Digital Media

Strategy

Breaking Through the Boredom Barrier to Reach New Homeowners

Chase, Becky, Allie

The Wise Man Speaks…Again

"A brand can’t lead when it follows.

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When a brand follows, all it sees is the backend of whatever it is following.

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Find where your brand leads and lead it."

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-Roger Enrico, Chairman, PepsiCo

DIY and Rural are Opportunities for Lowe’s to

Create Preference and Lead

“Lowe’s with a store base that includes more rural locations compared to Home Depot (More urban and inner-ring suburb locations), and a shopper base that is more exposed to DIY traffic (75% of sales are to DIY customers versus Home Depot at 50%), has identified these consumer trends as an opportunity to increase share of wallet in suburban/exub/rural locations, creating an opportunity to build deeper relationships with its customer base while competing more directly with Farm & Home retailers such as Tractor Supply (with a store base that is nearly focused on suburban/exub/rural locations).”

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Source: Lowe’s Rural Store Concept, July 2023

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Our idea leans into the opportunities

for Lowe's to lead

Earth and Garden by Lowe's

Empowering DIYers to Create Stunning Outdoor Spaces

User Statement

Earth and Garden is Delivered through an Omnichannel App Experience

User Statement:

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Megan and Matt are first-time homeowners and DIYers.

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They want to confidently and cost-effectively take care of and transform their new home's outdoor areas to make their home their own and improve its value.

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They want to find the expertise and guidance to accomplish their DIY ambitions and aspirations.

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Customer Journey Mapping

Get the Word Out:

Use both traditional and online channels to reach a wide audience. Integrate with Lowe’s com website and promote the app in-store.

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Create Interest:

Use content marketing, social and digital ads, lowe’s.com, and physical stores to engage prospects. CTA: Visit the website, download the e-guide and join the email list.

Research the best solution:

Use content marketing, social and digital ads, Lowe’s.com and physical stores to compare. CTA: Free Trial

Download the App and Purchase

Seamlessly integrate the store, website, and app experience. CTA: Plan your project and head to Lowe’s.

Offer a seamless omnichannel Experience and contribute to the next’s person’s decision.

Keep the fresh and users coming to Lowe’s for their home improvement needs. Become the Go-To Place for home improvement needs.

Customer Journey Details

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Awareness: Get the Word Out

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• Social and digital media advertising:
• Run target ads on platforms like Facebook to create awareness among millennial first-time homeowners. Highlight the app’s features, benefits, and relevance to their gardening and outdoor improvement needs.
• Influencer partnerships:
• Collaborate with popular gardening and home improvement influencers to promote the app and reach a wider millennial audience.
• B2B Cross Promotions:
• Develop a relationship with a real estate organization and national home mortgage lenders as an introduction to Lowe’s Earth and Garden with coupons and a QR code to download the app and sign up when they purchase a home at closing.
• OTT
• Run ads on streaming services that are targeted to build awareness with millennial new homeowners.
• Integrate into Lowe’s.com:
• Create a dedicated app section to clearly highlight the app’s features, benefits, and how it can assist users in their home improvement needs. Add a prominent download button, “Download the Earth and Garden app.”
• Physical Stores:
• Provide in-store signage that promotes the app and its benefits and exclusive discounts for store customers. Have the employees become certified “Earth and Garden DIY specialists.”

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Customer Journey Details

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Engagement: Create Interest

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• Content Marketing:
• Create engaging, informative blog posts, videos, and infographics on topics like beginner gardening, building patios, micro-farming, and using lawn and garden tools and machinery. The call to action is always to learn more and download the app.
• Social and digital media advertising:
• Run target ads on platforms like Facebook to create awareness among millennial first-time homeowners. Highlight the app’s features, benefits, and relevance to their gardening and outdoor improvement needs with a call to action to learn more at lowe’s.com and download the app.
• Email newsletters:
• Offer monthly newsletters to share gardening and home improvement advice, app updates, and special offers. Encourage users to sign up through the app’s website and favorite app store.
• Website integration:
• After becoming aware of the app, potential users may move to the engagement stage, where they evaluate the app and compare it with other available alternatives. The website can provide detailed information, user reviews, testimonials, and comparisons with similar apps to help users make informed decisions.
• Physical Stores:
• Use the Earth and Garden branding throughout the store to signify products and services that are “perfect for DIYer homeowners.” Continue to train employees to deliver the Earth and Garden experience.

