Article Number : 1797 |
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| Date | 3/1/2007 1:18:53 PM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=1797 |
| Abstract | By Steven Feldman Houston—Abbey Carpet is now Abbey Carpet and Floor. The new corporate identity, complete with an updated, fashion-forward logo, follows an industry-wide trend that more accurately reflects the range of products retailers sell today... |
| Article | By Steven Feldman Houston—Abbey Carpet is now Abbey Carpet and Floor. The new corporate identity, complete with an updated, fashion-forward logo, follows an industry-wide trend that more accurately reflects the range of products retailers sell today. According to Keith Spano, vice president of marketing, incorporating the word “floor” is designed to recognize an Abbey store as a one-stop destination for any consumer’s floor covering needs. Indeed, many members already use “floor” in their identity, said Steve Silverman, president and COO. “We are trying to lead the way with an identity that is upscale and talks fashion for our brand.” In conjunction with the name augmentation, the Abbey logo is being refreshed with a new color scheme of black and gold. “The logo is an extension of the brand,” he said. “Research shows black and gold represent longevity and timeless appeal. Gold represents history, richness and tradition. Black represents boldness, power and distinction.” T.C. McMechen, president of Abbey Carpet of San Francisco, the first-ever Abbey franchisee in 1967, endorses the move. “This cements what we’ve been doing,” he said. “The name Abbey Carpet is a misnomer because we’re selling so much of the other products. Everyone knows we sell carpet because of the name, so our advertising has been geared toward rugs and hardwood.” Janice Clifton, Abbey Carpets Unlimited of Napa, agreed. “People come into our store and say they didn’t realize we carry hardwood and ceramic. Yet ceramic is 30% of our business.” And Ron Codron, whose Abbey Carpet of El Cerrito was the fourth Abbey franchisee back in 1969, put it in perspective. “Everybody reads literally,” he said. “I have a 50-foot wall of hard surface, and people still come in, walk past it and ask if I sell hard surface because they see only ‘carpet’ in the name. I should have made the change 10 years ago.” Phil Gutierrez, Abbey’s chairman and CEO and recent inductee into the WFCA Hall of Fame, announced that in support of the new identity and to drive traffic into members’ stores, Abbey will invest in an extensive national television advertising campaign scheduled to air in April, May, June, September, October and November. The spring run includes commercials on 11 Direct TV channels, while the fall schedule includes cable TV spots on Fox News, HGTV, CNN, FitTV and Food Network that will feature Stainmaster-branded carpet in addition to hard surfaces. The spots, fully customizable, will create more than 100 million impressions, Spano said, and are geared toward driving consumers to buyabbey.com—a new URL whose content is the same as abbeycarpetandfloor.com and abbeycarpet.com—to find the 10 closest Abbey dealers. “Buy abbey.com is just a way to make it simpler for a consumer to remember,” Silverman said. Spano anticipates the extensive national advertising campaign will act as a springboard for more dealers to incorporate the Abbey name into their exterior signage. He estimated that about 35% of its 620 dealers and 750 storefronts don’t currently fly the Abbey flag on their storefronts. “We think we will have a tremendous upswing after this convention,” he said. “They see the value in the merchandising and national advertising. And they don’t have to take their local brand off their signage. Their name in their local market and our name on national level is a compelling story.” Napa’s Clifton, who is part of the Bay Area advertising group that spends about $20,000 a month, believes building the brand on a national level will help brand recognition on a local level. “When people move to Napa, they are already aware of the Abbey brand, she said. “For us it’s perfect. We are already on cable; this goes to satellite. It’s a perfect marriage.” And El Cerrito’s Codron, also part of the Bay Area group that airs 120 spots a month, added, “For us it’s beneficial; for everyone else around the country it’s essential.” Diversification Silverman stressed to members the importance of diversifying their businesses to better handle fluctuations in the economy. To that end, Abbey Carpet and Floor is targeting the lucrative shop-at-home segment with the launch of Abbey Floors at Home. This turnkey, home shopping service is designed to compete with industry leader Empire Home Services, which by some accounts