“Putting money on the bottom line requires a holistic marketing approach,” said Doug Knorr, president of Knorr Marketing (www.knorrmarketing.com) at the 2009 Western Home Furnishings Association (www.whfa.org) Conference and Expo held in Maui May 17 - 19. “Advertising alone cannot accomplish this goal. Instead, retailers must address every part of their business – from store branding and operational cost-cutting to public relations, websites and social media.”
Knorr led a two-part workshop titled, “New Game, Same Goal…Win!” that was conducted over two days during the WHFA Conference & Expo. At these workshops, Knorr presented a variety of handouts and worksheets to attendees while addressing such topics as: “Differentiating Your Company,” “How to Get Connected to Today’s Changing Consumer,” “How to Develop a Better Public Relations Program” and “How to Hold Your Business and Media Accountable.”
Doug Knorr, known as a “retail marketing activist,” is well-known in the home furnishings industry as he writes a column for the monthly NHFA Home Furnishings Retailer magazine called, “Turn it Around!”
To support Doug Knorr’s assertion that a holistic marketing approach is needed for successful retailing today, Doug said “The Internet has taken center-stage in terms of enhancing retail today. It is the only medium that allows the public to ‘self-elect’ what they want to view 24/7 at their own convenience.”
To emphasize the important role the Internet plays in public communications today, and why a retailer must present relevant website information to the consumer, Doug cited the following statistics:
- As of June, 2008, 72.5% of the population in the U.S. are online users, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. .
- 46% of women in the U.S. surveyed by “SheSpeaks” use social networks. More than four out of 10 women in their 40s surveyed in October, 2008 by “SheSpeaks” had a social networking profile. And over 70% of women with children ages 13 to 17 had talked about products on social networks, compared with 62% of all responding women.
- 62% of Internet users read reviews of companies and products.
- 80% of these Internet users said that the reviews affected their buying decision.
In other words, traditional communication mediums alone will not necessarily reach the consumer a retailer wishes to attract. And, while the Internet does include advertising, it is primarily an information-driven communications medium.
Knorr said retailers must go beyond investing in developing a website with attractive, relevant content. He said they must also invest regularly in “natural” Search Engine Optimization and “Pay-Per-Click” campaigns in order to drive consumers to their website which, in turn, will move the consumer “one click closer to coming into your store. That is the chief goal of today’s ‘click-and-brick’ strategy.”
Knorr went on to explain how non-advertising strategies, such as public relations, also play a major role in branding a retailer as well as driving traffic to a retailer’s website. He noted that a national survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation in March, 2009 asked online respondents to rate their likelihood to read and act upon five types of online “advertising.” The results:
- Articles that include brand information: 51%
- Email offers: 47%
- Sponsored search engine links: 39%
- Banner ads: 25%
- Pop-up ads: 13%
The Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA) is the largest affiliate of the NHFA (National Home Furnishings Association), representing more than 1,000 independent home furnishings retailers in more than 2,400 stores in 12 western states.
Knorr Marketing is a full-service marketing and advertising agency specializing in the home furnishings industry. The agency provides strategic planning, creative production, public relations, sales promotions, website development and media buying services. Headquartered in the resort community of Traverse City, Michigan, the firm serves clients throughout the United States.