Bob Agnew

(December 2011)- On The House Media (OTHM) is pleased to announce the addition of Bob Agnew to their expanding media communications team. Effective immediately, Agnew will serve as general manager, overseeing all programming and sales operations. Additionally, he will serve as a liaison for marketing and public relations.

On February 2, 2012, the company will also launch a new television show called “On The House”, which will air on PBS KIXE channel 9 in Redding, Calif. KIXE covers a 10 county area in Northern California.

“Our entire team is thrilled to have Bob lead our media franchise as it enters its twenty-sixth year,” stated James Carey, radio personality for On The House Media. “Bob’s unique combination of management capabilities make him exceptionally qualified to guide our team into this new broadcast medium.”

Along with the show’s launch, On The House Media will be collaborating their marketing efforts with Kleber & Associates, an Atlanta-based marketing agency who specializes in representing clients from the home and building industry.

“We are incredibly excited about this new opportunity with PBS and cannot wait to see the results from our expansion,” says Agnew. “I look forward to joining On The House Media and working with K&A to produce a great new TV show.”

To learn more about On The House Media, visit www.onthehouse.com. To learn more about Kleber and Associates, visit www.kleberandassociates.com.

About On The House Media
For the past 25 years, On The House Media (OTHM) has served as a nationally syndicated, multi-media franchise specializing in radio, digital, and multi-media platforms. Based in Brentwood, Calif., OTHM integrates home improvement and lifestyle into insightful entertainment for builders and homeowners. For more information visit www.onthehouse.com.

New Client Partners Leverage Agency’s Interactive and Broadcast Initiatives

ATLANTA (October 2011) – Kleber & Associates (K&A), an Atlanta-based integrated marketing and communications firm specializing in the home and commercial building products channel, recently announced its latest client partnerships: On The House, a national radio show hosted by the Carey Brothers, and Cadreas, an online community that aggregates and organizes critical content from and for all construction project participants.

The expansion of K&A’s Media Integration Division provides its current clients the opportunity to cross-promote their products and services across new broadcast and interactive platforms.

“Specializing in home and building products, it was a logical progression to expand K&A’s resume to include clients who also specialize in this industry channel,” said Steven Kleber, president and founder of K&A.

The agency’s partnership with On The House will primarily include external communication support and design.

“Steve and the K&A team are constant sources of information and energy in the home and building market,” said James Carey, co-host of On The House. “My brother, Morris, and I are pleased to be working with them in a strategic partnership as we combine our mutual passions for industry growth and community.”

The Carey brothers share their 55+ years of experience as award-winning, licensed contractors with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On The House. The Carey Brothers’ Associated Press syndicated newspaper column, four-hour radio broadcast and daily radio vignette offer audiences money-saving tips on building, remodeling and repairing homes.

K&A will also play an integral role in growing Cadreas’ online brand presence, providing a marketing strategy and assisting with social media efforts.

Being a source for all data needed for improving design and building project outcomes, Cadreas offers these amenities via a well-organized and easily searchable database on one website with tools that improve the value of the content.

“In today’s economy, it’s crucial to have a strategic marketing partner who knows how to reach our target audiences,” said Steve Goold, vice president of Cadreas. “We chose to launch our partnership with K&A because of their extensive marketing experience, industry knowledge and reputation in the promotion of aspirational home product brands.”

“I’m thrilled about our partnerships with both On The House and Cadreas,” commented Steven Kleber. “Both offer unique perspectives and opportunities to connect those in our industry for a greater good. As an agency, we aim to help promote and grow awareness of both brands.”

About Kleber & Associates
Kleber & Associates focuses on brand development for clients in the home and commercial building products marketplace. An independent agency with more than 24 years of measurable results, K&A is committed to providing its clients with everyday marketing value while maximizing their marketing return on investment. For more information, please visit www.kleberandassociates.com or call 770-518-1000.

About On The House With The Carey Bros.

James Carey and Morris Carey, known as the Carey Bros., are nationally-recognized experts on home building and renovation. They share their 55+ years of experience as award-winning, licensed contractors with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column both titled On The House.  For more information, please visit www.onthehouse.com.