sold more than $550 million of flooring last year. “We believe our members can compete against Empire and take share as this market is virtually untapped,” Silverman said. “In-home selling works, but it requires a focused approach and proper planning. Abbey Floors at Home offers increased close rates, increased margins, control of the sale from start to finish and co-branded name recognition.” He noted that Empire’s two major Achilles heels are that it does not offer a large product assortment and is strictly a shop-at-home retailer. “We have brick and mortar stores to stand behind the sale,” he said. “We also have additional products that can be sold to that customer and get her into your showroom. Consumers want a professional approach that addresses all their concerns.” Silverman told members that shop at home is a way to go after a customer that may not have been reachable. “Their free time is a valuable commodity, or they may simply be more comfortable shopping in their own homes.” Abbey is supporting the initiative with two marketing campaigns. The first theme, “Your time is precious,” addresses the fact that 60% of all married couples are dual income. “It’s about how Abbey Floors at Home can work around your busy schedule and allow you to spend more time with the more important things in life: your family,” Spano said. The campaign features family interaction commercials, print ads, direct mail and billboards. The second campaign, “We bring our showroom to you,” targets baby boomers. “This demographic likes to be catered to and has the means to afford it,” he said. “They can stay in their own homes and select the flooring of their choice with their lighting, their furnishings.” The turnkey program includes a GMC van leased from Penske, private-label products, van graphics and an Internet lead-generating service. Members can choose to buy their own van; the only requirements are the purchase of the sample package and van signage combining the Abbey name and particular retailer’s store name. “We want the Abbey name and web site on the van to act as a ‘mobile billboard,’ ” Silverman said. Spano noted that quite a few Abbey members are already participating in the shop-at-home segment. “We added things they weren’t doing, like marketing and advertising.” Abbey Carpets Unlimited’s Clifton currently dabbles in the shop-at-home segment but welcomes the turnkey package. “Right now we don’t have a good system,” she said. “What products should we take into people’s homes? We run around the store and pick up products. This will give us a more professional and organized way of doing that.” Silverman classified the initial response to the program as “incredible.” He noted that 80% of members in attendance were present at the Floors at Home breakout sessions, “We won’t know until the end of March, but I’m sure we will exceed our initial projections.” Internet initiatives Continuing along the diversification path, Silverman stressed to members the importance of having an Internet presence. Here’s why: • There are 147 million U.S. adults who are Internet users. • 91% of household incomes over $75,000 go on line. • 77% of people in market for floor covering are apt to shop on line for options. • 57% of flooring purchasers in 2006 used the Internet as an information resource. “If you’re not up on technology you are going to be left behind,” he said. “It is more important than ever to be linked to the Abbey Web site.” To that end, Abbey offers its members free of charge their own five-page Web site tied into abbeycarpetandfloor.com, which attracts more than 50,000 visitors per month. The five pages can include text or photos of the showroom and/or storefront—basically anything they want to communicate to the consumer, even a store locator along with driving directions via Mapquest. The personalized Web sites will also link to Abbey Decorator, a tool that launches this summer and allows the consumer to envision how her selected flooring will look in her house. “We developed a program where she can take photos of her own rooms, download them to the site, choose from our proprietary brands and plug the flooring into the room,” he said. “It takes the fear out of the shopping process and gives her more confidence.” Furthering the diversification approach, the convention saw the launch of the Abbey Builder Alliance, a custom home builder program whose target customers are local contractors who build anywhere from two to 50 homes a year. The program consists of 54 collections geared toward the builder market. Suppliers include Shaw for carpet, Mullican and Bruce for wood, Armstrong and Wilsonart for laminate, Armstrong and Mannington for vinyl, and DalTile for a good/better/best ceramic offering. |