How the Beautifully Responsible™ Campaign Covers all the Bases for Selling Resilient Flooring

FLOOR ED

Lisbeth Calandrino

Flooring Specialist and Associate Publisher and Director of Social Media for Fabulous Floors Magazine

How the Beautifully Responsible™ Campaign Covers all the Bases for Selling Resilient Flooring

The pandemic has made us more aware of our planet and our environment. COVID-19 has brought about a global disruption that has affected our entire world. We are aware that less traffic has improved the air quality in many cities and other environmental and climate effects. Buying locally, supporting the independent shop owner, and buying online continues to increase.

Several studies support the theory that consumers have adapted to more sustainable behaviors. According to a study by The Boston Consulting Group, 40% of consumers plan on integrating other sustainable behaviors in the future and increase recycling and buying locally. Consumers are more aware now than before COVID-19 that there is a need for environmental action.

According to Suzanne Shelton, President, and CEO of the Shelton Group, the leading marketing communications agency focused on sustainability and corporate social responsibility, noted, that health was the key driver in home improvement today. According to Shelton, 63% of Americans said they were concerned about indoor air quality. And 41% of Americans want to be someone who buys eco-friendly products.

What are the Components of the Beautifully Responsible™ Campaign?

The campaign has been divided into three categories, easily explained to your consumer. Mindful Manufacturing™, Living Well,™ and Made for Life.™

Mindful Manufacturing™ is about manufacturers taking responsibility to create sustainable products. Simply for consumers, it starts with manufacturing, the life cycle of the products, and eventual discarding of these products.

Living Well™ has to do with how products perform and see they function according to expected standards. Poor indoor air quality can give us breathing problems and headaches; this results from chemicals called VOCs or volatile organic compounds, dust, and allergens.

Through Living Well™, products are tested and approved through third-party endorsements. Through FloorScore® and the ASSURE CERTIFIED™ (for rigid core), these products are certified to promote indoor air quality due to the reduced VOC content.

Made for Life, ™ relates to durable floors that will be long-lasting, with advanced scratch and stain resistance. Resilient floors have a lifespan of at least 20 years or longer if cared for properly.

Several studies support the theory that consumers have adapted to more sustainable behaviors.

According to a study by The Boston Consulting Group, 40% of consumers plan on integrating other sustainable behaviors in the future and increase recycling and buying locally

What Does this Mean to You? Customers Will Buy Responsibly if You Explain What’s in It for Them, and You Make It Easy!

In reality, we don’t make it easy. You have just finished a bottle of water, and the sign on the store says, “We recycle.” You look for the proper trash bin, but nothing is labeled.

You’re not sure if you should take the cap off, leave it on and rinse out the bottle. Since you’re feeling a little embarrassed, you stick it in your pocket or purse and leave. Maybe we don’t make it easy for our consumers to participate or understand all the jargon.

What about your store? Does it show environmentally responsible practices? Do you have signs on the wall about recycling and practices that your company follows? For instance, do you use recycled paper in your bathroom, posters on the wall about your environmental practices, is your garbage mixed with recyclables?

What about your social media? Do you brag about your products and practices?

Since we are all disinfecting, we have become more aware of indoor air quality. What will kill the germs? Is this bad for my hands? Is the odor harmful to my lungs? We buy kitchen appliances, and there’s a label about their energy efficiency. We’re concerned about their efficiency.

For instance, now we know that many consumers recycle, buy appliances that have information about energy efficiency, and if you’ve purchased a car recently, you’re familiar with fuel efficiency. The signs are out there in other industries. It’s your job to educate your consumers.

Help Consumers Deep Dive into Their Psyche and Get Them to Talk About Their Environmental Concerns and Changes in Buying Habits

Previous reasons for not buying green products were pricing, consumer concerns about whether the products were as good as those they were used to, or not knowing.

For instance, now we know that many consumers recycle, buy appliances that have information about energy efficiency, and if you’ve purchased a car recently, you’re familiar with fuel efficiency. The signs are out there in other industries. It’s your job to educate your consumers.

Remember, we say that long-term effects are significant, but consumers buy because of “what’s in it for them right now.” They want to recoup their investment right away. Surveys tell us that consumers want a two-year return on premium prices, but 70% of green appliances take much longer.

The Growth of Resilient Flooring is Exploding.

According to RFCI President and CEO Dean Thompson, “The growth has been fueled by design innovation, installation, and the value of the category. (Value is based on total system cost: it costs more to buy and install other categories.) It has not always been known as the most environmentally conscious format. This campaign will help change this perception.”

Let’s face it; LVT is hot and easy to sell, but when I listen to online group conversations, almost all the comments are about how vinyl is not recyclable. Vinyl can be recycled pre-installation; post-installation presents a challenge separating the glue from the product, but manufacturers are working on it. You can explain to your customers that recycling issues will be conquered with a product life span of 20+ years. For post-installation recycling to be completed, we must collect it and have someone who can recycle it.

How Does the Beautifully Responsible Campaign Add Value to Your Sale and the Consumer?

1. Commit to educating your customers on resilient products and how the campaign has impacted the industry. Customers don’t know what questions to ask, so

YOU will have to take the lead. 2. Commit to educating yourself on what the campaign means and the changes that are taking place in our industry. Let consumers know that resilient flooring is an environmental leader in our industry. 3. People buy from people who they like, who are trustworthy, and who have expertise. This is your opportunity to grow your industry knowledge and become an expert. 4. The only way we will be able to move the recycling issue forward is to educate ourselves and the consumer. Salespeople need to help their consumers change their behavior. Remove the barriers between “I want to, and yet I don’t.” 5. Realtors are becoming certified through the National Association of Green

Realtors®; green products have value. This would be an excellent group to invite in and introduce the Beautifully Responsible Campaign or offer to be a speaker at one of their meetings. 6. Look for opportunities to share your knowledge and grow your business with architects, interior designers, and builders who are unfamiliar with industry changes.

If the consumer buys a resilient floor, we must educate them on the Beautifully Responsible Program and thank them for their commitment to the environment and our world. If it were my customer, I would make sure they received a certificate thanking them for buying resonsible. ❚ Commit to educating your customers on resilient products and how the campaign has impacted the industry. Customers don’t know what questions to ask, so YOU will have to take the lead.