By Louis Iannaco
Springtime brings flowers in bloom, temperatures on the rise and seasonal promotions offered by the industry’s major carpet producers. These innovative programs are designed to entice and excite dealers and salespeople alike, some of which follows.

Beaulieu of America

A new sales incentive has dealers earning a $200 American Express Gift Card for every 200 square yards of any Bliss carpet style (except Bliss for Kids) they sell between April 1 and May 31. Sales verification must be postmarked by June 30.

“This is the first gift card promotion in our history,” said Patricia Flavin, senior vice president of marketing. “Response has been extremely positive; we’ve already tested it and it’s working very well.”

Beaulieu territory managers are also given incentives during this period. “Everyone wins, especially our dealers,” Flavin said. “There’s no limit to how much they can earn during the promotional period and virtually no limit where they can use the card.”

Beaulieu saw the gift card promotion as a way to counteract the sluggish economy. “We ran the AMEX Gift Card promotion at this time to give the retail sales professional a tangible dollar amount that they can spend anywhere American Express cards are accepted,” said Mike McAllister, Beaulieu’s vice president of marketing information systems and team leader for development. “They can use them to buy a luxury item for themselves, or to pay for everyday bills such as gas or groceries. We felt in this ‘challenged’ economy they could use a bonus to stretch their take home pay.”

According to McAllister, the program to date has received a very strong response. “Judging from the amount of registrations we have received in the past week, it looks like this promotion has been well received by the retail sales professionals.”

In anticipation of the promotion, Sean Bashian, owner of Sebastian’s Flooring & Kitchen Cabinets in Ontario, Calif., said he doesn’t necessarily have to use the gift cards for himself. “I can use the card as a gift to pass along to our clients who make the purchase.”

McAllister concluded that the promotion benefits both the retailer and consumer. “The sales professional gets $200 for every 200 yards of Bliss he or she sells and the consumer gets a fabulously styled product that will meet her fashion needs and look good for years to come.”

For more information, call 800.227.7211.

Mohawk Industries

Once again, the mill and its aligned retailers are partnering to create a national selling event that has proven effective in building store traffic, significantly increasing sales and strengthening the brand position of Mohawk aligned retailers.

According to Manny Llerena, vice president, retail marketing, the company’s Colors of Spring sale is being highly anticipated by participating Mohawk Floorscapes, Mohawk ColorCenter and Mohawk Floorz dealers— many of whom have structured their own advertising/promotion plans in conjunction with the event.

This is the sixth year that Mohawk has done national sales events with its aligned dealers. “We have a strong history of success with Colors of Spring,” Llerena said. “We’ve worked with our dealers to improve and fine-tune the elements of this program, and each year we discover new ways to create business.”

The event, which runs through May 3, will be supported with a variety of advertising and promotional tools, including:

• National cobranded television advertising on networks including HGTV, Fine Living, DIY, Plant Green, TLC, A&E and Style.

• National print advertising in key consumer shelter publications, including House Beautiful, Elle Décor, Woman’s Day, Traditional Home, and Better Homes and Gardens Specialty Publications.

• A special finance offer with no payments and no interest until April 2010.

• A consumer sales incentive structured around Mohawk FloorCare Essentials.

• Exclusive local custom television spots featuring Mohawk handyman and HGTV star Chip Wade.

• Direct mail that can be customized by store. • Extensive point-of-purchase kits designed to build excitement throughout the sale period.

• Online support, with promotion on HGTV, Fine Living, Home Portfolio.com and other sites plus, special dealer locator functions to drive online traffic to dealer stores and Web sites.

Llerena said that with Mohawk’s acquisition of Wear-Dated, this year’s sale also has extra benefits for retail salespeople. “We are offering a multiple-tiered sales incentive program that lets retail sales associates earn rewards through both Mohawk Infinite Rewards and Wear-Dated’s Rewards for Life. In fact, there are some styles where retail sales associates can earn as much as 70 points per square yard in the Infinite Rewards and Rewards for Life programs.”

Llerena noted that many participating dealers have structured their own television, radio, print and direct mail programs to coincide with the national sale. “Research by The Wall Street Journal and the Harvard Business Review shows that businesses which continue to advertise in down times gain market share over competitors who don’t promote,” Llerena said. “And when the economy recovers, they tend to keep the market share they gained, resulting in overall higher revenues.”

To learn more, see your Mohawk representative.

Shaw Industries

In coordination with Shaw Industries’ second sponsorship of the 2009 HGTV Green Home Giveaway, the company is launching its biggest promotion yet, Spring is Green ( FCNews, March 9/16). The promotion began March 1 and ends June 7. Spring is Green will feature national TV, print and online advertising, including a $200-off all Shaw Flooring consumer coupon, as well as retailer incentives and in-store support which follows through on the company’s WIC (Web, in-store, consumer) marketing model.

“During the challenging business climate, offering our retailers relevant tools to better their business is invaluable,” said Reggie Newton, Shaw’s vice president of marketing.

To aid retailers in preparing for Spring is Green, an in-depth promotional guide was mailed to retailers. From local advertising materials to roll incentives to Anso nylon bonus co-op opportunities to Shaw Rewards, the guide is a detailed one-stop resource, Newton said. Additionally, the guide offers colorful visuals of promotional support and more information regarding the components that include:

• HGTV Green Home— Shaw is once again the exclusive flooring provider and sponsor for the HGTV Green Home Giveaway. One lucky winner will receive the fully furnished, custom-built 2009 HGTV Green Home this spring.

• National advertising— Spring is Green is being supported by television spots that began March 7 on the DIY, TLC and HGTV networks. Also, a national print campaign will appear throughout the spring in Country Living, Sunset, Traditional Home, Southern Living, House Beautiful Special Interest Publications and more.

• Local marketing support— Shaw is offering retailers a wealth of in-store and a local advertising materials, which coordinate with the Spring is Green look and messaging. On shawadsource.com, retailers will find newspaper ads, customizable direct mail, TV spots, radio scripts and may order outdoor banners and other materials.

• Shawfloors.com consumer coupon—For the third consecutive season, Shaw will be offering a consumer coupon on shawfloors.com. Consumers may download coupons for $200 off all Shaw flooring, including the company’s recyclable Anso nylon and eco-friendly Epic hardwood. This spring, Shaw has doubled the amount of the coupon. According to Newton, the increased coupon amount might sway a consumer to purchase who has been hesitant due to the economy. Participation in the shawfloors.com coupon program is limited to Shaw Design Center, Shaw Flooring Network and Anso Premier Dealer retailers. To register, visit www.shawfloors.com/retaileragreement.

• Retailer incentives—From credit buydowns to Anso nylon retailer roll incentives, the mill is making it easy to sell Shaw. Plus, shawrewards.com and “Shaw Me the Money” offers enhanced rewards in all carpet, rugs and hard surfaces during Spring is Green for all Shaw retailers and double on carpet and rugs for Shaw Flooring Network retailers.

In addition to Shaw Rewards, sales associates can also earn bonuses with Anso Capture the Spirit sales incentives. Dealers will receive a rebate of up to $100 cash per roll on every roll purchase of Anso nylon products. Furthermore, dealers can earn up to $800 in bonus co-op funds.

For more information or to register your sales team, visit shawrewards.com and ansoCTS.com.