Marketing doesn’t have to be dull
Jo Trotman, marketing communications manager at Rehau, discusses Rehau’s latest investment in marketing support.
While there is definitely a place for technical and informative content across commercial markets such as the windows industry, it’s not uncommon for marketing to fall into the trap of being too functional – and arguably pedestrian. But this doesn’t need to be the case.
We believe we are bringing a fresh approach to marketing within our industry by shifting from an inside-out view on product features and benefits, to horizon scanning modern life and the trends that are impacting the way we buy products.
In a world where we all want to be savvy with money while reducing our impact on the environment, shouldn’t our industry marketing reflect these things? In order to appeal to our customers, it’s important to talk the language of our customers; to help visualise the end goal of what we are all striving towards. Rehau’s Rio flush fit is an example of where investment has been put into a marketing campaign with the consumer at its core.
With the average consumer owning 3.2 connected devices (according to GlobalWebIndex), it’s now easier than ever to get a full picture of the product options available to you at the touch of a button. In turn, windows have also become an aspirational purchase as inspired by images on social media platforms such as Instagram. People are proud to show off their homes and the rise of the ‘influencer’ is only reinforcing the fact that trades need to be up to speed on trends or they’ll fall behind the curve.
We’ve plugged into three common, modern life requirements that help inject life into the collateral and build a suite of marketing materials that our installers and fabricators can use to promote Rio flush fit: “I want a beautiful home”; “I want to save energy”; “I want a safe home”.
The high-grade imagery used in the campaign puts more emphasis on the people and wider context of the shot, which in turn helps convey the above benefits that the product will bring to their lives. This is then mapped across a plethora of support materials that the trade can use as they see fit including print advertising, showroom graphics, point of sale and digital advertising.
So, how can installers and fabricators get the best out of a manufacturer’s marketing support?
Tactical marketing. We understand the need to have a mix of marketing tools to help you win homeowners hearts and minds. So that is why we have over 50 marketing assets for you to use in targeted homeowner marketing campaigns. This enables you to really tailor your marketing approach to suit the local needs of your customer base.
Use digital channels. With technological advancement happening at a rapid pace, traditional marketing communication has been forced to evolve. As millennials and younger digital-savvy consumers are becoming homeowners, mobile and social media are becoming an integral part of advertising, with marketers seeing a more effective pull on these platforms when it comes to reaching individuals carrying out renovations.
For example, the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Digital Influence on Home Improvement Plans analysis showed that 22% of consumers who were working on home improvement projects were influenced by ads on mobile, social media and desktop. So, it’s no surprise that digital channels are increasingly being employed as a promotional tool to target customers. Online presence in particular can be increased using social media adverts, Google Display, YouTube, and web banners. The main advantage of this is that a targeted audience can be reached in a measurable and cost-effective way.
Just add your logo. For such an on-the-go industry, we know fabricators and installers don’t have the time to be collating material for every single window they sell. In response to this, we provide the templates for customers to advertise, all they need to do is simply send their logo. In return they receive access to marketing material and high-quality design, which means they don’t have to pay for their own.