By K.J. Quinn
It’s no secret a general slowdown in industry sales and heightened competition from competitive floors is negatively impacting soft surface sales. But that hasn’t stopped one major fiber producer from bucking this trend through innovation and a new consumer-driven national ad campaign, all tied into arguably the most recognizable carpet brand.

Enter Invista, the world’s largest integrated fiber, resin and intermediates company, which believes such actions are necessary to stimulate carpet sales in a down market. By keeping carpet front of mind with consumers, Invista aims to drive foot traffic at retail and boost Stainmaster brand sales.

“Any way that we, as a leader, can continue to provide valuable, differentiating benefits to our customers and to their consumers, the better it is for the industry and in building consumer confidence as they spend their hard-earned dollars,” said Steve Griffith, vice president of Residential Flooring, Invista.

What makes this plan distinct from competitive promotional campaigns is it involves the Stainmaster carpet label, which maintains more than 90% awareness among consumers, with over 70% feeling it is better than most other carpet brands, according to Invista research. “We need to get a larger slice of the pie when it comes to consumer spending, so the ads will help with that,” said Ian Newton, general manager of Flooring 101, a retailer in Oxnard, Calif. Newton reports approximately 80% of branded fiber sold by the store is Stainmaster carpet.

Indeed, Invista officials say the timing is ripe for a full-blown marketing program, considering an estimated nine million people purchase carpet annually, and with the advent of the fall selling season. “This economic downturn won’t last forever,” Griffith declared. “Those of us with consumer brands and products want to maintain that long-term relationship with the consumer.”

By leveraging Stainmaster, a carpet fiber introduced by DuPont in 1986, Invista officials believe consumer confidence will grow as more people become aware of the style, luxury and performance benefits associated with the brand. “We know this campaign is really hitting the hot button with consumers,” said Sally Philson, Stainmaster director, consumer marketing, noting the program is based on consumer research commissioned by Invista which reports on what drives flooring shoppers’ preferences and motivations.

“That’s why, even in this very challenging economic climate, we’re putting so much investment behind this campaign, because we know what’s going to interest consumers to get the short-term purchase.”

New campaign, fall promotion

The ad campaign, which began Aug. 4, features new broadcast and cable TV commercials designed to generate more than 500 million consumer impressions. The message is Stainmaster carpets stay up to 30% cleaner and last up to 50% longer than other carpets and will bring more livable style to their homes. The program includes new point-of-sale (POS) labels and other retail merchandising aids.

“The POS merchandising supports the presentation we are giving the consumer, and tells the story in a visible, presentable and even more credible way,” said Phil Koufidakis, president of Baker Bros., a Phoenix-based retail chain. “Having these additional benefits and letting the consumer know about them is very important in every sale.”

Merchandising tools are key in leveraging the power of the brand in the showroom and further engaging consumers shopping for Stainmaster carpet, according to Gary Johnston, Stainmaster brand director. “A lot of consumers come into the market knowing the Stainmaster name and have a level of commitment to the brand,” he said, a finding cited in market intelligence reports. “So one of the best things anyone can do at retail is make sure the message is reinforced at the point of sale.”

Linked into the campaign is an offer from Invista—in celebration of the brand and to reward customers—which extends the limited warranty by five years for all Stainmaster carpet purchased from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31. Plus, when customers purchase a Stainmaster carpet along with a cushion by the same brand together, Invista will increase their limited warranty by an additional three years.

Dealers have the opportunity to order free in-store merchandising aids and schedule complimentary online training for their sales staff.

“The new promotion and the extended warranties remind these consumers they are getting true value with Stainmaster carpet and also give them an incentive to buy now instead of waiting until next year,” said Phillip Essig, CEO, Gulistan Carpet and Ronile. “We are supporting the Stainmaster promotion with our own sales and incentive programs at the retail level.”

R&D investments

Consumer research shows people buying premium goods are looking for well-designed, beautiful items but also insist they retain their “new” appearance with minimal effort or cost. Stainmaster carpets are renowned for high quality, durability and being easy to maintain.

