Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
Issue link: http://kitchenbathdesign.epubxp.com/i/101524
ns itche % K 78.0 s s Bath odel .2% 73 l Rem artia s % P Room 61.0 s ndry oom au ent R % L m 22 . 8 rtain Ente es % 19.5 Offc consumers are no longer DIGITAL AND SOCIAL ome H interested in sustainable MEDIA INFLUENCES .1% ms 17 R oo Mud products just for the sake of As the industry emerges e s % The 15.4 e of being green, notes Campbell from the multi-year slump Non .7% ���Today, they demand sustainit has experienced, many as5 r Othe able products that not only pects of reaching and selling 4.9% perform, but also make it easy to customers has changed ��� to be green. If a green prodboth from the manufacturer uct has a cost or functional standpoint and the kitchen benefit over conventional and bath dealer point of view. products, only then does it Though the Internet was makes sense,��� he comments. already becoming an alternaIndeed, industry leaders tive sales and marketing tool acknowledge that, during prior to the economic crash, these tough economic times, its importance in today���s marconsumers have not been ket ��� as well as that of social willing to pay a premium media ��� is unmistakable. manently altered the path to channel marketing for the for green. And, in fact, while While respondents to the purchase), and Urban UprisPiscataway, NJ company. there remains a lot of empharecent kitchen and bath suring (the living small concept sis on sustainability, Wheeler vey are split as to whether is getting bigger as revitalDESIGN FOR ALL AGES notes, ���Regulation is currentthey will add more dollars to ized urban centers draw more The aging population will ly driving sustainability.��� their marketing budgets in transplants). likely continue to garner atNowhere is that more ap2013, they are embracing the tention in 2013, with most parent currently than with Internet and social media in a TECHNOLOGY manufacturers in the kitchen regard to water conservation. big way to market their busiWITH A TWIST and bath market acknowl���We know the water-savnesses. Those responding to For the kitchen and bath edging the importance of ing trend will continue into the survey placed the use industry, technology in the reaching the Baby Boomer the future,��� reports Hudec. of social media at the top of home can mean anything generation ��� and their much���For example, there are curtheir strategy lists for 2013, from touchless faucets and touted disposable income. programmable showers to ���Products geared to Boom61.8% Update Website appliances that can be coners will continue to grow 46.3% Market Firm Through Social Media trolled from a remote location. ��� especially since this seg���Consumer electronics ment represents 44 percent of 38.2% Update Showroom have invaded our homes��� the U.S. population,��� stresses 30.9% Partner with Allied Professionals and they���re not going away,��� Campbell. ���Boomers don���t stresses Kevin Campbell, consider ���aging in place,��� but 26.0% Increase Media Presence Through TV/Radio senior director of marketingrather ���living in place.��� And, as 25.2% Offer Seminars/Special Events Wholesale for Moen in North they do, they���ll continue to in23.6% Increase Marketing Through Community Involvement Olmsted, OH. ���The digital vest in their homes to ensure world may be constantly a safe, comfortable and stylish 22.8% Update Product Offerings evolving and changing, but living place,��� he adds. 21.1% Run Promotions one thing is certain: As tech���The baby boomer popunology continues to inpltrate lation is the largest segment 20.3% Expand Services virtually every aspect of our of the population, and people 16.3% Increase Print Marketing lives, and every nook and are aging in their homes and 3. KEY GROWTH AREAS EXPECTED IN 2013 cranny of our homes, manufacturers will be challenged to develop solutions that make the tech invasion as seamless ��� and stylish ��� as possible. To that end, Krakoff believes ���we will see the greatest gains in products that show serious leadership or performance advantages in resource conservation.��� While American Standard wants to bring electronic products into the home, ���we also want to make sure that these products are very purposeful, that they���re not gimmicky, that they���re not something that doesn���t improve life for the consumers,��� notes Michele Hudec, v.p. of staying alive longer,��� agrees Hudec, ���so aging in place is going to be one of the single most important forces in home building and in remodeling going forward for at least the next 10 years.��� Rottinghaus believes that homeowners are looking to simplify their homes in style and function and ultimately prepare for the future. ���Universal Design products create an atmosphere of comfort for the entire family, and this trend will only increase in the new year,��� she o���ers. NEW SUSTAINABILITY Moen���s Market Research and Insights shows that many 15.4% Discount Products/Services 11.4% Offer Partial Remodels 3.3% Other rently pve states that demand that water-conserving toilets be installed in new construction. We only see that only increasing.��� ���With regard to watersaving products ��� that attribute must be part of a larger story, such as new design, high function, technology, etc.,��� believes McJoynt. ���Industry professionals and homeowners are coming to expect that water-saving features are part of the overall package.��� 4. DEALER/ DESIGNER STRATEGIES FOR 2013 with 61.8 percent saying that they planned updates to their Web sites and another 46.3 percent planning to market their firms through social media (see Graph 4). And, according to the Smart Kitchen study released earlier this year by the Research Institute for Cooking & Kitchen Intelligence (RICKI), 44% of consumers who remodeled or made improvements to their kitchens in the past year turned to the Web, social media and spe- January 2013 cialty apps for more info. ���This approach to resea rch i ng project s is transforming how we market and sell products,��� conprms Rottinghaus. ���We are being challenged to interact with customers in more places, which is driven by the new ways they are shopping and acquiring information.��� ���RIGHTSIZING��� With the continued trend toward clean, uncluttered looks and the growth of the Baby Boomer segment, ���small��� and ���sustainable��� are expected to be hot buzzwords in 2013. ���With people right-sizing their living quarters, downsizing to condos and town homes and the continued growth of urban living, smaller-scale products have high appeal,��� o���ers McJoynt. ���These types of products have high design, fit in smaller spaces and improve the overall experience.��� ���Many indications that the post-2008 new homes may be smaller, more sustainable and more value-focused present manufacturers with opportunities to present new options (and sometimes tried-and-true solutions) to homeowners who have re-prioritized their wants and needs,��� reports Tammy Weadock, marketing communications manager, Wilsonart in Temple, TX. ���This doesn���t mean consumers are going to be willing to ���settle��� ��� they���re simply going to be looking for products that deliver high value while maintaining the sense of beauty and wonder they���ve gotten used to.��� ���Value added is key for 2013,��� adds Lorenzo Marquez, marketing v.p., Cosentino North America in Stafford, TX. ���This extends from design, sustainability and reusability of the products.��� ���Many of us will focus on sensible, ���smart��� choices that add value to our surrounds,��� concludes Weadock. ���And value can be interpreted not only as low cost, but more importantly, extra features: beauty, functionality, sustainability and access.��� ForResidentialPros.com | 29