Covering the world of Sherwin-Williams

  2024 has been a busy year of news for Sherwin-Williams. The biggest paint company released a new color-picking app, launched a new marketing campaign for its least popular color, and got a ruling from OSHA on a proposed fine. Here are the latest stories involving Sherwin-Williams:   Sherwin-Williams A.I. This week saw the debut of a new app for cell phones: Sherwin-Williams Color Expert. The app is aimed at homeowners and potential DIYers, but it may also help your business when customers don’t have a clear idea of what they want. Like seemingly every piece of software this year, the Sherwin-Williams app makes use of Artificial Intelligence. Here’s how it works: You upload an image of the space you’re going to paint, and the AI will recognize the backdrop and recommend several wall colors that compliment the decor in the room. “On average, [homeowners] consult 10+ touchpoints before committing to a perfect paint color,” said Sue Wadden, Sherwin-Williams director of color marketing. “This revolutionary color technology will give them the confidence they need by seamlessly allowing them to find the right color choice without the stress they normally go through.”   The Loneliest Color Do you know the name of Sherwin-Williams’ least popular color? You will after this new marketing campaign. For the record: Kingdom Gold SW 6698 is the company’s “least popular” color according to Sherwin-Williams SVP of Marketing, Brett White. The new campaign is called “The Loneliest Color” and revolves around a color that is “overlooked, unpopular, and underappreciated.” To tell the story, the paint company partnered with an influencer named Dapper Dan, who has previously worked with Gucci and The Gap. The Dapper One selected a palette of colors that compliment Kingdom Gold SW 6698 and created a line of fashion apparel, including shoes and outerwear. The items were auctioned off on eBay last month, with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity. Look for the new campaign on social media if you haven’t seen it already.   Garland explosion Sherwin-Williams now knows how much it may have to pay in fines for the Garland explosion. Back in August 2023, the Sherwin-Williams plant in Garland, Texas, had an explosion that injured one employee. OSHA inspected and issued one repeat and eight serious citations to the paint company. The former led to a $161,310 penalty, while the eight others were $16,131 each, for a total of more than $290,000.The citations included improperly storing chemicals, not properly implementing safety instructions, and not providing employees with refresher training every three years. It’s still unknown what exactly caused the fire, which likely started near the resin manufacturing portion of the Garland plant.