Danny Williams, director of Gerda Doors UK, explains how installers can take advantage of a premium, hassle free entrance door range that eliminates call-backs, is backed by nationwide marketing and supported by an exclusive consumer facing TV campaign.

By the time you read this, I’m hoping there’s a good chance you will have seen the TV advertising campaign for Gerda Doors which debuted on GB News this Spring, and which has also been doing the rounds in the trade press following a launch in March.

To recap for those that are yet to catch a glimpse, the TV advert focuses heavily on some emotive themes, the role of a quality entrance door as the heart of a home providing security and warmth, and of course playing on the ‘love the Thunk’ catchphrase that has been central to our marketing strategy for some time.

The ‘Thunk’ is a reference to the reassuring, weighty sound that you hear when you close a Gerda door. It’s also a reminder of the reason that I introduced Gerda to the UK back at FIT Show 2023 – as a solution to the scourge of underwhelming, underperforming composite doors on the market.

Products that should be an easy win for installers, but which consistently create problems during and after fitting, are poorly serviced by suppliers and often result in costly remedial work and damaged reputations.

Gerda doors on the other hand, which are engineered from steel and aluminium, have been developed to handle the worst weather extremes of continental Europe and as such are entirely immune to the twisting and bowing that is so often found with inferior composites.

With a Gerda door, installers have the confidence to sell a premium offering because they know that once it’s proudly in place at the front of a home, they won’t have to worry about it again. They can rest assured it will be ‘fit and forget’, they will have made a tidy profit on the job and there’s a good chance they will be able to enjoy a favourable review online and even some worthwhile repeat business further down the line off the back of it.

It’s a win-win, a product that is good enough to eliminate costly call-backs and enhance an installation company’s personal brand in the process.

And for installers who already offer a composite range or two, ideally supported by a showroom that allows homeowners to take a closer look after doing their initial research online, Gerda front doors fill a valuable niche.

They are, by design, a superior product, and that’s reflected in their price point, although it should be noted that Gerda is still much more affordable than most other premium brands in the entrance door sector.

In fact, they can be priced to sell as a relatively affordable upgrade from a top end composite. In a showroom environment, our growing network of approved Gerda installers have told us, demonstrating a Gerda can translate to a valuable upselling opportunity. If homeowners have the opportunity to get ‘hands on’ with a Gerda, they can immediately feel the difference in quality.

That in turn translates to a much more attractive profit margin and for minimum additional outlays.

Another key selling point, one that is currently at a top priority for many homeowners looking at the rising cost of energy bills, is energy efficiency.

Built around a highly energy efficient foam core, Gerda Doors offer U values from as low as 0.8W/m2k, figures that approach Passivhaus levels of performance and well above the thermal efficiency requirements for both new build and home improvement sectors.

Gerda retailers benefit from more than just a market leading entrance door range, they also have access to the extensive market experience of my manufacturing business, Pioneer, which has been trading now for over 35 years.

That includes significant, nationwide marketing support, and as highlighted at the top of this article, a massive push to boost brand awareness to consumers.

Combined with a new, consumer facing website and co-ordinated social and digital outputs, all that marketing is designed to do one thing. And that’s drive leads to retail partners, to their showrooms and to a range of entrance doors that is guaranteed to outperform composites and drive profitable sales.