Marketing Home Products

Last week’s International Builders Show in Las Vegas drew a lot of attention to the home and building industry, the housing market and economy. I was fortunate enough to sit down with the Carey Brothers and Rebecca Cole as they broadcast their national radio show “On the House.” Their radio segments gave listeners an insider’s [...]

The drive toward more stringent environmental building regulations—especially for existing structures—is taking a hit in this tough economy. New York City recently scaled back proposed regulations that would have required many building owners to undergo audits to determine which renovations would make their properties more energy efficient and then compelled them by law to pay [...]

With the increasing popularity and new mandates for green architecture and interior design, reliable third-party rating systems ensure that there is a consistent and quantifiable measure for what constitutes a ‘green home’ for both homebuilders and home buyers.  LEED for Home is a voluntary rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to [...]

Marketing Home Products in a Changing Marketing Landscape
As we all know, planning season is upon us…and what better way to prepare for our 2010 marketing plans then to identify the home products marketing trends for the upcoming year?
At K&A, we explored the latest and greatest marketing trends for 2010 and came up with our favorite [...]

Forecasters Predict Recovery Next Year
Good news: An overwhelming majority of economists and forecasters feel quite optimistic about where the economy is headed.
Not-so-good news: There is great discrepancy between these optimists regarding when the economy will truly get back on its feet.
While it’s impossible to predict exactly when an economic turnaround will take place, the consensus [...]

Outdoor living spaces have ignited fundamental shifts in how consumers use and view their backyards. They come at the intersection of landscaping, home improvement, gardening and design. They are spaces where spilling a glass of wine is not a catastrophe and throwing a ball is not reprimanded, but encouraged.
Today’s backyards have extensive landscaping, high-performance appliances, [...]

A Smart Company poll conducted last year­ found that 44 percent of companies had made plans to cut their marketing budgets in response to tighter economic conditions.
This raises a need for all companies and their marketing professionals to reconsider the quick fix and look ahead to an economic cycle change.
Long-time marketing analyst Graeme Chipp said [...]

One of the best ways to gain market share and create a strengthened competitive edge during difficult economic times is to sustain, and even better, increase your marketing budget. I know this “invest in the future” message sounds convenient coming from a marketing agency guy like me…so instead consider what CFOs and CMOs from the [...]

According to an article in MediaPost, “Today’s luxury industries are confronting a convergence of two trends:

Boomers entering a life stage when traditional materialistic values become less important, and
A recessionary economy that for many has decimated prospects for retirement.”

So, what does this mean for the luxury home market and how do today’s luxury marketers prevail in [...]

An economic and housing upturn is lurking somewhere in the future. With hope, new government plans and economic resources could make it happen sooner rather than later.
Where is the Potential?
BusinessWeek said that “housing starts are expected to jump to 980,000 units next year, and S&P economists are forecasting a 13.3 percent pickup in residential construction [...]