2 minute read
Making the most of Home lmprovement Time
1-ODAY'S CONSLIMER ranks
I home improvement expenditures as high on his list of preferences when considering spending those important discretionary dollars.
Certainly, golf clubs, automobiles, appliances, and vacations are high on the list, too. But for the lumber and building materials retailer the growing home remodeling phenomenon can be the road to continuing volume growth if his home improvement merchandising programs are on target.
For many retailers, the national "Home Improvement Time" promotion can be an important cornerstone in these merchandising activities. Organized l0 years ago by a consortium of building products manufacturers, trade associations, and consumer shelter press, "HIT" is an industry-wide effort that offers as complete a selection of merchandising tools as are available anywhere in the industry.
"HIT" is a year-around program that hits its hardest during those spring and fall key buying months. Making it part of your merchandising program can help make the most out of the boom in home improvement consumer spending.
The program is unique among building products promotions. The trade press support and consumer publication editorial coverage of the promotion alone can be translated into millions of dollars of valuable exposure.
The home improvement promotion is also backed by two different 24-page newspaper publicity supplements that are distributed to over 10.000 newspapers coast to coast.
*Edward A, is
Naturally, every retailer has his own promotional plans and ideas. Yet, the strength of "HIT" makes it one promotional vehicle that should not be missed.
For the retail dealer. here are a few things the promotion offers:
. A 4-color, l6-page brochure full of remodeling and energy saving ideas for your customers. Space is available for dealer identification.
. A selection of free samples and literature from nearly 50 of the major product sponsors of the promotion.
. An opportunity to tie-in with the promotion through a wide range of point-of-sale m'aterials, including posters, banners, bumper stickers, streamers and pennants.
. A selection of consumer oriented films that illustrate do-it-yourself home improvement techniques plus a Visual Selling Center for use in conducting consumer clinics.
To organize your "HIT" tie-in the best bet is start at the top.
. Write or call James Stewart, Coordinator, Home Improvement Time P.O. Box 102 Carnegie, Pa. 15106 (4r2) 923-rs6O
Ask for the booklet, "How to Participate in Home Improvement Time." It will provide an explanation of the program and all the order blanks necessary for acquiring promotional materials.
Contact your distributors for those products whose producers sponsor HIT. Ask for their free literature and other promotional materials.
. Plan your store-wide promotional program, based on the "HIT" theme, "It's Home Improvement
by E. A. More* Merchandising Manager Formica Corporation
Story at a Glance
What's in it for the retailer and how to go about taking part in the industry sponsored Home lmprovement Time Program.. information on what's available and how to get it.
Time Inside . Outside ..All Around The House."
. Pull your sales staff together, explain the "HIT" promotion and point.the strength of its consumer publicity support during May, June, July and again in the Fall.
A dealer's success with the nationwide promotion will depend on making the "Inside Outside. .AllAround The House" theme visible and an important part of a total merchandising program. The theme should be incorporated into print and broadcast advertising and consistently used at the point-of-sale.
The retailer may also suggest to area thrift institutions that the program can also help them promote home improvement loans. A special "HIT" marketing program is available for use by banks and savings and loans. Another program is designed especially for local newspapers. It provides materials with which to develop a special "Home Improvement Time" promotional issue.
It's time to plan your involvement in "HIT" and get the program working for you.