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Customer Journey Details

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Consideration: Prove to be the Best Solution for DIY Needs:

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• Content Marketing:
• Use video content, infographics, cheat sheets, checklists, cost savings calculators, webinars, and podcasts to convince prospects that Lowe’s Earth And Garden app is the best to solve their DIY needs. Emphasize how the app can simplify DIY projects, save money and provide personalized tips and the tools and guidance to get the job done. The call to action is to visit the website to learn more or download the app for a free trial.
• Social and digital media advertising:
• Run target ads on platforms like Facebook to promote the app features and benefits among millennial first-time homeowners.
• Email newsletters:
• Offer monthly newsletters to share gardening and home improvement advice, app updates, and special offers. Encourage users to sign up through the app’s website and favorite app store.
• Website integration:
• The website can provide detailed information, user reviews, testimonials, and comparisons with similar apps to help users make an informed decision.
• Physical Stores:
• Use the Earth and Garden branding throughout the store to signify products and services that are “perfect for DIYer homeowners.” Continue to train employees to deliver the Earth and Garden experience.

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Customer Journey Details

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Conversion: Download the App and Get Started:

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• App download:
• Make it simple for users to download the app from app stores and guide them through a seamless registration process. Offer an incentive, such as a free e-book on gardening, landscaping, and outdoor living areas, or a discount on home improvement tools and machinery for registering within a specific period of time.
• Limited-time offers:
• Create exclusive limited-time offers, such as discounted premium features or a free trial period, to encourage millennial homeowners to convert into users that purchase at the store or online.
• Offer In-store app promotions:
• Create exclusive offers or discounts within the app that customers can redeem at physical stores. This will encourage them to visit the store and engage with the app simultaneously.
• Implement Location-Based Notifications:
• Utilize geolocation technology to send personalized notifications to app users when they are near physical stores.
• Enable In-Store Pickup:
• Allow app users to place orders through the app and pick up their items from the nearest physical store.
• Provide App-Only In-Store Experiences:
• Create unique experiences or exclusive perks for app users visiting the physical store. This can include special workshops, demonstrations, and lessons on how to use tools and machinery.

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Customer Journey Details

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Retention: Offer a seamless omnichannel experience and contribute to next person’s decision

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• Personalization:
• Use data collected during the registration process to personalize the app experience for each user.
• App updates and notifications:
• Regularly update the app with new features, bug fixes, and relevant content.
• Community engagement:
• Foster community by incorporating social features into the app. Enable users to share their achievements, ask questions, or seek advice from other users. Organize contests or challenges to encourage user engagement and loyalty.
• Implement gamification into the app:
• Reward customers for purchases at physical stores. Offer badges for completion and rewards for moving on to the next DIY project.
• Personalize offers and recommendations:
• Leverage user data collected through the app to personalize customer offers and recommendations based on their preferences and past purchases.
• Send targeted notifications:
• Use the app’s notification feature to send targeted messages to users based on their shopping history and behavior.
• Offer exclusive in-store events:
• Organize exclusive events or workshops at physical stores specifically for app users.

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Social Media Marketing Objective

Lowe's aims to leverage social media to engage and empower millennial DIYers that are first-time homeowners. Through strategic promotion, we seek to drive awareness and adoption of our tailored Earth & Garden app, creating an online community of DIYers searching for valuable resources, expert advice, and inspirational projects focused on outdoor and garden projects.

Platforms

Facebook

STRATEGY:

Create and promote resources that help to build an engaged community around outdoor DIY projects, generating enthusiasm from Lowe's target audience.

Tactic #1: DIY Community Facebook group

Create a members-only Facebook group dedicated to outdoor DIY projects, targeting the interests of Matt and Megan and other millennial first-time homeowners. The group will serve as a hub for like-minded individuals to share their projects, seek advice, and exchange ideas.

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Tactic #2: Live DIY Workshops

Host live video workshops on Facebook featuring experienced DIY experts and influencers, guiding viewers through various outdoor and garden projects. Integrate the Earth & Garden app as a key tool during these workshops, demonstrating how it simplifies the DIY process.

