Laurie Pressman, vice president of fashion, home and interiors at Pantone, talks about how designers need to come up with ways of attracting customers through the use of color and goes on to say that the palettes in Mosaics “spark the imagination and help users create ingenious color compilations that enchant the eye and tantalize the consumers to buy.”
Are celebrity advocates as powerful as we think they are?
Many mega brands have celebrity spokesperson campaigns driving their marketing efforts, but the relationship between the celebrity and increased sales isn’t always as natural as it may seem.
When using celebrities to market home products it is difficult to find the right match, because let’s face it, its hard for consumers to imagine most celebrities doing any work around the house to begin with.
The Kelly Ripa and Electrolux partnership is the most recent celebrity campaign that comes to mind in this category.
At first glance this campaign seems to be a no-brainer; a bewitched celebrity mom whipping around the house taking care of every chore in a matter of minutes with time to spare – thanks to her Electrolux appliances.
Are these ads truly effective for Electrolux?
We did some research and spoke with consumers asking the simple question: Do you know what brand the Kelly Ripa commercials are for?
Reactions and answers were never right away a solid yes or no, and most needed a detailed refresh on the commercials.
One woman we spoke with mentioned that she liked Kelly with Regis, but the Electrolux commercials really left no impression on her.
Two others said they got the message, but the commercials didn’t inspire or annoy them.
A popular celebrity, a new product and a good key message aren’t the only factors to consider in the spokesperson equation. Celebrity driven campaigns need to be authentic and credible. The key is to put celebrity with a product and make the bond look natural.
Even if you’ve found a good celebrity it’s still important to reassess if using them in a particular situation is the right idea or not. With the right messaging, using an unknown face in an ad can be just as effective as a celebrity.
Most importantly, brands can’t rely on the celebrity face to do all the work. The commercial itself should be designed to stand on its own as a strong communicator even without the celebrity voice. Your key market won’t be an instant fan of your product, simply because they are fans of your celebrity.
What celebrity partnerships have left an impression on you?
A Look at How Leading Brands Are Utilizing Social Media
The “watching from the sidelines” approach that many manufacturers, retailers and organizations have taken in regards to social media is now considered an option that will leave you out of the game. As marketers struggle with ways to stay afloat in the down economy, they are finding that increasing participation in the online social media mix has cost benefits and a direct connection to the consumer that is crucial during these difficult times.
Some companies are really setting an example in social media. Below are five case studies that showcase how major brands are successfully incorporating social media into their marketing strategies.
Social Media At It’s Best
The Home Depot used Twitter to help folks prepare for hurricanes with updates and tips. The language focused on assistance, information and preparedness. Read more details on how the execution resulted in positive results on The Thoughtful Thud
Walmart’semployee driven blogis proving to be a successful way to engage employees and customers alike. The blog, written by employees, is updated frequently and promotes products through more of a tip and story-telling method.
Targetcreated a Facebook page to compliment their “Back-to-School” campaign this past Fall 2008. According to AdWeek, the page attracted 7,176 members, 409 photos, 483 posts and hosted 37 discussions groups.
Ford recently handed out new cars to 100 millennials. According to the AutoChannel.com, not only will this group represent 70 million new drivers in 2010, but they are also highly involved in social networks. These 100 drivers will test drive the new Ford Fiestas and post their experiences on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Best Buyis really a company to watch. They have created a social media tool, BSN-Blue Shirt Network, that is empowering store associates to collaborate on best practices, key learnings, store happenings and more.
Tailor language to the audience and medium where a message is being posted. For example, don’t use sales language on Twitter.
Fast Company Expert Blogger, Kyle Austin, advises when using Facebook, posts must be frequent. Additionally, employees should be encourage to be fans of the corporate page and join the conversation.
According to Jeremiah Owyang, a Forrester Research analyst who specializes in social computing, all brands should research the conversation and community before jumping in headfirst.
Address negative discussions by providing identifying how you will be addressing concerns and working to resolve the issues at hand.
Measuring social media campaigns
Social media cannot be measured in the same way that traditional marketing campaigns are measured. Organizations should not expect immediate or high ROI. The results can be measured from how many people joined your community, posted a comment or shared your information. The true success comes from what your customers tell you about your brand, product or service. This invaluable feedback will better your organization and offerings. At the same time, the relationship a brand builds with its customers will result in brand ambassadors and life-long users.
