News
Monitronics now MONI
U.S. monitoring firm Monitronics has undergone a transformation, abbreviating its name to MONI Smart Security in the hopes of creating greater brand awareness and more visibility for the dealers that sell and market its services.
October 3, 2016 By Neil Sutton
Monitronics, a subsidiary of Ascent Capital Group, has ostensibly operated in the shadows up till now. That changed with the advent of MONI, says Bruce Mungiguerra, senior vice-president of operations.
“We’ve kind of positioned ourselves as the ‘secret sauce’ behind our dealers and behind their independent brands for 22 years,” says Mungiguerra. “Now what we’re focused on is how we help support their brand by putting greater emphasis on our brand.”
Mungiguerra says the company spent nine months working on the rebranding and assessing different names until it decided on MONI. The new name is designed to be catchy, web-friendly (the company’s website is now www.mymoni.com) and memorable in the minds of its end user customer base.
The company operates two central monitoring stations in the U.S. and supports a network of about 600 dealers. In Canada, it’s currently only about a dozen dealers, but Mungiguerra says there is definitely growth potential here.
Mungiguerra notes that the company may be able to take advantage of some disruption in the market as some of the biggest players in home security in Canada have undergone mergers and ownership changes.
In the last six months alone, Monitronics (now MONI) has added about six new dealers in Canada, effectively doubling its presence here. Its largest patch is in Alberta (Edmonton-based Liberty Security is a substantial partner) but “we don’t really have many limitations where somebody can or can’t sell in Canada,” explains Mungiguerra. “If we find the right partner, we are more than happy to extend the opportunity to add a market.”
The company is also putting more emphasis on its smart home and IoT offerings. In recent months, it has rolled out doorbell cameras, smart garage door controllers and thermostat products. The smart home focus should also help dealers reach a broader customer base. “We’re looking for some new, innovative products that we can put in the hands of our dealers to help them from a sales perspective and help us from a brand perspective,” says Mungiguerra.
“The security market is changing rapidly and we obviously want to be one to change with it.”
Print this page