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Tactic #3: Post Consistent Evergreen Content

Post links to blogs or other resources and photos of project ideas or infographics 1-2 times per day to stay top-of-mind and keep the audience educated on DIY-related projects.

YouTube

STRATEGY:

CREATE ENGAGING DIY VIDEOS WITH THE GOAL OF EDUCATING FIRST-TIME HOMEOWNERS, LIKE MATT AND MEGAN, USING EXPERTS AND INFLUENCERS, AS WELL AS THE EARTH AND GARDEN APP'S MULTIPLE RESOURCES AS A WAY TO PROMOTE ITS CAPABILITIES AS A DIY ASSISTANT.

Tactic #1: Create Entertaining DIY Project Videos

Produce a series of captivating and easy-to-follow DIY project videos that align with Matt and Megan's interests as millennial first-time homeowners. Highlight how the Earth & Garden app plays a crucial role in simplifying the projects, from planning to execution. Encourage viewers to download the app to access additional tips and resources for successful DIY endeavors.

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Tactic #2: Collaborate with Influential DIY YouTubers

Lowe's can partner with popular DIY YouTubers who have a significant millennial following and a focus on outdoor and garden projects. Co-create videos with these influencers, where they demonstrate the use of the Earth & Garden app in their own projects and share their positive experiences with it.

Pinterest

STRATEGY:

TO USE PINTEREST AS A SOURCE OF VISUAL INSPIRATION FOR OUR TARGET AUDIENCE SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN FROM OTHER HOMEOWNERS, EXPERTS, AND DIY INFLUENCERS ABOUT DESIGN TRENDS AND RENOVATION IDEAS.

Tactic #1: Create Eye-Catching Boards and Pins

Develop visually appealing Pinterest boards that cater to Matt and Megan's interests in outdoor DIY projects. Pin high-quality images of inspiring outdoor spaces and creative garden projects, linking each pin to relevant content within the Earth & Garden app. The best posting frequency for Pinterest should be at least 4 posts per day.

Instagram

STRATEGY:

BUILD COMMUNITY AMONG DIYERS, USING UGC AND INFLUENCERS TO SHOWCASE THE MANY FUNCTIONALITIES OF THE EARTH & GARDEN APP WITH THE GOAL TO INCREASE APP DOWNLOADS.

Tactic #1: User-Generated Content

Encourage DIY millennial first-time homeowners to share their creative outdoor and garden projects on Instagram. Use branded hashtags like #MyEarthAndGarden.

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Tactic #2: Collaborate with Popular DIY Influencers

Partner with influencers that are DIY-savvy and passionate about outdoor projects. Hire them to post engaging content that showcases the features and benefits of the Earth & Garden app. The influencers can share their own experiences, tips, and inspiration, which will drive consumers to download the app.

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Tactic #3: Post Consistent Evergreen Content

Post visually appealing photos of projects or infographics at least every 2 days to stay top-of-mind and keep the audience educated on DIY-related projects.

TikTok

STRATEGY:

TO USE TIKTOK TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE MARRIED MILLENNIAL DIYERS FIND INSPIRATION AND VALUABLE ADVICE FROM EXPERTS AND INFLUENCERS THROUGH ENGAGING VIDEOS.

Tactic #1: Expert Tips and Tutorials

Partner with influencers or DIY experts to create short, engaging TikTok videos that offer quick gardening tips, outdoor decor ideas, and step-by-step tutorials that align with Matt and Megan's interests and goals. It's best to post on TikTok on a daily basis, using engaging and informative content to keep our audience invested.

Measurement & Optimization

Organic Social Media Strategies

Paid Advertising Objective

Lowe's aims to leverage paid advertising to attract millennial first-time homeowners and increase awareness of the Earth and Garden app and online community. Through strategic targeting, paid ads will connect with our target audience at critical points during the consumer funnel, to ensure each user receives a personalized message tailored specifically for them.