About Cadreas

Cadreas is the design and building industry’s online community. Cadreas aggregates and organizes critical content from and for all construction project participants: manufacturers; distributors; retailers; design companies; build companies; property owners; property managers; developers; trade, green and award associations; municipalities; utilities; and service providers such as banks, insurance companies, appraisers and inspectors. For more information, please visit www.cadreas.com.

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Why look at an advertisement when you can smell, feel or taste the product? Feeling the need to work out of the box, advertisers now consider experiential advertising more effective and eye (or nose or mouth)- catching than a simple print ad. A few months ago, I wrote about Absolut vodka advertising in bus shelters, posing as faux-bars and providing a colorful and mouth-watering wait for riders. And there’s a billboard in North Carolina that actually smells like steak, triggering the senses of those riding by to crave some serious meat for dinner.

The latest company to embrace these off-the-page advertising ideas is Frito-Lay. In a time where consumers are increasingly concerned about where their food comes from and how it is prepared, Frito-Lay demonstrated the wholesomeness of its all natural products in the middle of Times Square last month. Set up with a fully functional Flavor Kitchen above the Hard Rock marquee, Frito-Lay Executive Chef Stephen Kalil, along with numerous guest and celebrity chefs, spent a week showcasing the natural ingredients that inspire and compliment Frito-Lay products. The event was broadcast on video boards in Times Square and on the Frito-Lay Facebook page.

In addition to the Flavor Kitchen, Frito-Lay is embracing several other non-traditional advertising outlets to engage their customers in conversations about all natural snack foods including a culinary web series, integration with the popular Zynga game Farmville, QR codes, and on-package bar codes. Frito-Lay saw customers respond positively to its Times Square event – in just 24 hours, the company’s Facebook page had 1.5 million new fans.

Also using Times Square as its promotional platform is Milk-Bone, when last year, to celebrate its 100^th anniversary, the company built a giant dog house in the middle of Times Square. The 480 square foot building was covered in 100,000 dog treats and housed a variety of activities for dog lovers including a pet psychic, pet palm readings, dancing dog demonstrations, and celebrity appearances. The event kicked off Milk-Bone’s 14 city tour and nationwide Milk-Bone Moments contest encouraging people to submit pictures and video of their favorite pet.

With events like these becoming more popular, companies are challenged to create campaigns that are increasingly attention worthy. Consumers want to be engaged by the advertisement, and they respond to campaigns that stand out from the norm.

What do you think of promotional events like the Frito-Lay and Milk-Bone events in Times Square? Have you ever responded to a similar campaign by watching a company’s videos, liking their Facebook page, or attending the event?

Las Vegas, NV

This year’s Kitchen & Bath show proved spirits are rising and purse strings are loosening a bit. A better turnout than last year, the show exuded enthusiasm and excitement for new design and innovation. We saw design take form in shapes, textures, color and restoration. Functionality and organization also proved to be must-haves in any kitchen or bathroom.

Organization Through Design
Since the kitchen and bath are two of the most used rooms of the home, you can understand how organization and design are vital. A trend in organization I noticed was utilizing space to the absolute maximum. Three brands in particular showcased vertical lifting cabinet doors for both safety and the consideration of space. Each with their own technologies and preference for design, Hafele, Blum and Jay Rambo highlighted their individually unique systems for under counter and drawer space with dividers, shelving and out-swinging storage. Hafele even had a desk that can be converted to a bed… all without disturbing the items on the desk!

Repurposed Beauty
Truly, one of the most unique products at the show was The Allstone Group’s fossilized wood sinks. These are made from petrified wood, which is transformed into stone with a hardness equivalent to quartz. You need to see these to get the full effect, but the sinks look like a slice of wood cut from a tree on the outside, and has a beautiful, smooth stone bowl, yet keeps the unique aesthetic characteristics of wood.

Any wine-lover would swoon over Native Trails’ new Vintners Collection, which takes old wine barrels and repurposes them for sinks and mirrors. Each is unique in its own right, as each barrel still boasts an original wine maker’s stamp and beautiful stains.

