DALTON—On the heels of its successful Spring Is Green national campaign, Shaw Industries is set to help drive consumers to retailers during the upcoming selling season with its Fall Flooring Event 2010.
Starting Sept. 24 and ending Nov. 8, the annual fall promotion is not only designed to generate more consumer traffic, the four-phased campaign includes rewards for everyone in the selling chain.
Kathy Young, Shaw’s creative services director, said during the Fall Flooring Event the mill will be reaching out to consumers in a variety of ways—including the chance to win $5,000 in flooring—to help drive them to retailers ready to buy.
A national advertising campaign on TV, in print and over the Internet will alert consumers around the country about the event. Young said Shaw has not only enhanced television spots on networks such as HGTV and TLC, it added Food Network and Style “to reach a broader, home-centric audience.” Additionally, Shaw will be featured in leading consumer publications including House Beautiful and Traditional Home. And, online banner ads will appear on such websites as DIYNetwork.com, HGTV.com and other sites that, on average, attract millions of home improvement enthusiasts each year.
“Shaw’s aggressive fall marketing campaign can be a powerful force in driving consumers to Shaw retailers,” she noted.
In these ads, Young explained, Shaw consumers will find out about the instant win sweepstakes, “Improve My Nest,” and the savings they get from purchasing select Shaw floors during the promotion period. Internet ads feature a simple click that will lead consumers directly to shawfloors.com.
Consumer prizes
Every day at shawfloors.com consumers will compete for instant-win flooring prizes of their choice as well as play for the flooring makeover grand prize, flooring gift cards, Shaw Living area rugs and more, she added.
The Improve My Nest grand prize is a $5,000 Shaw gift card. In addition, when playing the sweepstakes, consumers can choose to play for a $500 gift card for the purchase of Shaw floors at participating retailers or play for a free area rug from Shaw Living.
Consumers may enter once a day, every day. “Every consumer will receive a coupon that can drive business to retailers’ stores,” Young said.
Young has good reason to feel the fall event will help increase sales with those retailers who participate based on results of Shaw’s Spring Is Green promotion that ended June 7. Todd Callaway, Shaw’s interactive marketing manager, said the campaign made a “world of difference,” for dealers.
For example, consumer visits to the campaign’s website were up 16% from the 2008 spring promotion. Similar to the fall event, the spring one gave consumers an opportunity to win coupons— $200—and these were grabbed up by the public. In fact, 18% more coupons were redeemed over the previous year.
“So many positives continue to emerge from the campaign,” he said.
To prepare registered retailers for the 2010 Fall Flooring Event, Young said Shaw recently sent out an in-depth planning guide that explains how they can tie into the national ad campaign along with the different incentives being offered.
It was created, she explained, as a “detailed, one-stop resource.” Additionally, the guide offers oversized, colorful visuals of promotional support and full details of the components.
Registered retailers should have already started to receive their point-of-purchase materials including standees, posters, display clips, pricing tags and more. Along with the kits, Young said shawadsource.com and ansoadvantage .com “offer a wealth of materials” available now to coordinate with campaign visuals and messaging” including customizable direct mailers, outdoor banners, newspaper advertisements, TV spots and radio scripts.
“In order to assist retailers in creating an attractive and cohesive retail environment,” she added, “all materials offer the fashionable fall colors of plum and aqua, featuring Floora the Owl, the Fall Flooring Event mascot who was welcomed last fall.”
Retail incentives
Consumers are not the only ones who benefit from The Fall Flooring Event as it also rewards participating retailers and their sales associates. Retailers and salespeople who participate in the Shawrewards.com and Capture the Spirit programs are being given enhanced rewards during the fall event including an opportunity through Shaw Rewards for six retail sales associates to win a cruise for two. Participating retail sales associates can earn reward points on qualifying styles throughout the promotion and Shaw Flooring Network participants can claim rewards in both programs.
Retail salespeople can visit shawrewards.com and ansocts.com or talk to their Shaw rep for more information on the prizes and to register. “From credit buy downs to
Anso nylon retailer roll incentives, we are making it easier to sell Shaw floors this fall,” Young said. For example, retailers buying Anso branded products this season receive a rebate on most roll purchases. Furthermore, those with Anso Advantage Accounts can earn bonus co-op funds.
There are additional incentives for Shaw Flooring Network dealers, she pointed out including an extra rebate on select Shaw hardwood that only they can offer to consumers. “Retailers should contact their Shaw territory manager for more details.”