DALTON (April 1, 2008)—Mohawk’s answer to promoting during a challenging flooring marketing is to become more aggressive—through a new research-based ad campaign that connects consumer passions for decorating with the solutions only a complete flooring resource can offer.

Mohawk invested heavily into better understanding what consumers want from flooring—and how they shop for it. Mohawk executives believe they’ve found new and unique ways to “put the puzzle pieces together” and add greater value for their retail partners.

A familiar image is the focal point for Mohawk’s new communications: The Cube.

“The Cube is a great metaphor for the process consumers go through in choosing flooring,” said David Duncan, Vice President of Marketing for Mohawk Industries. “If you’ve ever tried to solve one of these brain-teasers, you remember how challenging it seemed. Finding just the right floor can be equally puzzling. Our cube represents the answer. We work with retail flooring professionals to provide the right products and services. With Mohawk, the right solution is just a click away.”

The Cube appears in the television spots, print ads, and online. Ads will feature carpet, hardwood, laminate, ceramic and area rugs. The Mohawk consumer website, www.mohawkflooring.com will feature elements from the campaign and will coincide with the national advertising.

The fully integrated ad campaign will run on leading home improvement TV networks including A&E, BBC America, Biography, Bravo, E!, Planet Green, Style, HGTV, DIY, Food Network, Fine Living, The Learning Channel, and The Travel Channel. The television schedule features an aggressive number of TV spots both in the Spring and Fall schedule.

Home shelter print media in the mix include Country Living, Elle Décor, Domino, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, and Woman’s Day. Further expanding the reach is an online campaign than includes display ads and search engine marketing.

“The media selection is targeted to reach women flooring shoppers where they’re watching, reading, and surfing,” Duncan said.

Understanding the Flooring Consumer

“Consumers approach flooring purchases in many different ways,” said Duncan. “The challenge for an ad campaign isn’t just to reach the most people—it’s to connect with the right consumers who have the highest potential to be loyal to our brand.”

Duncan and his team devoted months to ethnographic and segmentation research. They wanted to better understand consumers: where they live, how they live and what role flooring plays in their life and in their home.

“We spent weeks in five different cities immersed with our target audience. We lived with them, dined with them, laughed with them and shopped with them,” said Duncan. “What we discovered was distilled down and creatively executed in our national brand campaign.”

Duncan said the research indicated that there were two types of Mohawk customers who were particularly important to reach with advertising: The “passionate decorating hobbyist,” and the “homecentric cocooner.”

“These two customer profiles are focused on their homes and on design,” he said. “They are forever engaged in home improvement projects. They seem to be relentlessly pursuing new design ideas, products, information, and they are searching for resources to help them solve these design challenges. They love their homes, and they share this pride with friends and family. It’s this high emotional involvement that makes them different—and these are the consumers we want to connect with, to reach and to serve. “

Lindsey Ann Waldrep, Mohawk’s Director of Creative Services, developed the idea of The Cube. “It’s all about providing solutions and helping our customers solve their creative puzzle,” she said.

“Everything works together—flooring, wallcoverings, pictures, furniture, lighting—and we illustrate how Mohawk can help it all come together. The response from consumers was powerful, and we knew we had something special. It’s as if we were able to eliminate the concerns many people have over making a mistake, and instead give them the freedom to be inspired with their flooring ideas. Because, as we say in the ads, ‘whatever your inspiration, Mohawk has a floor for you.’”

Supporting Dealers With Solutions

Duncan said the Solutions Cube also represents the multitude of support tools Mohawk provides to retailers to solve their business challenges. “It all works together,” Duncan said. “The Cube connects with virtually everything Mohawk does for retailers as well as consumers. Mohawk is continually providing ways to solve their puzzles; everything from training to merchandising to co-branded retail advertising.

“Our new ad campaign is about emotionally connecting with consumers and guiding them into our retail partner stores in effort to provide the ultimate flooring experience. We have attempted to connect the dots from our national ad campaign to the retail store experience. Ultimately, our goal is to build lifelong Mohawk brand advocates,” he said.

A more detailed explanation of the campaign is now online at www.mohawktoday.com.