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Platforms

YouTube Ads

Customer Funnel Phase: Awareness

Get the Word Out

• Audience 1: Target millennial users who have been to the lawn and garden part of the Lowe's site in the last 30 days
• Audience 2: Target married millennials who have recently bought a home

• Target DIYers with how-to videos for their outdoor projects to position Lowe's Earth & Garden as the industry expert and helpful guide
• Run non-skippable ads to capture more user attention

• YouTube is the 2nd-largest search engine (behind Google) with 3 billion searches per month
• 87% of millennials have a YouTube account
• "55 percent of millennial DIYers use YouTube for home improvement information" (source)

OTT

Customer Funnel Phase: Awareness

Get the Word Out

• "Millennials spend 1 hour and 58 minutes streaming versus 1 hour and 3 minutes on live television daily — almost twice as much time on streaming than cable." (source)
• "85% of U.S. millennials subscribe to at least one OTT video service" (source)
• "72% of OTT viewers can remember a specific ad they saw while watching content" (source)

• Target married millennials who have bought a new home in the past 6 months

• Showcase the benefits of the Earth & Garden app
• Use messaging to empower millennial DIYers and position Lowe's as a guide
• Millennials want a long-term partnership - create ads that highlight how Lowe's will be there for homeowners for their first home, second home, etc.

Display - Prospecting

Customer Funnel Phase: Awareness

Get the Word Out

• Use strategic targeting to compare which audience drives most conversions
• Use ad creative and messaging that highlights key benefits of the Earth & Garden ap

• The Google Display Network serves ads on over 2 million websites to 2.5 billion internet users each month
• This strategy can be extremely targeted and is cost-effective, with an average CPM of $2.32

• Audience 1: Target married millennials who have bought a new home in the past six months
• Audience 2: Target married millennials homeowners who have searched relevant KWs like "DIY landscaping"
• Audience 3: Target married millennial homeowners who have recently searched competitor KWs like "home depot gardening"

Facebook/Instagram Ads

Customer Funnel Phase: Engagement

Create Interest

• Demographics: Men and women, married, ages 25-40, who have recently purchased their first home or are in the process of buying their first home.
• Interests: DIY projects, home renovations, gardening, outdoor activities.
• Behavior: Users have visited similar home improvement or gardening websites or apps; Facebook marketplace searches are for DIY, gardening, and backyard items.

• Use ad creative such as carousel ads or imagery which displays the many features of the Earth & Garden app.
• Use video tutorials showcasing how users would use and benefit from the Earth & Garden app.

• 90% of millennials have a Facebook account and 42% log in daily. 87% log in at least once a week.
• 71% of millennials log into Instagram at least once a week.

Google Pay-Per-Click

Customer Funnel Phase: Consideration

Prove to Be the Best Solution for DIY Needs

• Target entire US, but use location bid adjustments to prioritize rural areas
• Target millennial age group
• During winter, only target southern states that are more likely to take on outdoor projects
• Run non-branded campaign to capture searches for high-volume keywords like:
• DIY patio
• outdoor DIY project
• outdoor DIY renovation
• DIY landscaping

• Include aspirational messaging that speaks to DIYers
• Include links to download the Earth & Garden App

• PPC advertising is a low-funnel strategy that allows for hyper-targeting on a keyword level
• Ads show at the top of a SERP for high visibility
• Agile, trackable, and utilizes Google's machine learning with responsive search ads and automated bidding strategies

Display - Remarketing

Customer Funnel Phase: Conversion

Download the App and Get Started

• Target millennial users who have been to the lawn and garden part of the Lowe's site in the last 30 days
• Use frequency cap of 5

• Use remarketing ads to stay top-of-mind for millennial homeowners and encourage them to convert
• Entice users to download the mobile app by offering discounts on purchases (76% of millennials are willing to provide personal information in exchange for deals)

• "97% of people who enter a website for the first time leave it without purchasing or taking action" (source)
• "70% of the retargeting audience is more likely to make purchases on a retailer’s website than they were before they were retargeted." (source)
• Remarketing ads have an average CTR that is 10x higher than display prospecting ads

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Measurement & Optimization

Paid Advertising Strategies

Resources:

• https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338828/us-users-having-a-youtube-account-by-generation/#:~:text=In%20May%202022%2C%20an%20online,the%20popular%20video%20platform%20YouTube.
• https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/millennial-consumer-demographics-infographic
• https://neilpatel.com/blog/ppc-millennials/
• https://thrivemyway.com/retargeting-stats/
• https://www.marketing-beat.co.uk/2023/01/12/millennials-personal-data-tcs/
• https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/02/10/google-display-network-targeting#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20the%20Google%20Display,users%20across%202%2B%20million%20websites.
• https://headerbidding.co/adsense-cpm-rates-2019/