11 minute read
Get with the programme / 54 Review rave
GET WITH THE PROGRAMME
Bridgerton’s back! But, if you’re not a fan of Netflix’s salacious show, why should you care? This month, Press Loft’s founder Nicola Snell explains how furniture businesses can benefit by getting ahead of TV’s biggest influencers …
NAILING YOUR PR STRATEGY
By NICOLA SNELL www.pressloft.com
Last month, Bridgerton returned to Netflix for its second season. You may be wondering why that matters to you – but as a furniture brand or retailer, it could be the difference between growing your brand’s recognition and reach in 2022, and not.
Season one of the show didn’t just break global viewing records when it aired – it also had a cultural impact and influence on which styles customers were hunting for when looking for their next purchase.
Alongside the show, Google searches for Regency-era styles grew by an astonishing +9500%. The French Bedroom Company also reported a +25% increase in styles that fit the ‘Bridgerton look’, including four-poster beds and ornate gold furniture. Similar trends were already being seen after season two barely hit the screens.
These trends don’t just relate to Bridgerton, with Peaky Blinders affecting sales of leather sofas and The Crown being partly responsible for the resurgence of velvet finishings on furniture. Even Squid Game was praised across interiors and architecture for its aesthetic design, becoming an inspiration and influence for many.
Beyond just sales, being aware of these cultural shifts and influences is essential for nailing your PR strategy too. As new series and films are met with excitement from viewers, journalists for consumer-facing titles are likely to run stories and guides for how their readers can achieve the ‘look’ for themselves.
Similarly, aware of the high traffic and engagement the trends are getting online, influencers and content creators are expected to highlight relevant products and brands too.
Of course, trends can appear out of nowhere and require a more reactive approach – but that doesn’t mean you can’t pre-plan for some. A quick Google search for ‘film releases this year’ or ‘series premiers 2022’ will bring up hundreds of lists and calendars – you can also find some free templates on Press Loft (we also have insight into which products more than 23,000 journalists are searching for).
From here, identify the ones you think your designs could organically fit within and start brainstorming how you could best share the product information and images with journalists and influencers. Don’t forget that long-lead print press will start working on a feature as early as three months before it goes to print, so be sure to share your assets with them as early as possible.
Whilst they’re a great place to start, to really get your brand and products front and centre, don’t just rely on alreadyloved, highly anticipated releases – as we all know that, these days, surprise hits often emerge. When reviewing your sales and search analytics, be sure to research what could be influencing sudden changes – as The French Bedroom Company did – and be at the forefront by pitching the story with stats to the press.
In an industry like furniture, where designers and manufacturers can’t (and shouldn’t) be designing products continually, being aware of the hooks that will help you place your products in press articles is one of the most effective ways to get continual press coverage. It’s not about creating products to specifically meet a trend, but instead linking it cleverly
DESIGNS
DESIGNS CGI – THE FUTURE OF FURNITURE EXHIBITIONS
Do you still rely on exhibitions and traditional expensive photoshoots to sell your furniture?
There’s a better way to get the shots you need – and you don’t even need to exhibit or pick up a camera.
At Chilli Pepper Designs we create detailed, scalable digital 3D furniture models, which can be placed in a scene of your choice, anywhere, and used in any way. This showroom is a CGI virtual model that we generated to prove it.
That means unparalleled flexibility, huge cost savings, and you can take your products to market in a fraction of the time you would usually associate with a traditional photoshoot or exhibition.
In today’s world, with lock downs, shows being cancelled, supply chain issues, shipping headaches, sampling difficulties all amounting to delayed product, and therefore lack of imagery to sell from, theres never been a better time to embrace CGI.
Get in touch – CGI is the future of furniture photography whatever the occasion…
BEST CGI VISUALISATION/ WEBSITE PROVIDER BEST NEWCOMER
REVIEW RAVE
Online reviews are key to building trust in the consumer community, and few stand to gain from engaging with them more than independent furniture retailers, writes Mike Fantis, VP and managing partner at DAC Group …
FURNITURE RETAIL SHOULD BE THE POSTER BOY FOR
BRAND-TO-LOCAL STRATEGIES
By MIKE FANTIS www.dacgroup.com
Customer purchase journeys now begin mostly online, yet when it comes to buying furniture, shoppers often end up in-store. It’s easy to see why – many still want to see and touch the physical product before they commit to such a big-ticket purchase. After all, it is much easier to judge the size and quality of a new table, or test out how comfortable a new sofa or mattress is, in person.
In a customer journey starting online and ending in-store, local reviews play a hugely important role. It’s something many bricks-and-mortar retailers often overlook in the brand-to-local-sales funnel, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Furniture retailers with both a physical and digital presence have a good opportunity to use online reviews to engage with potential customers. By taking a few simple steps and understanding how and why customers use reviews, furniture retailers can build trust in the community.
Google likes reviews Consumers tend to trust the opinions of their peers, and are often encouraged by what other shoppers say about their experiences. This concept, known as ‘social proof’, is well established in marketing. Google understands it, and so too does its search algorithm – positive reviews help businesses rank more highly in the organic search results, which can be hugely beneficial when linked to location-based searches.