“Our experience with Stainmaster carpet has been extremely positive and mutually rewarding to us and our retail partners,” Essig confirmed.

Since the fiber was introduced and heavily marketed by DuPont in 1986, Stainmaster quickly gained notoriety among consumers, who have a clear understanding of what the brand stands for. Stainmaster continued to evolve under Invista, a trademarked name given to the business unit when it was sold to Koch Industries in April 2004. Invista, which is combined with Koch’s KoSa subsidiary, offers a portfolio of some of the most recognized global brands and trademarks in their respective industries, including Lycra fiber, Cordura durable fabrics, Tactel nylon fiber and Antron commercial carpet fiber.

Gulistan has worked closely with Invista to develop products that perform as beautifully as they look. This is especially important for a mill which has carved a reputation as one of the leaders in premium high-performance carpet. “Every Stainmaster style we develop is rigorously tested by Invista before it is approved for sale,” Essig explained.

“We are both committed to fulfilling the promises of our brands; the actual performance in the home must meet or exceed the promises we make on the label, and we both stand fully behind those promises.”

To that end, R&D efforts have centered on extending the useful life of Stainmaster carpet, enhancing its green attributes (Stainmaster carpets made of type 6,6 nylon are recyclable back into carpet fiber or other end uses), and improving performance and value. “When we were part of DuPont, we depended upon another business in DuPont regarding chemistry,” Griffith pointed out. “Because innovation is such a critical part of the foundation of the Stainmaster brand, two years ago we began investing in R&D and chemistry innovation.”

As Invista researchers began to better understand the product, it led to the reformulation of soiling chemistry, a move found to improve the soil resistance. “This new formulation created surface structure on the face of the fiber that was unique and translated into an ability to protect against soil,” Griffith explained.

The end result was the creation of a new technology called LotusFX Fiber Shield, which enables more uniform fiber coverage and fast, easy soil release on Stainmaster branded carpets. Launched in July, “it is formulated using Invista’s proprietary formula and exclusive ingredients,” Griffith said.

The technology compliments three nylon fiber platforms used in Stainmaster carpets. These unique fiber platforms allow Stainmaster carpet to be manufactured with aesthetic and performance benefits not found in other carpets.

Luxerell, a fiber platform launched earlier this year, is positioned as a fine denier yarn capturing the natural luxury and beauty of wool but delivers a soft, cashmere hand. Tactesse, one of the existing fiber platforms, was expanded this year by the addition of a new fiber that provides additional body along with the traditional softness and high performance of the other Tactesse fibers.

ExtraBody II is a fiber platform that provides a rich, thick hand for products in the value and performance categories. “We have had great success with the Tactesse fiber, both in sales and with the performance of the product,” Flooring 101’s Newton said. “I expect the same with Luxerell. And the new ExtraBody II fiber has helped the Stainmaster brand compete with other unbranded products.”

Invista reports all the major mills have integrated the fibers into their enhanced portfolios. “These fiber innovations allow us to design products that capture the consumer’s aesthetic desires and form the emotional connection between the consumer and product,” Gulistan’s Essig said.

For example, Essig reports Gulistan introduced several carpets this year featuring the Tactesse fiber, including a better/best texture combination called Charm and Elegance, and a better/best frieze with a space-dyed accent named Camellia and Frisco. “These products have been very well received in the market and are selling strongly,” he said. “We currently are working on product introductions using the new ultra-soft Luxerell fiber, which is a perfect yarn for a luxurious, heavyweight and traditional saxony, like our Lovely Touch product.”

Dealers contacted by FCNews report a positive experience selling Stainmaster carpets, citing high performance and maintenance levels. Because Stainmaster fulfills the promise of its brand consistently for such a long time, consumers are said to be comfortable buying it.

Retailers concur Stainmaster remains at the forefront of innovation when it comes to carpet, and the latest fibers are a testament of that.

“Our cleaning technicians tell us they really prefer not to clean any other fibers,” Baker Bros.’ Koufidakis said, “because of the difficulty they have of getting the carpet fully clean and ultimately giving the consumer complete satisfaction.”