The challenge:
Kitchen Views, a prominent kitchen design company with six locations, needed to differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace and a downturning economy. Big box stores were eating into the margins with a price advantage, while consumers perceived no difference among kitchen design stores. They invited Leonardo Design and Nova Marketing in for a fresh approach.
The solution:
Our team sat down with KV executives and put our retail expertise to work. 99% of the time, a company’s differentiator is their price, product selection, or service and KV’s products and prices were similar to others. We zeroed in on service and refined it even further: People were KV’s differentiator. No one else had built a team of designers with such a variety of expert backgrounds from kitchen designers to engineers and artists. Research showed the problem lay with public perception of designers as elitist with a ‘do-it-my-way’ approach. That was not the case at KV and we needed to get the word out.
We strategized a campaign to position Kitchen Views as the knowledgeable go-to kitchen store by showcasing their designers’ proficiency and approachable personalities. How? By offering their expertise – free – and letting customers get a glimpse of the friendly personalities behind the brand through print ads, a magazine, and in-store support.
The three pronged approach:
- The Print Ad Campaign
Our team decided to launch the print ad campaign first to begin solidifying the Kitchen Views people as the experts and set the stage for the magazine’s debut. The first round of ads introduced designers and their specialties, from maximizing space to going green. Not only did the photography showcase a beautiful kitchen, but the kitchen’s designer as well. The upbeat photography and quotes from the designers about the project served to decrease the ‘intimidation factor’ many homeowners mention.The second set of ads featured testimonials from Kitchen Views customers talking about their designer and the happy results with their new kitchen, adding third party validation to our story. Both the designer ads and customer ads ran in the Boston Globe magazine, Boston Home, New England Home and Design magazine.The third tier of ads that ran in trade pubs featured contractors talking about how working with Kitchen Views makes their job easier. They also talked about how the magazine serves as a helpful selling tool and extension of their own services, and creating pre-launch buzz around the magazine. These ran in Remodeling News. - The Magazine
Our team decided it was time to unleash an innovative new marketing approach gaining in popularity: the Mailazine. It’s a direct mail piece disguised as a magazine, mailed to targeted homes free of charge to offer information and resources. It was written in a home and garden magazine style, highlighting top-of-mind kitchen topics such as designing on a budget and incorporating earth-friendly products.To support the magazine (and make it look like a regular magazine) we solicited advertising from vendors who were looking to reach our same target market: the cabinet, countertop, window, lighting and appliance suppliers as well as contractors. Though the client chose not to, this format lends itself well to co-op opportunities. - The In-store Support:
Point of View materials showcased the designers’ friendly demeanor and their knowledge by offering design tips with an “I can help” message. These served to reinforce the messages already communicated by the ads and magazine, helping turn traffic into sales.
Targeting the market:
To maximize our message, we targeted high net worth individuals who would have the inclination and the money to spend on a new kitchen. In areas surrounding Kitchen Views’ six locations, we targeted households with an income of $100,000-200,000, and a home value of $500,000-600,000. Ultimately, 80,000 magazines were mailed and ads were run in high-end home magazines.
The Results:
It’s working. The client tells us people are walking into showrooms with the Kitchen Views magazine in hand, asking for a particular designer. “In a down economy, we’ve seen a significant uptick in traffic,” they told us.
What’s more, the in-store displays, magazine stories and ads are making it easier for their designers to turn traffic into sales because Leonardo and Nova’s joint communications efforts have solidly established their brand. Thrilled with their success, they’ve immediately started work on their second issue. The ads continue to run in area publications in support.
