This week, the Home Intel team is heading to Las Vegas for the International Builder’s Show. Its hard to believe that its already here, but we’re excited to hit the floor and report on the latest products and trends from the industry’s top manufacturers.

Check in daily for updates from the show. We’ll be capturing highlights below and on our Twitter feed – @homeintel.

No related posts.

In 2009, the print business (like many other industries) suffered from the recession, which resulted in numerous magazine closures throughout the year. Although we may be slightly biased, it appears that the home industry took an especially hard hit as trusted household names collapsed.

Many of the ceased publications, including Domino, Country Home, Southern Accents and Metropolitan Home, had been in production for decades, so it is understandable that readers were devastated to say good-bye to the editorial teams that made interior design come to life each month. Likewise, manufacturers had a tough time coming to terms with the changing media landscape. After all, just like homeowners turned to several of these magazines for inspiration each month, manufacturers looked at these outlets as platforms for promoting new products, trends, etc.

In 2010, our experts predict that consumers and manufacturers alike will look to online outlets as a means of researching and sharing news. With the number of social online media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn on the rise, information is becoming more readily available and consumers are increasingly trusting their peers for direction when making their final purchase decisions. Additionally, companies themselves are creating accounts on Twitter and Facebook as a way to communicate news about their industry and generate product awareness for their brands.

Our experts anticipate that 2010 will present an opportunity for the home décor/design industry to get creative with their approach to the new media landscape, and reach out in new ways to their target market.

• Stay Current. Stay Relevant…and See Success!

By adding in the fact that the world of social media has grown exponentially in recent years, it is safe to say that there are dozens of new words cropping up all the time that people are using in day-to-day conversations. For instance, Twitter has us referring to tweets and @replys on conference calls, Facebook has us talking about friending people and Linkedin has us wondering how we can grow our professional networks.

Retailers are also teaching us new words with ad campaigns that are designed to appeal to target audiences during a time when consumers are seriously cutting their spending and reevaluating every household purchase. Target, an IMRE client, is a good example of a company that is executing a recession-friendly ad campaign. The “Frugalista” campaign features fashion icon, Nina Garcia, and everyday shoppers who are looking for a good find. The campaign teaches us to “out dress but not out spend.”

Courtesy of Target.com

While Target’s campaign is primarily focused on fashion, the concept certainly applies to the home industry. Just as Nina Garcia advises Target guests to “out dress but not out spend,” interior designers, home stagers and many other professionals are encouraging their clients to do more with less as well.

In our opinion, the change in consumers’ shopping habits is just as interesting as the new language we are all adopting. After all, in order to do more with less, people who may have once shopped at expensive boutiques are finding themselves inside of vintage or second hand shops. Whereas a quick remodel may have once been an option, today’s homeowners are getting a little creative and working with what they already have.

As we head into 2010, we can only imagine the buzzwords that we will adopt next year.

No related posts.

Courtesy of Twitter.com

Like nearly all other industries, the home industry is using Twitter to promote trends, launch new products and get people talking.

As we head into a new week, the Home Intel team wanted to share a few of our favorite Twitter personas. If you are not already following these people, we highly recommend it. Check out our list below and enjoy!

Also, we’d love to hear who you are following on Twitter. Feel free to send us your favorites.

@HomeSavvi - Their goal is to save their followers time and money for all of their remodeling needs. They offer kitchen and bath design news, advice, tools, trends and more

@NARI_National – Follow this national association for business and marketing-related ideas

@Remodelers - This group connects homebuyers to contractors

@SphereTrending – Offers consumer and design trends from around the world

@ColorSizzle – This designer and color consultant helps her clients (and followers) create colorful, stylish spaces

@SusanSerraCKD – As a certified kitchen designer and aging in place specialist, @SusanSerraCKD provides helpful tips and trend information for improving one’s space

@LuxuryfortheHom – Follow @LuxuryfortheHome for helpful home decor tips and design trends. Leslie Hassler is a luxury lifestyle specialist, builder and realtor consultant in addition to an interior designer

@Designrelated - Design meets inspiration with these guys

@design_sponge – Follow @design_sponge for incredible design tips. Check out the blog and find the inspiration you need for any remodel

No related posts.

No related posts.

It seems lately that trends aren’t official unless they morph into an “ism.” If you end in “ism,” you’ve arrived. You’re in. You should be followed, analyzed and studied.

We read about one of the newest isms on Trendwatching.com, where, by name alone, you can assume that you’re checking out the latest in compiled observations on today’s society. I learned about “Foreverism.” It’s one of those trends that we’re all experiencing, but we didn’t know it had a name (or even needed one for that matter) until now.

According to Trendwatching.com, “Foreverism” is consumers and businesses embracing conversations, lifestyles and products that are, in their words, ‘never done.’

The concept itself is a bit deep, considering that the main premise is that thanks to new media, the online profiles and relationships we build are potentially “forever.” This trend is driven by the technology that allows online users to build, groom and update their online data for as long as they desire. (It’s thought that the younger generation may always desire an online profile and presence, no matter their age.) These incredible amounts of data, photos, preferences and messages are then captured by the web, cached and become trackable.