Color & Texture
Introducing a new line of Viatera quartz surfaces, LG Hausys showcased the many color options and applications available. These surfaces have more than 90% natural quartz and are a non-porous material, making it more hygienic and stain resistant. Moreover, LG Hausys is the only company to manufacture both acrylic surfaces and quartz surfaces exclusively in the United States.

Also debuting a new line at KBIS was Rocky Mountain Hardware, which showed off its Textures designer collection of door handles, knobs and push/pull sets. With seven different textures to choose from, this line allows users to mix and match knobs, levers and keyholes for a door set perfectly fitting a desired style.

To spice up a kitchen or bar area, Element Designs displayed its new eluma DecoPanel product, which is textured or decorative glass that is illuminated over a backsplash of seven different colors that can either cycle through or remain one color for complete customization.

Affordable Home Luxury
While most appliance manufactures have opted for the Consumer Electronics Show in lieu of KBIS, Dacor recognized the opportunity to show and made a splash with its new Distinctive line, a collection of affordable cooktops, ovens and dishwashers.

With outdoor living spaces becoming more popular, DANVER offers everything needed for entertaining and relaxing. DANVER displayed its stainless steel outdoor cabinetry and kitchens, and with warmer weather upon us, it’s a great opportunity to maximize a backyard or patio area with an outdoor kitchen, fire pit or stove. Additionally, DANVER recently began offering an insect control system, keeping outdoor living areas free of mosquitoes and other pesky bugs.

Moving indoors, Amerec steam showers offer an escape… either to start the day off right or end it on a high note. Rejuvenating, relaxing and therapeutic, Amerec showers can now be enhanced with high-end sound systems – whether they have steam capabilities or not! A new waterproof iPod docking station and remote control put music at users’ fingertips, all while keeping MP3 equipment safe.

2011 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show Preview

One of the industry’s biggest shows of the year is a short two weeks away. This year’s K/BIS will be held in Las Vegas and will host the world’s leading manufacturers of vitreous china, faucets, hardware, shower enclosures, countertops, bathroom accessories and more. Here are a few of the brands I’m most looking forward to checking out:

• Dacor: The well-known kitchen appliance manufacturer is showcasing its new line of designer appliances at K/BIS. Joining the company’s luxury product lines is Dacor’s Distinctive series, which will feature cooktops, ranges and double wall ovens.
• Blum: A leader in hardware and drawer solutions for kitchen cabinets, Blum will undoubtedly impress with its Age Explorer® demonstrations, revealing how ergonomics, aging and motion affects daily activity in the kitchen.
• Century Hardware: With more than 60 collections of decorative hardware for the kitchen or bath, Century Hardware has drawer pulls, handles and knobs to outfit all cabinets and drawers in any style.
• Hafele: Revealing its LOOX LED lighting system at the show, Hafele will demonstrate how LED lighting can not only save on energy, but strategically light certain areas of the home, such as under shelves or cabinets, behind panels or in drawers.
• Amerec: No bathroom is complete without steam. Amerec’s rejuvenating line of steam generators brings simple luxury and relaxation to the home or commercial bath setting.
• LG Hausys: Joining the 15 new sophisticated colors to its popular collection of quartz surfaces, LG Hausys will unveil its newest Viatera color straight from Korea at the show. Viatera combines natural quartz with advanced polymers to create a non-porous countertop material that is stain-resistant and hygienic. Currently completing work on a plant in Adairsville, Ga., LG Hausys will soon be the only manufacturer to produce both quartz and acrylic surfaces in the U.S.
• Kichler Lighting: Awarded with a Top 10 new Green Product at last year’s event, Kichler Lighting is sure to showcase more from its line of decorative & energy efficient lighting products, from chandeliers to bathroom and outdoor lighting.
• DANVER: Just in time for patio season, DANVER will have new patio heaters from EvenGLO on display at K/BIS in addition to its complete line of stainless steel cabinetry, grills and kitchens for outdoor living.
• Houzer: The stainless steel sink manufacturer recently announced a co-branded initiative with Schock that will allow Houzer to be the exclusive distributor of Schock’s granite sinks. With a soft launch at K/BIS, the two companies will unveil their product offering under the sub-brand Schock Houzer.
• RonBow: With a complete offering of bathroom products, RonBow can fit any home’s style. The company will display its wide range of sinks, lavatories, cabinets and countertops at K/BIS.

