Home improvement marketing help

By E. A. Moore Merchandising Manager Formica Corp.

f HERE is marketing help for

I everyong w.ifh a.stake in home improvement by identifying and using applicable promotion materials in this cooperative industry promotion and public relations program. There are tie-in elements for dealers, home centers, contractors, financial institutions, hardware dealers and utilities.

The growing home remodeling phenomenon can be the road to continuing volume growth if home improvement merchandising programs are on target. For many retailers, the national "Home Improvement Time" promotion can be an important cornerstone in these merchandising activities. Organized in 1966 by a group of building products manufacturers, trade associations. trade publications and consumer shelter press, "HIT" is an industry-wide promotion effort that offers as complete a selection of merchandising tools as are available anywhere in the industry.

"HIT" is a year-around program that hits its hardest during those spring and fall key buying months. Making it part of your merchandising program can help make the most out of the boom in home improvement consumer spending. Spring-Summer theme is "It's Home Improvement Time"; FallWinter theme, "Energy Management is a Family Affair - Improve Your Home."

The program is unique among building products promotions. The trade press support and consumer publication editorial coverage of the

The Merchant Magazine promotion alone can be translated into millions of dollars of valuable exposure.

It is also backed by two different 24-p. newspaper publicity supplements distributed to over 10,000 newspapers coast to coast.

A few things the promotion offers:

I A 4-color, l6-p. brochure full of remodeling and energy saving ideas for your customers. Space is avail- | able for dealer identification and selling message. A selection of free samples and literature from nearly 45 of the major product sponsors of the promotion are included in a sales portfolio and a merchandising file cabinet. i-

! An oportunity to tie-in with the promotion through a wide range I of point-of-sale materials. A selection of consumer oriented films that illustrate d-i-y home improve- ment techniques plus a visual selling center for conducting consumer clinics and point of sale selling.

To organize your "HIT" tie-in the best bet is start at the top. Write or call: James Stewart, administrator, "Home Improvement Time," P.O. Box 102, Carnegie, Pa., 15106, (412) 923-1560. Ask for, "How to Benefit in Home Improvement Time." It I will provide an explanation of the program and dl the order blanks necessary for acquiring promotional materials.

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