Courtesy of suzanacohen.wordpress.com

From a consumer marketing perspective, this “data with staying power” is changing the way that companies connect with customers and deliver their goods and services online. The conversations that are taking place among you, your online friends, new friends and even brands are forcing companies to take their marketing efforts into an interactive place. Trendwatching.com sites Twitter as a marquis conversation platform that’s forcing (although they use the word “enticing,” we all know that many companies are very reluctant) big brands to publically talk with their customers about any and all issues.

Some brands and companies are maximizing their online opportunities. Trendwatching.com lists Bank of America, Starbucks and Whole Foods as a few who get it right. However, getting it right on Twitter and other social networking sites isn’t the end of the ride.

The next generation technology is in the works. And, those folks who love you on Twitter have already moved on to it. Why aren’t you there yet? Which one of your competitors got the memo and is capturing your market over there at that new site that uses that new technology?

Twitter is only an example. The horizon is bursting with possibilities ready to make Twitter “so 2009.” Companies with marketing departments that are always (insert: forever) thinking, researching and testing new method will stay on the cusp, in the conversation and taking advantage of the data and information that is available to them as consumers advance their online presence.

No related posts.

A Heads-up about What is Changing in the Web that May Catch You by Surprise

On June 17, Computerworld.com declared the Web has hit Critical Mass for the dawn of the “Semantic” (or “Meaning-based”) Web. In other words, the big new thing online will be “harvesting” based on the meaning of the information instead of the words used to describe it.

What you’ll need to think about: 

• More extensive technical mashups of existing applications like Twitter and Facebook, with an intentional focus on specific business goals or resource/research projects.
• The bloom of MicroFormats for presenting information on your Web site – anything that can be tagged with a date/location coordinates/company name/personal name should be. These microformats will be embedded within your regular page, not in the regular META tags.

What you’ll see:

Let’s say you’re reading an article about bird watching, and a bird is spotted at “X location.” If the site used a microformat to describe the location, then you (the site visitor) would be able to do the following:

• Plot the location on an online map (like Google Maps)
• Export the location to your Phone/GPS device to go to the place yourself.
• You could also index the location for a historical archive of where that bird appears.
• Post the info on any of your Web presences – your site, Facebook, Twitter, or what have you.

What you should be doing:

• Develop resources for your customers that take advantage of this new “meanings based” information stream that can be harvested with easy-to-build scanning technologies
• Think about ways to tag your products or services into MicroFormats
• Start thinking about the Web in a whole new way  

No related posts.

This week, thousands of architects, interior designers and engineers attended NeoCon World’s Trade Fair. At the show, attendees had the opportunity to preview thousands of innovative products and resources for office, hospitality, health care, retail, government institutional and residential interiors from more than 1,200 showrooms and exhibitors.

Photo Courtesy of Neocon.com

In addition to scouring product displays, uncovering the latest trends in interior design, attending keynote presentations that focus on the future of design, the art of lighting and the relationship between creativity and motivation, show attendees could sit in on afternoon spotlights to learn more about how they can position their firms for success and better understand how they can impact change in the 21^st century.

For the first time ever, attending bloggers and trade professionals could also capture and share activities and events happening at the show via Twitter, which allowed many people who could not attend this year’s event due to budget cuts or scheduling conflicts to follow show updates virtually.

While attendance may have been down at this year’s show, it appears that the trade show world continues to attract not only the hottest new products, but also the fastest means of communicating show floor events with the public.

As more brands embrace social media, we anticipate that we’ll see more people “attending” trade shows virtually by following updates on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other outlets designed to provide real-time updates. 

No related posts.

A few weeks ago, we posted an article showcasing how social media is affecting the way today’s major brands and retailers are doing business. Based on the success of social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and given what we know about the power of peer referral when it comes to influencing purchasing decisions, companies are looking at social media platforms as a means of connecting with consumers on a whole new level.

Yesterday, Target (an IMRE client) announced its online giving campaign – Bullseye Gives (#bullseye). Through this campaign, visitors to Target’s Facebook page can vote for one of 10 charities eligible to win a portion of $3 million the retailer will be giving away.

All votes and dollars allocated for each of the charitable organizations will be updated in real time on the Target Facebook page, and site visitors will be able to vote once per day, everyday, throughout the length of the contest. The final charitable donation allocations per charity will be announced on May 26. The 10 charities involved in the contest include:

1.  Breast Cancer Research Foundation
2. Feeding America
3. HandsOn Network/Points of Light Institute
4. Kids in Need 
5. Operation Gratitude
6. Parent Teacher Association
7. National Park Foundation
8. American Red Cross
9. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
10. The Salvation Army 

According to the company’s president of community relations, Laysha Ward, Target wanted to capitalize on the fact that social media is a national trend that also happens to be dominating the philanthropic sector. As reported in a recent New York Times article, Ward looks at the contest as “an opportunity to demonstrate the company’s commitment to supporting nonprofit work and enhance its brand.”

Other companies that have hosted similar contests include Amazon.com, TripAdvisor and American Express, but celebrities like Hugh Jackman have also jumped on the social media bandwagon in recent months to help raise money for charitable foundations.

We’re excited about the ways in which companies are incorporating social media outlets into their marketing strategies and look forward to reporting on more innovative online campaigns that brands are launching.

No related posts.

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’s employee driven blog is 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.
  

• Target created 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 Buy is 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.

Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson in conversation with Peter Hirshberg at Google Zeitgeist from peter hirshberg on Vimeo.

Tips for Engaging Consumer Through Social Media

• 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.

No related posts.