As detailed in our 2009 Marketing to Hispanic Americans White Paper, Hispanic Americans make up 15.1 percent of the U.S. population and are the largest minority group in the nation.

With that stated, marketing to this group is extremely important, especially through social media.

Why? Hispanic Americans are heavy social media users! For instance, many check Facebook every time they get online. More importantly, many click on Facebook ads that are relevant to their interests.

How can you market to Hispanic Americans with social media? According to a recent MediaPost’s Engage: Hispanics article written by Jose Villa, marketers can reach this group on social media by using personas.

“Personas are user archetypes that help guide decisions about product features, navigation, interactions and visual design,” Villa wrote. “I think personas provide an effective tool that can be evolved to include psychographic data to help brands effectively navigate the Hispanic social media waters.”

Through research for his “Hispanic Persona Project,” he and his team clustered the diverse group into five personas.

In Villa’s article, he shared three of these personas.

1. Super Users

2. Social Techies

3. Moderates

The “Super Users” do everything online and are early adapters and teachers of social media. They are always connected, and social media is their main source of entertainment. The “Social Techies” delve into social media because everyone else is doing it. Though, they are the first to respond to social posts and use social media to track people and friends. The “Moderates” are tech-savvy, but do not heavily use social media. They only use it to stay connected on an as-needed basis. This persona typically doesn’t use Twitter – only Facebook – and occasionally shops online.

Knowing and applying these personas, as you create social media campaign plans, should help you market to Hispanic Americans better. Furthermore, understanding these personas may even give you a unique opportunity to interact on another level.

Each year, our PR team travels to New York City to meet with prominent editors of top industry and shelter publications to showcase our clients’ newest products and initiatives, as well as overall industry trends.

This past week, Jordan, Laura and Shawn met with editors from publications such as House Beautiful, Better Homes & Gardens, Architectural Digest, Country Living, Traditional Home and Kitchen & Bath Business. They also hosted a blogger luncheon, including Sean Sullivan, Associate Publisher of House Beautiful, Jean Nayar the founder of The Happy Home Workshop blog, and Robin Wilson founder of Robin Wilson Home.

Check out our Facebook page for more photos from the trip!

Emerging still as the largest minority group in the U.S., Hispanics are responsible for more than half of the population increase during the past 10 years. The Census Bureau is expected to release numbers within the week about the nation’s population and the groups that compose it, but the numbers are estimated to be significantly higher than earlier projected.

A story from AP says “racial and ethnic minorities are expected to make up an unprecedented 90 percent of the total U.S. growth since 2000, due to immigration and higher birth rates for Latinos.”

K&A published a white paper in 2009 about Hispanic American’s influence on not only our culture but consumerism. As the largest minority group in the country – a group of now 50 million – Hispanics represent a rapidly increasing purchasing power… more than $1 trillion.

For those of us in the home and building products channel, Hispanic Americans are a highly-targeted group, as they have both population and purchasing power on their side – more so than any other minority group in the U.S. All consumer product marketing, for that matter, should pay special attention to their audiences, what they think and how they buy. Because there is a wave of newer influence from powerful minority groups, marketers must ensure the appropriate messages are reaching them.

Today’s post is a response to a Let’s Blog Off topic written by Trey Hoover, who is currently interning with K&A. For additional perspectives on the best advice ever received, check out these other responses to Let’s Blog Off.

As a teenager, I spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of future I wanted, what kind of career path I should take, and what kind of life I wanted to lead. I think this is pretty normal thing to go through; faced with a new chapter in your life, you start to think about all the potential that the future holds: what you can achieve, what you want to achieve, who you’ll be, etc. I have always been very success-driven, and I was just as much afraid of failure as I was hungry for success. After talking with my parents, they told me something that’s really helped give me direction:

“Just do what you love,” they said, “and everything else will fall into place.”

