• Building Pressure Essentials • I’m from the High- Performance HVAC Industry: How Can I Help? • Seven Essential Steps to Optimize A Duct System STRENGTHEN YOUR BRAND hvactoday.comDECEMBER 2024 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM If You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing! ™DECEMBER 2024 VOLUME 8 NUMBER 12 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM DEPARTMENTS DECEMBER 2024 3HVACTODAY.COM Today’s Word .........................................................................................4 High-Performance Products .............................................................5 NCI Update .........................................................................................23 HVAC Smart Mart ...............................................................................24 Ad Index ................................................................................................25 One More Thing ................................................................................26 10 TECHNICAL: Don’t Pressurize Your Customers NCI Instructor Adam Mufich highlights the importance of addressing building pressures as part of the services your company provides customers. 15 LEADERSHIP: Servant Leadership: “How Can I Help?” Mike Greany of ASAP Plumbing, Heating, and AC discusses why servant leadership is essential to his company’s brand. 6 MARKETING: Embracing Change: Why We Re-Branded Our HVAC Company Ronald Amaya of Cool Techies Heating and Cooling shares why and how his team changed their brand to better reflect who they are. 18 TECHNICAL: Essential Steps You Need to Optimize a Duct System “ What do we need to optimize a duct system the right way?” asks NCI’s David Richardson. He shares seven steps that will help.and colleague John Garofalo used to say. He also said your brand is the guiding light that shapes every aspect of your business. BRANDING TAKES WORK Matt Michel wrote, “Contractors who brand on their own must also develop marketing on their own. Manufacturers won’t help promote brands they don’t own or license.” In this month’s article on re-branding by Ron- ald Amaya of Cool Techies (Punbar) in Hous- ton, talks about how they decided to change their brand and their name to attract more customers and to become even more recognizable than they were previously. The new brand targeted their high-perfor- mance approach to HVAC and simplified it so consumers could understand what it all means and how it benefits them. Was it easy? Was it worth the squeeze? Read Ronald Amaya’s article on page 6 of this issue to find out. Furthermore, Contractor Mike Greany provides insights on how servant leadership is a big part of his brand, especially after recently starting his own High-Performance HVAC contracting firm. What is servant leadership and why can that separate you from others in your marketplace? Read Mike’s article on page 15. Branding your company first makes a lot of sense. Manufacturers provide components. You, the contractor, use your own creativity and ex- pertise to uniquely design and install complete comfort systems. Why not promote THAT brand over anyone else’s? To brand or not to brand isn’t really the ques- tion. Why not work your brand, expertise, and your system approach to better the lives of your customers, employees, and your company? T o brand, or not to brand? That is the question. OK, Shakespeare never wrote those words. Industry colleague and friend Matt Michel did 15 years ago in another trade magazine I used to work for. I was reminded of the famous line from Ham- let the other day when my eldest son was talking about going to see a modernized rock-music ver- sion of the play this summer. And though Shakespeare’s slings and arrows have nothing to do with HVAC, Hamlet’s famous “To Be or Not To Be” line reminded me of Matt’s article on branding. I have always supported the idea that HVAC contractors are the brand that face customers, and they should promote what makes them unique over promoting whose equipment they carry. For those High-Performance HVAC profession- als who read this magazine, your entire approach to testing and measuring sets you far ahead of most other contractors. It is part of your brand. After all, without testing, without measuring, without data from those tests and measurements, competitors cannot truly provide customers with the comfort and efficiencies promised. Whether you believe it or not, high perfor- mance is a strong brand. The question is how you share it with your community. Here is a thought:Branding is not peripher- al to your business — it’s the essence that defines a company’s relationship with customers. By in- vesting time and effort to create a strong brand, you position yourself for long-term success. Em- bracing the power of branding is not just an op- tion; it’s an imperative step towards building a thriving HVAC business. Over the years I’ve spoken to a lot of contractors about branding and even today