Every Friday, the Home Intel editorial team will highlight marketing and home-specific news from around the web as part of our “Weekly Intel” series. Take a look below to see what you may have missed this week:
Earlier this week, USA Todayreported that spending on home improvement projects is expected to decline at an annual rate of 12.1% by the third quarter, and not expected to pick back up until the economy recovers.
Unfortunately, fewer home sales means fewer remodeling projects since the majority of spending occurs during the moving process. After all, moving is expensive largely because homeowners need to spend money to increase the resale value of their current home AND to improve their new home so that it fits their lifestyle needs.
In addition to home sales being down, homeowners are also hesitant to spend because they are not sure what remodeling projects will actually pay off when they go to sell down the road.
Given the reality of the home improvement industry, it is important to adjust your media relations strategies so that they reflect the current economic situation.
Below are three tips to improve your media pitches and ensure that they meet editors’ needs and expectations during this time:
Understand that “home and garden” editorial departments are much shorter staffed than they were two years ago. That said, consider reaching out to editors that cover different beats with a pitch that has been tweaked just for them. For instance, take a pitch that is focused on improvements that you can make to enhance the home office and adjust the message so that it addresses the trend in employers giving their staff the opportunity to telecommute one or more days during the week. This simple adjustment allows you to pitch a workplace or business reporter, who may be looking for trend information about how companies are modifying their approach to accommodate rising gas prices.
Draft your pitches so that the value proposition is clear from the beginning. The editor should be able to articulate exactly how your product or service will help their readers do more with less, given the fact that consumers are extremely budget-conscious.
Spend some time getting to know each publications’ website – who shapes the content, how the editorial calendar for online articles maps to what is in the print edition, material submission deadlines, etc. Once you have gathered this information, offer the online editors specific resources that can be added to an online story so that it enhances what runs in print. In other words, if there is a home improvement story slated for the print edition, offer the online editor an interview with your expert spokesperson, tips, photos or even video content.
By thinking like a reporter and getting to know the landscape in which they are working, your media pitches will stand out among the rest during these difficult times.
Complements of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Seattle Mayor, Greg Nickels, and National Trust for Historic Preservation President, Richard Moe, announced the development of Preservation Green Lab—an initiative that will lead the way in creating innovative sustainable development policies for existing buildings and neighborhoods. Read more.
Now place this announcement against an article published exactly one year ago in The Atlantic that posed the question, “The Next Slums?” The article took a hard look at the rapid development of car-based suburbs and their impracticality in the face of the resource shortage America is quickly approaching.
Preservation Green Lab offers a solution to this question, with the ability to preserve existing homes – many of which showcase exquisite craftsmanship and detailing – new development of endless concrete suburbs just might be rechanneled toward retrofitting and “future-proofing” the surplus of housing and neighborhoods we already have.
Other resources that point toward a new trend in improving and reusing the homes and neighborhoods we’ve already built:
• ASID and USGBC’s REGREEN Guidelines
• Sarah Susanka’s new influential book, Not So Big Remodeling
• New home stores dedicated to the green-savvy DIYer
New ways of building, or rather, preserving, means new opportunities for innovation - building and home product manufacturers have an opportunity to encourage homeowners and homebuyers to drive the movement by offering new products and clear messaging that encourages preservation as opposed to demolition.
Maybe this is just what we need to save our suburbs from the slums.
Below is an update outlining recently announced steps that a few of the nation’s top daily newspapers are planning to take in order to cut costs during these challenging economic times:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution plans to reduce its news staff by 30% (approximately 90 positions) and scale back its delivery distribution
New York Timeswill apply a 5% pay cut to employees at all areas of the New York Times Media Group, including New York Times, Boston Globe, Boston.com and the New York-based corporate offices
Houston Chronicle is cutting 12% of its staff, affecting approximately 200 employees
For the past several months, potential homebuyers have been told that we are in “a buyer’s market” and advised that now is the best time to buy their new home.
Below are a three statistics that speak to the concept of a buyer’s market:
On Wednesday, The Mortgage Banker’s Association reported that loan terms for 30-year-fixed-rate mortgages fell to 4.63% from 4.89% for the week ending March 20.
Refinancing accounted for 78.5% of all mortgage applications last week. This increase can be attributed to the federal refinancing program through Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae that is part of the Obama administration’s housing plan.
Last week, mortgage applications were 20% above where they were a year ago.
During a time when good news is hard to come by, its nice to hear that Americans are finding deals that are enticing them to potentially buy their dream home.
Though we have all celebrated that the sustainability movement is established as more then just a passing fad, when it comes to interior design the trendiest products are green.
