rsA FAMTfY AFFAIR ITPROYE YOUR HOME

THE new 1975 "How to ParticiI pate in Hone Improwment Time" booklet is being distributed to more than 100,000 members of the seven Sponsoring Associations: National Association of Home Builders, National Home Improvement Council, National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Assn., National Remodelers Assn., National Retail Hardware Assn. & Home Center Institute. National Assn. of Plumbing-HeatingCooling C ontractors, and National Environmental Systems Contractors Assn.

Also included in the mailing are manufacturers, financial institutions, utilities. and allied associations with an interest in the home improvement market.

Emphasizing the importance of local identification and availability of home improvement products and services with a national promotion, to develop sales for contractors and dealers, is confirmed by the results of a recent national survey.

Consumers responded to a question about the public's awareness of "Home Improvement Time" on a national basis as follows: "5.7% said they had been motivated by 'Home Improve' ment Time' and 56.2% had not, and 32.6% of the respondents said they had not heard of it." This is an outstanding result and demonstrates the impression in the market place that can be created when an entire industry including trade media,consumer media, manufacturers, associations, financial institutions, distributors, wholesalers, dealers and contractors all work together toward a mutual objective.

ln 1974,2, 132 newspapers report- ed they would publish "Home Improvement Time" supplements or special sections. In addition to these newspapers again repeating their section, the following consumer magazines have announced 1975 tie-in issues: Iloase Beautiful, Home Remodeling, House & Garden, Family Weekly, Redbook, Ameican Home, Famtly Circle, Workbench, Popular Mechanics, Popular Science. Better Homes and Gardens, 1001 Decorating Ideas.

Projecting the average annual home improvement expenditure to the 5.7% motivated consumers in the existing 70 million residential units, the group, who were motivated to action bY "Home Improvement Time," spent $1.5 billion at the local level last year. It has been conservatively estimated that this will increase by lO%in 1975.

Home improvement ranks first in most consumers' preference for spending their discretionary income and the objective of "Home Improvement Time" is to influence this disposable income by providing the merchandising tools to assist the industry in tell' ing consumers about products and services to help create better living for the individual, better energy management and an imProved communitY environment.

The national manufacturers, associ' ations and publications which financially sponsor "Home Improvement Time" realize that the major value is the local dealer and contractor parti cipation and involvement under the umbrella of the national attention focused on "Home Improvement Time." Under this umbrella, a number of

A l6-p. full color brochure is filled with remodeling ideas and prepared to create a desire for home improvement and energy management. A front cover panel and the entire back cover is blank to imprint a special tie-in sales message.

A special management, merchandising and marketing program file was developed by an advisory committee of successful contractors; a dealer advisory committee developed one for dealers. It explains the fundamentals of advertising, publicity and merchandising, with suggestions and materials to help implement the ideas.

Story at a Glance

The promotional eff orts Put behind May's Home lmProvement Time Promo continue to result in increased sales and Profits salesand advertising aids multiply as public awareness of the HIT Program grows.

A Community "Home Improvement Time" local cooperative promotion involves everyone interested in improved community environment, energy management and the joy of better living through home improvement. And most important, it increases retail sales. In one city during a "Home Improvement Time" community promotion,a dealer reported retail sales tp 44%; another reported retail sales up 36% and contractor sales up 22%. EverY business and retail establishment selling a product or service initiated by home improvement and energY management benefits.

In 1975, "Home Improvement Time" will again send two cameraready newspaper supplanents to 10,000 daily and weekly newspapers for use in Spring-Summer and Fall'Winter.

The Spring-Summer 24-p. suPPlement can be used anytime during these seasons, but a suggested date is prior (Ptease turn to page 31)

Western Lumber and Bullding Malerials tion. Mel Jaffee states that this is one of the strong points of National: training and opportunity the employees can see and believe in.