many of them ar- en’t sure the juice is worth the squeeze as friend 4 DECEMBER 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY Who is the Brand? A Shakespearean View on Branding TODAY’S WORD By Mike Weil Mike Weil is editor- in-chief and director of communications and publications at National Comfort Institute, Inc. Contact him at ncilink. com/ContactMe.DECEMBER 2024 5HVACTODAY.COM itself is not for standalone use; there is a complete family of JobLink tools that you should use together to obtain criti- cal diagnostic information. I believe more can be done to help technicians better understand these tools. For example, many techs don’t know that the tools can be used as data loggers, as analyzers for the operating coil, line set, and total superheat (rath- er than focusing on just total superheat). Some of the probes can let you mea- sure equipment and system capacity. I think some things that should be auto- matic require techs to adjust within the app, which techs don’t do as often as needed. With all instruments, easy setup and proper use is the secret to obtaining ac- curate information. There is ongoing col- laboration between Fieldpiece, NCI, and other industry partners to accomplish this and build confidence in the results. For more information, go to ncilink.com/ JL3KH6 . — By Jeff Sturgeon, Southern California Training Center Manger, and NCI Trainer and Coach. JobLink Instruments and Apps The Fieldpiece JobLink instruments and apps have been going through an ongoing evolution to provide the HVAC industry with a more available and cost-effective platform for technicians to diagnose and measure HVAC system performance effectively. The JL3RM wireless flex psychrom- eter probe is an excellent device, but it does have some learning curves identi- fying problems or limitations. Probe and smartphone app operation has improved, leading to the addition of other JobLink instruments. All are part of a JobLink Kit that contains two JLR3RN probes, two wireless JL3LC pipe clamps, and two JL3PR pressure probes. The kit HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCT REVIEW Written by HVAC Professionals for HVAC Professionalswanted a name and image that would resonate more with our customers and reflect our focus on cutting-edge HVAC solutions. The name “Cool Techies” was chosen to highlight our technical expertise in cooling systems, a crucial require- ment in Houston’s hot climate. The name itself has a fun, almost nerdy spin, making it memora- ble and appealing. We didn’t just stop at the name. We worked on a complete overhaul — a new logo, new col- or scheme, new everything. We partnered with a branding company called KickCharge, that helped us through the process. KickCharge conducted a thorough market anal- ysis and worked hard to understand our tar- get audience. They came up with the idea of using a polar bear as our mas- cot, symbolizing coolness and intelligence, which fit perfectly with our vision. We also partnered with a marketing expert and co-founded a company called WiseX3 to imple- ment the online marketing process for rebrand- ing and lead the current marketing strategies. IMPLEMENTING THE CHANGES Implementing the new brand was a huge un- dertaking. We had to update our vans, uniforms, online presence, and our marketing materials. Each van now proudly displays the Cool Techies logo, with “Cool” on top and “Techies” below, which, in my opinion, makes a bold statement on the road. The online transition was perhaps the most challenging part. We had to ensure that our R ebranding is a marketing strategy that involves changing a brand’s identity to create a new image in the minds of cus- tomers and other stakeholders. The goal is to increase brand awareness and loyalty, and ultimately drive business growth. Here at Punbar LLC, we very recently began our own rebranding process. We changed our name to Cool Techies. From the start, this wasn’t just about changing a name or a logo; it was about redefining who we are and what we stand for. The process was real- ly challenging. We learned a lot. Let me walk you through this journey. THE IMPORTANCE OF BRANDING Branding, as I’ve come to realize, is crucial for any business. When we first started Punbar, we were focused solely on providing top-notch HVAC services. Our name, Punbar, was a combination of two cities in Venezuela. It was unique but didn’t com- municate our expertise or services. As we grew, it became clear that our brand needed to evolve to reflect our values and attract the right customers. We are headquartered in the highly competi- tive Houston market, so we needed a brand that would set us apart. We wanted to communicate not just what we do, but how we do it — includ- ing our commitment to quality, comfort, efficien- cy, and innovation. This led us to the realization that rebranding was necessary. THE INITIAL STEPS We made the decision to rebrand in 2023. We 6 DECEMBER 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY