World Market Center plans $20 million ad campaign for industry
By Gary Evans -- Kids Today, 8/1/2009 12:00:00 AM
The Las Vegas World Market Center is planning to launch a $20 million, multi-year national advertising campaign in September to stimulate consumer interest in home furnishings.
Although the WMC will go it alone on the funding, it will have the support of the National Home Furnishings Assn. and the Western Home Furnishings Assn. and has reached out to other industry groups, including the American Home Furnishings Alliance.
In addition, the campaign has received the endorsement of other industry groups, including the Sustainable Furnishings Council, WithIt and the Home Furnishings Independents Assn.
The campaign will have the tag line, “Is It Home Yet?”
September will be billed as “National Home Furnishings Month” ending in a highly promoted 10-day national sales event.
The $20 million in funding will likely be spread over five years. The World Market Center said its owners, not WMC tenants, are providing the money for the campaign and consider it an investment.
Ogilvy North America has been awarded the creative contract for the campaign. The first phase will be supported by advertising, branding, education, promotions, sales events, policy efforts, public events, social media outreach and consumer research, officials said.
September was chosen because it is when consumers are focusing attention on their home, family and holiday planning, and because it leads to the critical fourth quarter retail sales period.
“This is a rare opportunity to bring together the entire industry for the benefit of raising awareness and positively changing the way people view purchasing home furnishings,” said Bob Maricich, WMC president and CEO. “Through this campaign, we will offer our partners the tools and resources they need to reach consumers through in-depth industry analysis and creative content that will reinforce transforming a house to a home. This initiative aims to unify the marketing efforts of home furnishings retailers and brands in order to deliver a powerful and emotional ROI to consumers.”
The campaign is targeted to the household's core furnishings decision maker — the “every woman” who turns to the Internet as her No. 1 source of information about the home, according to Market Research Insight data.
The advertising plan, which will consist of print, outdoor and digital components, will take a two-pronged approach — a national media plan will reach consumers who are looking for content about refurnishing their homes, and retailers will be provided a “tool kit” to help them activate the campaign in their local markets.
The core of the national campaign is a digital program that will be anchored by owning and designing the “Room Design” section of MSN's Lifestyle Web site, which will run from Aug. 24 to Sept. 30.
A display and search program will run on MSN and several advertising networks, and through the Google AdWords platform. National print ads and billboards will also be used.
“For years, families have thought about investing in their homes to make them more saleable,” said Doug Scott, president of Ogilvy Entertainment. “The goal of this campaign is to remind people that home furnishings help shape the way we live, and that making an investment in what's in your home is also a long-term investment in your family. We want to help make the old adage 'Home is where the heart is' a palpable reality.”
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