It may not be strikingly profound for a lot of people, but for me it’s exactly what I needed to hear. Sometimes it’s just so easy to focus on what you want to achieve and lose focus on how you want to get there. I believe it was Ralph Waldo Emerson who coined the phrase, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” I can’t be the only person who needs to hear that from time to time. In a world where everyone is multi-tasking, it’s important to step back and regain focus. You can spend your whole life chasing after what you don’t have, and you will never be happy. On the other hand, if you refocus your life around doing what you love, things become much more rewarding.

I realize that stamp collecting is not a viable career path for most people, especially parents who likely feel a lot of stress to provide for their family. Still, I’m pretty confident that just about anything, given the right spin, can be made into a viable lifestyle. The key to success is passion. A talented person with no interest is not going to perform at the same level as someone with little talent who loves what he’s doing. The simple truth is that many of us need to work a lot—perhaps to the point where work dominates our lives. If all of that time is spent doing something we hate, we let the joy of life get zapped from us. Aspiring artists often tend to give up their dreams in exchange for something more practical. The common train of thought seems to be, “I’ll never become successful this way, so I should settle on something more practical.” I’m telling you though, that with enough innovation, anything can be made into a viable career, it just may not be the obvious choice.

For me, I decided I wanted to go into business. I’m a second year undergraduate student at the Ohio State University, studying marketing. I landed on marketing when I realized I could use it as a productive outlet for my creativity. I still have a lot to learn about business and life in general, but I’m taking every opportunity I can find to get better. As I write this, I’m wrapping up an internship with Kleber & Associates, a marketing agency in Atlanta. In just a few weeks, I’ve learned a lot of things about the business world and the day-to-day challenges of marketing. It may not seem like a dream job, but for me it’s a great fit. Little steps like these bring us closer to our dreams. I’m not saying that you’ll find your calling right away; this isn’t about willing something to happen. Many of the directions we want to take our lives require a lot of ambition to get there. With enough passion and cognizance, virtually anything is achievable with time. Sometimes, just trying to get where you want to go is as much of a reward as getting there, too. Life is a journey, right?

Just do what you love! Find something that makes you happy and think of a way you can use it to provide value for other people. It may take some creativity, but I’m positive there’s something out there. Once you’ve found what you love, work stops being work. People can tell when you love your job, and you will certainly feel the difference it makes on other aspects of your life. If you work a full-time job of 40 hours a week, every week from about the age of 25 to 60, you’ll have worked about 67,200 hours by the time you retire. Don’t settle. Don’t spend your life doing something that makes you miserable. Take what you love, find a way to use it and enjoy your life, because you only get one.

Long gone are the days when a milk man delivered the milk. We have gained, however – especially with the Internet’s advancement – infinitely more services… way better, perhaps, than milk delivered to your door.

These days, there are services available to meet almost every need. We watch DVDs via Netflix, stream music and shows online, print pictures and documents at labs, read newspaper and magazine articles for free and so on. With these services, who needs to own physical DVDs, CDs, or even a magazine subscription?

According to an article in The Atlantic, the future of consumption means owning fewer products and using more services.

What if this theory of consumption expanded to home products?
For instance, the article quotes a post at Harvard Business Review by Henry Chesbrough:

What’s more exciting is how you will consume refrigerators in the near future. Will you even need to buy one? Perhaps manufacturers will lease you a fridge and charge a low monthly rate for managing your refrigeration needs. They might bundle energy costs in as part of the package and then help you find ways to reduce energy usage. They’ll probably invite you to share clever ways to use refrigerators, or comment on their own ideas, and innovate even better offerings next time. We will increasingly consume products like refrigeration as services rather than as products.

So, products such as refrigerators (and one could assume ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, etc.) could become services for your needs. In the future, we may all possibly save on energy costs and furthermore not worry about actually purchasing any of these products.

What home products would you want to see become services?