Embracing Change: Why We Rebranded Our HVAC Company By Ronald Amaya MARKETINGWe made sure to communicate clearly through emails, social media, and direct conversations that while the name and look changed, our core values and commitment to quality re- mained the same. The new branding also helped us to attract new customers. The polar bear mascot wearing sunglasses became a talking point, and our colorful vans stood out in the sea of generic HVAC service vehicles. It was clear we were not just another HVAC company but one that brought a fresh and innova- tive approach to service. THE FINANCIAL INVESTMENT Rebranding requires a sig- nificant investment. From the cost of new vehicle wraps to re- designing marketing materials, investing in SEO, and invest- ing in online marketing, the ex- penses added up. However, we see this as a long-term investment. The goal is to create a more recogniz- able and trusted brand, which in turn will drive growth and profitability. MARKETING STRATEGIES With the new brand, our marketing strategies have also evolved. Today we focus heavily on social media, creat- ing informative and engaging content rather than just promotional posts. existing online presence with Pun- bar didn’t just vanish. It needed to transition smoothly to Cool Techies. This involved search engine optimiza- tion (SEO) adjustments, updating our website, and making sure Google rec- ognized the change. This next thought is important: We kept the Punbar domain and website with the purpose of later on redirecting traffic to Cool Techies. This ensures we do not lose any potential leads. Cool Techies must first catch up to Punbar with on- line traffic and recognition before the full transition. CUSTOMER REACTION Customer reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Initial- ly, there were concerns and confusion. Loyal customers wondered if we had sold the company or if there were new management changes. DECEMBER 2024 7HVACTODAY.COM8 DECEMBER 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY MARKETING a name or a logo. It’s about the story you tell, the values you stand for, and the connection you build with your customers. Rebranding Punbar to Cool Techies was challenging but also rewarding. It has renewed our sense of purpose and positioned us for future growth. As we move forward, we are excit- ed about the opportunities that lay ahead. With a strong brand, a dedicat- ed team, and a clear vision, Cool Te- chies is set to make a lasting impact in the HVAC industry. If you’re considering a rebrand or simply looking to strengthen your brand identity, my advice is to embrace the process fully. Understand your au- dience, stay true to your values, and don’t be afraid to make bold changes. The results will be worth it. rebranding represents significant change. Change creates challenges and we did face several of those. One unexpected challenge involved our polar bear mascot graphic. There was some complexity involved in sep- arating the original polar bear from the wrench in its hand so we could use it in our marketing videos and 3D model campaigns. These minor details required creative solutions and added to the timeline. Internally, there also was some re- sistance to change. Our technicians and staff had grown accustomed to the old brand, and the transition re- quired a cultural shift within the company. Training sessions and open communication helped ease the tran- sition. Soon everyone embraced the new identity. THE ROAD AHEAD Our journey of rebranding is on- going. While we’ve made significant strides, there is still work to be done. Our goal is for Cool Techies to be synonymous with expert HVAC solu- tions in Houston. We aim to fully tran- sition our online presence and contin- ue building our reputation. The key takeaway from this experi- ence is that branding is not just about Platforms like Instagram, Face- book, and LinkedIn became our pri- mary channels for connecting with our audience. We also implemented tar- geted direct mail campaigns, reaching specific neighborhoods and potential customers. We took the latter one step further: we place advertisements on shopping carts in local supermarkets, to also help increase our visibility. One of the most effective new strate- gies to come out of our rebranding ef- forts is our customer referral program. By incentivizing existing custom- ers to refer new ones, we tapped into a trusted network of word-of-mouth marketing. In my opinion, nothing is stronger than word-of-mouth reputa- tion building. OVERCOMING CHALLENGES Let’s face it. Change is hard and Ronald Amaya is one of the owners of Cool Techies (formerly Pun- bar). He focuses on the company’s operations, sales, marketing and finance while partner Diego Guerrero focuses on training, technical support and planning. Both men have degrees in mechanical en- gineering and started the company in 2015 based on the tenet of High-Performance HVAC™ Contracting. Ronald can be reached at ncilink.com/ContactMe.Next >