Hire a Hubby is dropping its outdated 'hairy men in pink shirts' image as commercial maintenance contracts boost franchisee growth

When the Hire a Hubby franchise was launched in New Zealand in 1998, the name attracted a lot of publicity. In fact, their first small advert in a Wellington newspaper generated a front page story after a reporter misunderstood the nature of the services being offered.

The truth was less titillating but more valuable. Hire a Hubby was set up to offer a diverse range of home repair, renovation and maintenance services – it was a one-stop shop for the DIY-challenged, or for people tired of spending weekends working their way through ‘the list’ of things that needed to be done around the house and garden. The Hire a Hubby name was designed to be original, easily recognised, easily remembered, instil trust and, most importantly, to be synonymous with home maintenance. And, in an inspired piece of marketing, the ‘hubbies’ wore distinctive pink shirts that attracted attention and made them friendly and approachable. The combination of trusted service and memorable name made Hire a Hubby a household name in a remarkably short time.

Fifteen years later, Hire a Hubby is the largest property repair services brand in the country, and New Zealanders’ first choice for professional home maintenance, building and renovation services. Hire a Hubby receives over 18,000 inbound calls each year in its national call centre and group sales are over $8 million per year. Individual franchises are now averaging a turnover in excess of $200,000.

And the brand is increasingly serving commercial clients, too; in addition to residential clients, many Hubbies have substantial service and installation contracts with corporates, property managers, real estate agents, business owners, estates, factories, warehouses and retailers. The value of the work that franchisees undertake has risen accordingly, with many acting as project managers to make clients' lives easier and ensure the right people and processes are being undertaken at the right time.

So it should come as no surprise that the original branding, ‘clip art’ logo, was due for an update. ‘The old “hairy men in pink shirts” image doesn’t quite cut it for today’s franchisees, many of whom are running substantial businesses employing a number of staff and sub-contractors,’ explains Logan Sears, CEO of Franchise Brands Ltd which owns both Hire a Hubby and home services specialist Green Acres. ‘Last year we updated the Green Acres image with great success, and now it’s Hire a Hubby’s turn.’

The new Hire a Hubby logo retains a strengthened version of the familiar pink but adds a hard hat rather than a pink shirt while showing a variety of building to reflect the range of services that franchisees provide. The images can also be applied flexibly to everything from vehicles and uniforms to stationery, and a new tag line, ‘From maintenance to makeovers,’ has also been introduced. ‘The aim is to reflect a strong professional image to the commercial sector whilst retaining all the goodwill created with our much-valued residential clients,’ says Logan. ‘The new image will be introduced gradually as new franchisees join the group and our 100-plus existing franchisees upgrade their vehicles.’

Hire a Hubby is also entering a new growth phase and is seeking new franchisees with trade and/or project management experience to expand services around the country. ‘Franchisees have access not just to our expertise but to beneficial arrangements with leading suppliers in everything from banking to insurance,’ says Logan. ‘Our partners include ANZ, ASB, Bunning’s, Rothbury Insurance Brokers, Vodafone, Volkswagen and Z Energy. That range means they enjoy huge support and considerable advantages when it comes to establishing and running profitable businesses.’ And there’s one more advantage, too. ‘They don’t have to look good in pink any more, either – just as professional as the service they provide!’