Google reviews remain largely untarnished by some of the fake review scandals that have afflicted online marketplaces – this means customer trust remains high. So, encouraging customers to leave a positive store review on Google post-purchase can greatly boost your search presence.
Equally, prompt and consistent responses to negative reviews can mitigate possible reputational damage by demonstrating transparency. In some instances, responding and dealing with the review can lead the user to edit it – turning a negative into a positive – whereas an unanswered one is more likely to influence a customer to go elsewhere instead. Reviews and the sales funnel When someone reads a review of a particular store, they are demonstrating intent, and are likely to be researching and weighing up what you have to offer against other options. And reputation is hugely significant at a local level.
Reviews can also help retailers improve their operations and communications. They can identify specific pain points, giving insights into where you can take remedial action to improve the customer experience. Reviews can even uncover ‘hidden’ benefits and unintended selling points.
In addition, reviews can help you understand the needs of particular local audiences to guide stock control. They can also indicate how best to speak to customers and which tone of voice they will best respond to. This is something larger brands operating across multiple markets often overlook, but for retailers at a local level it can help build better relationships with their communities.
A window to your store Furniture is a major outlay, so there is always a risk of buyer’s remorse. When furniture shopping, consumers seek reassurance from experts as well as peers before making a decision. By engaging with online reviews, retailers can show the expertise that awaits a shopper in-store. It also reassures potential customers that you are willing to address any issues that may come up pre, during or post purchase.
Given its context, furniture retail should be the poster boy for brand-tolocal strategies, and it’s a way for the incumbents to differentiate against online competitors through their physical footprint. The fact so few do it well is a missed opportunity – especially since it doesn’t need a high degree of technical knowledge. In fact, reviews are a gift for traditional retailers to engage with customers at the awareness and consideration stage.
A reviews strategy simply needs a little time set aside each day to monitor, respond and engage. These efforts will soon be rewarded as search rankings improve – along with footfall
SATRA supporting you
SATRA Technology has launched a new furniture and floor coverings membership package, specifically tailored to meet the needs of these industries.
Membership provides businesses with a range of benefits such as bespoke technical support and advice through our technical team, helping businesses to understand current legislation, influence new standards and develop product specifications.
Also included are testing discounts, 20% of the annual subscription value returned in the form of vouchers and access to SATRA’s new online Furniture & Floor Covering Hub, a go-to repository for the latest industry news, technical information on standards and regulatory requirements, as well as industry focussed features such as polls. Find out more about membership by visiting furnishings.satra.com
The centre of knowledge for the furniture industry
Find out how membership can benefit you
++44 (0)1438 777 700 info@fira.co.uk www.fira.co.uk
#388 January 2022
www.furniturenews.net
#385 October 2021 www.furniturenews.net
HOT PROPERTY Sizzling CGI from Chilli Pepper Designs
D2C DIRECTIONS HOME OFFICE | BEDROOM LIVING | TRADE SERVICES
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30/09/2021 12:19
VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY
Join At The Helm’s bold adventure
JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW INDX FURNITURE | BEDROOM LIVING | DINING | TRADE SERVICES
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A man’s world? Evaluating gender equality in the furniture industry Behind the rise and rise of Qualita Forecasting the product trends of 2022
The International Alliance of
Furnishing Publications (IAFP)
comprises 17 of the world’s leading industry trade publications.
As the IAFP’s UK representative, Furniture News can offer exporters and importers market information, contacts and reach through the most effective B2B channels.
www.iafpalliance.com
20/12/2021 14:53
PICTURE PERFECT Sit pretty with Orbital’s award-winning CGI
#383 August 2021 www.furniturenews.net
READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS ROLLED MATTRESSES | TRADE SERVICES
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COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT
AWS has been ordered, to publish on its website homepage and in Furniture News, a fair summary of the Judgment handed down by Recorder Douglas Campbell Q.C in the case of ASR Interiors Limited (“ASR”) -v- AWS Trading Limited (“AWS”).
In the above case the court found that AWS have infringed three registered designs owned by ASR Interiors Limited. ASR’s registered design numbers 6050903 has been infringed by AWS’ Rose Chair, ASR’s registered design number 6050906 by AWS’ Roma Wings and ASR’s registered design number 605128 by AWS’ Two door three drawer Roma Sideboard. AWS has been ordered to withdraw from sale its infringing products and pay ASR damages to be assessed.
20/12/2021 19:51
AWS has been restrained by an injunction from making, offering, putting on the market, importing, exporting or using products which produces the same overall impression as ASR’s registered designs without ASR’s consent.
AWS was further found to have fabricated two documents it had put forward to defend the claims and its key witness was disbelieved. The court held that the fabrication of the documents to support a false defence was an abuse of the courts process. As a consequence of the manner in which AWS has behaved the IPEC costs-capping regime was disapplied and AWS has been ordered to pay indemnity costs to be summarily assessed. AWS has also been ordered to make a payment on account of costs in the sum of £25,000 by 4:00pm on 17 March 2022 and prior to the summary assessment.
A full copy of the Judgment is available at: https://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/IPEC/2022/372.html&query=(ASR)+AND=(v)+AND+(AWS).cgi
