content around the health-risks of mopping and dusting against the backdrop of industrial pollution.   

“Dyson values local market input," Ng said. "It’s insight for our engineers and marketing team. We don’t use a cookie cutter or cut and paste approach.”