Marketing Home Products

Private employers hired the most workers since last April and the nation’s unemployment rate fell to the lowest level in nearly three years, according to the Labor Department.

Whirlpool’s fourth-quarter net earnings increased to $205 million, compared with net earnings of $171 million during the same period last year. Their North America region reported operating profit of $202 million for the quarter, compared with $53 million in the previous year. And for the full-year 2011, sales reached $18.7 billion, up 2% from the prior year.  Have you been watching the stock? Shares are up a full 20 points since mid-January!

In more general channel news — according to the U.S. Commerce Department — construction spending across all sectors reached an estimated $816.4 billion in December 2011, a 1.5% increase above the revised November estimate and 4.3% above the December 2010 results of $782.9 billion. Spending on residential construction was reported at $241.2 billion in December, 0.8% above the November 2011 estimate of $239.4 billion.

As the much-anticipated annual Builders’ Show opens its doors in just a couple short days, we’ve got our schedule filled with people to see, new products to admire and tweet-ups in which to partake.

A few brands to watch out for:

• Feeney: Proving that cable rails provide great design in addition to structure, Feeney will showcase its wide offering of custom cables, rails and hardware for commercial and residential applications.
• Masonite: Want to experience “Art in Doors”? Stop by Masonite’s booth at IBS to check out how doors are so much more than mere portals. The company’s new West End collection appeals to those with great design taste who seek modernity.
• Amerec: Anyone looking to add some luxury to their bathroom should check out Amerec’s booth at IBS, where the brand’s new T100 Touch Control panel will surely be the center of attention. The touch screen panel provides easy access to and control of steam and time settings.
• Gerber Plumbing Fixtures: Celebrating its 80^th year, Gerber will feature the Viper 1.28 high efficiency toilet, which provides exceptional performance paired with smart water savings, among the full line of vitreous china and brass offerings.
• Nuheat: Though the Orlando weather may not call for it, surely heated floors are irresistible. Nuheat develops custom and luxurious electric floor heating systems that provide comfort through virtually any flooring material.
• Danver: Ever expanding its product offering for the outdoor living trend, Danver will have on display EcoSmart outdoor fireplaces in addition to the stainless steel cabinetry they’re known for.
• Viance: Introducing its 2012 “Fish-More” promotion, Viance helps contractors gain more business by recommending the brand Ecolife for deck building.
• The Fortress Company: Fortress fence and railing products not only create safe surroundings, but contribute to the beautification of any property.

The K&A team will attend IBS this week in Orlando and would love to see you. If you’re attending and would like to participate in a short meet-up, (we could even feature your brand on our YouTube channel)… let us know here!

Yesterday, we dove into Search Plus Your World (catch up here if you missed it).

Here’s how this new social searching platform can have great potential for your brand:

Let’s say John Doe is looking to remodel his bathroom. Because Google is the largest search engine, we’ll assume he uses Google to search out how-to tips and product recommendations. For now, let’s assume that John Doe has a Google account. On his personal search page he sees a few of the people in his circles have +1’d a particular brand of paint and added photos to Google+ of remodeling projects they have completed using certain floor tiles. John Doe also added The Home Depot to his circles and sees posts from them about bathroom remodeling tips including videos they posted to YouTube.

Now let’s assume that John Doe doesn’t have a Google account. He searches for the same keywords and in the right hand side bar he sees several Google+ profiles from prominent remodeling companies and DIY stores. Next to some of the search results he sees a picture of the person or brand who authored the post.

Because people trust people they know and because the human eye is naturally drawn to pictures as opposed to text, the search results that are associated with a Google profile will most likely get more hits than those that are not. If your brand has a Google profile and is using it to its full potential, you could start seeing the benefits of Search Plus Your World very soon.