By Andrew Eyles, CEO and Founder of award-winning brand design consultancy, bluemarlin

The global billion-dollar and successful paints and coatings industry is in need of a leader brave enough to shift the conversation around paint, from its comfort zone of functionality to one that disrupts and sets a new industry standard.

This multifaceted industry contributes over $1 billion to the global economy. Thanks to mounting urbanization and sprouting megacities, the sector continues to thrive and is a major player in industrial growth. But what if the paints category ventured beyond its existing “Can it, stock it, sell it” approach? With boundaries it has yet to push, this market is ripe with real opportunity for brand disruption and a fresh coat of innovation.

A category waiting to be tipped over
An oversaturated market that’s in high demand on both an industrial and domestic level, the paints and coatings sector is undeniably one that is primed for brand disruption with out-of-the-can thinking. Coupled with today’s emerging technologies there’s no stopping this industry from making that huge leap from functionality to emotional brand engagement with its customers.

We are living in an age of “new world-brands,” where industries that never dreamed of being disrupted have seen the likes of Uber, AirBnb and Netflix setting new rules in the taxi, hotel and home entertainment worlds respectively. So why shouldn’t someone come along and tip that can of paint right over by enhancing the industry’s already stellar reputation? We’ve seen first hand that no category is immune to an even more creative/disruptive approach.

Think outside the can
That being said, there are some paint brands already thinking outside the can such as the paints that reflect infrared light to reduce heat absorption – a keep cool technology launched by AkzoNobel. This extends beyond an innovation of convenience, as it serves to reduce energy consumption by keeping a property warm. This spells out a much larger purpose, giving the brand an ethos of environmental sustainability, a language today’s consumers are fluent in.

Another personal favorite example of mine is mosquito-repellent paint, which is being rolled out by brands such as Kansai Coatings Malaysia. This paint is in no way harmful to humans and as a result reduces the spread of diseases in the developing world. All these innovations reflect a meaningful narrative that speaks to consumers’ modern expectations and showcases that the possibilities are endless. And these novel ideas have only just scratched the surface of what’s next.

Tell a story through more than color
When most of us think of paint, one word comes to mind and that’s color. But that doesn’t mean paints have to relinquish their narrative and marketing strategies to trying to ‘own’ color. Yes, paints do this very well – but what about the idea of engaging with customers through storytelling that doesn’t just focus on the power of pigmentation?

With an industry as established as paints and coatings, there is so much scope to create compelling ideas and narratives that can act as inspirational springboards for business and brand owners alike. It’s about getting the customer to engage with your product and remember what makes it stand out from all the rest of its competitors.

It’s all well and good providing consumers with an app allowing them to visualize and select a new color for their living room, using their mobile devices. But what about going a step further and affording customers a tangible experience, be it through a genius and memorable brand marketing campaign or a sustainable approach?

Re-invent the category’s language
There’s so much conversation in the ‘brand space’ right now regarding their need to be more than innovative, but useful. The truth is that the GenZ and Millennial cohorts look for functionality, necessity and purpose in brands they invest in. What’s great is that the paints and coatings industry own the space of functionality. And venturing into never before explored territory could start a new conversation with different demographics for paint brands.

In a recent article published by "The Independent," research showed that almost 70 percent of Britain’s wealth is owned by the over 50s. Could the paints sector tell a story that specifically targets the grey pound? Or what about the sensible Millennials who are now venturing into home ownership and will have the desire to decorate? Finally, why not look at the younger generation of students, who live nomadic rent based lifestyles and may also want to invest in a quick paint job that’s easily reversible.

The vast majority of people care about the environments in which the live and work. So while nearly everyone starts out excited about the prospect of redecorating, sometimes, somewhere along the way, the enthusiasm can fade, due to the actual purchasing process. Imagine a purchase process whereby paint brands were able to meet the needs of their time-poor customers, simply by devising a new and inventive brand strategy, which both simplified and accelerated the shopping experience? 

Paint a new picture
Scratch beneath the surface of the paints and coatings market and this is a category that has the potential to strum some powerful emotional strings. It is without a doubt a category that helps drive self-expression, stimulates the sentiment of a home, gives roots and security, offers a sense of pride and well being and as we’ve seen goes so far as offering environmental sustainability and health benefits in the developing world.

So perhaps it’s not about striving to find the holy grail of paint, but more about what is next for this industry that’s rested for so long on its laurels?