S2:E39 Darci Kunard - The Importance of Product Launches

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter.

Learn from a marketing and sales expert on how to launch products successfully into the industry.

On this installment of Roofing Road Trips, Heidi J. Ellsworth, RCS partner, discusses new product launches with Darci Kunard from Franklin International/Titebond. Darci is an experienced marketer with a demonstrated history of success working in the building materials industry. On this podcast, she provides insider information on DuraMaster, the most recent launch from Titebond.

Darci Kunard is the senior product manager for DuraMaster and shamelessly finds sealants fascinating. She is most passionate about developing new products that can provide needed services to customers while also driving the industry forward.

Interestingly, Darci didn’t start in the building materials industry, but in biotech, “My background is in biochemistry, but chemistry of sealants is very similar in terms of how chemicals interact with one another. So, I was able to parlay that into the building materials industry. And I just love it, it's a great industry.”

She describes her role as senior product manager as a mixture of sales and marketing. In this position, she develops new products and produces product labels and packaging, among other tasks. When developing new products Darci places herself in the customer’s shoes to see what service could be provided by a building materials product.

“My philosophy has always been, ‘what does the user need, or what does the customer need that would make their life better, make their work easier? Are there problems they're having now?’ So, I really delve into the research on the field side [to] figure out what kind of products they're using now [and if] their life would be better if they had a new contraption.”

DuraMaster is the newest product Darci helped launch into the industry. It’s the first elastomeric sealant with 100% joint movement and has a very low VOC, making it a sustainable product.

“There are no warning labels on it; there are no caustic agents or chemicals in it that would trigger a warning label or the Prop 65 warning. So, we kind of set out to improve upon something that's been around for a long time,” she said.

They launched the product in Canada in January and then in the United States in June. The product, however, was two and a half years in the making before hitting distributors. Darci stresses the importance of patience and taking the time to make a quality product that will genuinely provide a service to the customer.

“It's a very long process,” she said, “but we feel it's very worth it to do it right.”

Listen to the full podcast on RoofersCoffeeShop® to hear more excellent tips on product launches from Darci Kunard.