By Reginald Tucker—Excitement is building for the Mohawk 2022 Roadshow—the continuation of the series of in-person regional events the company kicked off in early 2021 in response to increased retailer demand for live industry conferences.
A key area of emphasis for retailers planning to attend any of the four Roadshows set to kick off next year, according to Mohawk, is the further development and promotion of innovative digital marketing tools designed to help Mohawk dealers capture consumers earlier in the research phase, generate bona fide leads and, ultimately, close more sales.
“What we’ve learned over the past year is retailers really don’t have the luxury of taking a lot of time away from their businesses,” said Angela Duke, senior director of residential marketing, Mohawk. “One of the main goals of the 2022 Roadshow is to provide retailers with a platform for them to learn as much as they can in a short amount of time and give them the tools they need to make their business more successful.”
At the core of that strategy are recent improvements to innovative digital marketing tools such as Mohawk’s Omnify and Neighborhood Ad Manager—enhancements that were derived, in part, through recommendations by Mohawk’s Edge Advisory Council members. The goal is to further simplify the consumer purchasing journey by creating a seamless shopping experience for the end customer.
“We were able to get specific feedback from our council members based on surveys, conversations and beta testing with our retail partners,” Duke explained. “They had direct feedback on some of the enhancements we’ve made to Omnify and Neighborhood Ad Manager. We’ve also gained a better understanding of how consumers are shopping for flooring, and that has been built into the new enhancements as well.”
For example, Mohawk retailers said consumers in the market for flooring today increasingly crave a purchasing process that’s much more streamlined and simpler. This is especially important in the age of COVID-19, where more consumers are spending more time researching/shopping online. “It’s not just researching online; they’re wanting to go all the way through the shopping experience online,” Duke explained. “The tools that we’re building inside of our digital programs are designed to help our retailers reach those consumers and bring them into their stores.”
These new tools range from highly functional e-commerce modules the company is currently testing as well as product visualization enhancements within Omnify. Initiatives to expedite sample delivery are also part of the agenda. “Consumers are expecting more from their online shopping experience, so we want to be able to provide retailers with all the tools they require in order to capture those customers,” Duke explained.
Center of attention
In development of the Roadshow 2022 showroom configuration that will welcome attendees, Mohawk made a conscious effort to position the Customer Success Area—the space where dealers learn about Edge benefits, digital programs and other initiatives that help their business succeed—in the center of the show floor layout. The main idea behind the layout, the company said, was to not-so-subliminally signal to attendees that their success is the center of its focus.
“Having the Customer Success Area in the center of the showroom will help dealers understand they’re really at the heart of everything that we’re doing,” Duke explained. “Whether it’s brand experience, product launches, display launches and programs—what we’re doing is built around thinking of them first.”
That symbolism underscores the critical role the shows play in helping retailers get off to a strong start. “The Roadshows are really our first touch point to introduce retailers to new programs and products, and help them jumpstart business throughout 2022,” Duke said. “The 2021 Roadshow was well received, and the dealers we’ve talked to are really excited to be able to get back on the road again next year.”
Mohawk’s 2022 Momentum Roadshow will make the following stops next year:
- Philadelphia: Jan. 5-6, Marriott Philadelphia Downtown
- Chicago: Jan. 12-13, Sheraton Grand Hotel
- Huntington Beach, Calif.: Jan. 24-25, Waterfront Beach Resort
- Las Vegas: Feb. 1-3, Surfaces-Mandalay Bay Convention Center