Below are a few ways that homeowners and designers are looking to incorporate green design:
Alternative Materials – Stylish design elements made from recycled materials, like wallpaper made from 100% post-consumer paper, is a key criteria in green design.
Fabrics and texture – Natural and earthy tones and fabrics are most popular. Trends point towards bamboo shades, woven rugs and organic cotton throws.
Prints and graphic design – Simple and clean yet bold prints are most popular when it comes to wallpaper and fabric selection. Designers look to incorporate prints with a natural yet modern feel.
Accessibility and ease are key messages when marketing green interior design products. Shoppers are looking for products that offer a quick transformation with big green value and style.
Where do they find these products? Here’s two effective ways to enter the “greentailing” space:
Specialty stores - Can your product be found on the shelves of green supply stores like Green Depot? These are the places where passionate green designers will look for their next purchase.
Enter the green blog community – The green blog community is on the cutting edge of green design. Homeowners and designers search the green blog circuit forfresh ideasand to find the next hot products.
Homeowners are beginning to understand that style does not have to be sacrificed when it comes to being eco-friendly. Capitalize on their increasing willingness to adopt green products by leading with messaging that highlights performance and clearly states where to find product.
Highlights from Leatrice Eiseman’s Keynote Address and Handouts
“Design and color trends are not conjured up in a crystal ball – they are a result of much observation of the surrounding natural world as well as the influences that will impact the world of the future”, said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute yesterday at the2009 International Home and Housewares show in Chicago, IL.
To a packed ballroom full of eager show attendees, Eiseman shared her insights about what influences color trends and revealed Pantone’s 2010 Color Forecast. The eight palettes for 2010 are Greenmarket, Resourceful, Transformations, Ambiance, Gatherings, Galaxy, High Definition and Pastiche.
Here’s a look at what Eiseman shared with us about these color palettes*:
Greenmarket – The need for healthier and more artisanal foods has grown from the traditional farmers market to the green market. From Tomato Puree to Beaujolais and the tang of Super Lemons or the bite of Apple Green to the more exotic flavors of Dijon, Paprika or Chutney, there are representational hues that both entice and appeal to the eyes and the taste buds. We’ll see more of these color combos emerging in 2010.
Resourceful – The colors in this palette include mauve, orange, yellow and light pinks. It’s not the mauve though of your mothers’ days, or the mauve seen in the1980s. Rather, it’s a more mauve orchid color. Additional colors in this palette such as Sequoia, Golden Ochre and Aqua Sky, speak of earth and sky, but vibrant Tiger lily and Mauve Orchid add a unique and distinctive presence to the mix.
Transformations – This is a romantic color combination in both style and mood, offering the promise of a quiet respite. Shapes are graceful, surfaces and colors are engaging and unobtrusive in soothing Stratosphere Blue, Crème de Menthe, Lavender Gray, Willow Green, Cameo Pink, Amber light and hints of pale gold. Look for colors in the palette to surface more in 2010.
Ambiance – This grouping adds a thoughtful aesthetic that can be adapted seamlessly and successfully into many motifs. Rich Coffee Bean, and Cognac are central to the color theme, while the subtle shades of Stonewash Blue, Stucco and Silver Pink and two shades of gray add an interesting intensity and synergistic effect to this palette.
Gatherings – Inspired primarily by the continent of Africa with its vastness and complexities, Gatherings brings together a compilation of colors that demonstrates the uniqueness of the region. Colors highlighted in this palette include Cypress Green, Smoke Blue, Sand and Oasis mixed with the magic of Twilight Mauve, Lemon Curry and the heated glimmer of Copper Coin. Eiseman says we should expect to see more influences from Africa in home décor in 2010.
Galaxy – Mirroring the colors of the earth, this is a soothing palette. The greens in this pallet are called Greener Pastures and Peridot. These colors powerfully contrast against the deeper extraterrestrial blues, silvers, and stormy violets also reflected in this color combination. Brilliant sprays of Turquoise and Orchid Tone enhance the palette, while Rich Gold embodies the energy and splendors of the epicenter of it all – the sun.
High Definition – Black, white and gray are the timeless centerpieces of this color palette. They are enriched and defined by the dramatic infusion of Amaranth, Paisley Purple, Malaga Wine and the flowering fuchsia shade of Ibis Rose.
Pastiche – This palette illustrates not only a collection of unexpected styles, but colors as well. It includes combinations such as Lavendula and Absinthe Green along with Chipmunk, Mimosa Yellow and a brighten Strawberry Ice among other colors.
