This campaign plan was for the first class I completed in West Virginia University's Integrated Marketing Communication masters' program. In six weeks, I completed a preliminary environmental audit and marketing campaign encompassing PR, advertising, and sales promotions in addition to learning about many of these topics for the first time.

1. 1
Genifer
Snipes
IMC610
October
20,
2014
Your
Home,
One
Project
at
a
Time:
The Home Depot IMC Campaign Plan

2. 2
Contents
Executive
Summary
........................................................................................................................
3
The
Home
Depot
Company
Background
Information
....................................................................
4
Target
Audience
Profile
................................................................................................................
11
SWOT
Analysis
..............................................................................................................................
14
Marketing
Campaign
Objectives
&
Strategies
..............................................................................
15
Creative
Strategy
Statement
........................................................................................................
16
Creative
Brief
................................................................................................................................
17
Sample
Creative
Execution
–
Online
Commercial
........................................................................
18
Advertising
Media
Plan
.................................................................................................................
20
Public
Relations
Plan
....................................................................................................................
22
Direct
Marketing
&
Sales
..............................................................................................................
24
Measurement
Tactics
...................................................................................................................
25
Conclusion
....................................................................................................................................
28
References
....................................................................................................................................
29
Appendix
......................................................................................................................................
32

3. 3
Executive
Summary
The
Home
Depot
is
the
best
place
to
go
for
the
products
and
support
that
will
help
our
customers
make
their
houses
into
beautiful
homes.
The
“Your
Home,
One
Project
at
a
Time”
IMC
campaign
will
enable
us
to
communicate
that
fact
to
promising
new
audiences.
Company
Overview
Founded
in
Atlanta,
Georgia
in
1978,
The
Home
Depot
is
the
world’s
largest
home-­‐
improvement
superstore
with
store
presences
in
the
United
States,
Mexico,
and
Canada.
In
the
United
States
alone,
Home
Depot
employees
more
than
300,000
people
into
over
2000
stores,
all
dedicated
to
helping
Home
Depot
customers
find
the
products
and
tools
they
need
to
conquer
their
home
improvement
and
construction
projects.
The
Home
Depot
is
the
market-­‐leader
among
home
improvement
chains,
with
a
stock
price
almost
double
that
of
its
nearest
competitor,
Lowe’s
Home
Improvement,
and
a
positive
outlook
for
the
current
financial
year
thanks
to
the
rebounding
U.S.
housing
market.
The
Home
Depot
brand
is
also
supported
by
a
robust
marketing
program
that
encompasses
traditional
and
digital
advertising,
direct
marketing,
sales
promotions,
and
a
wide
array
of
content
marketing
and
social
media
programs.
Marketing
Audience
Our
target
audience
for
the
“Your
Home,
One
Project
at
a
Time”
campaign
is
married,
well-­‐
educated
women
in
their
mid-­‐twenties
to
early
thirties
who
work
full-­‐time,
and
enjoy
renovating
their
homes,
working
in
the
garden,
and
other
DIY
types
of
projects
in
their
free
time.
The
projects
they
work
on
with
their
spouses
provide
a
sense
of
accomplishment
and
self-­‐
sufficiency
outside
of
work
and
are
major
pastimes
for
these
couples.
They
are
technologically
adept,
though
not
early
adopters,
active
on
social
media,
and
expect
a
high
level
of
quality
and
service
from
the
stores
they
patronize.
“Your
Home,
One
Project
at
a
Time”
Campaign
Objectives
• Increase
preference
for
Home
Depot
over
competing
brands
in
target
market
by
30%
over
12
months
• Increase
amount
of
per-­‐visit
sales
by
target
customers
by
30%
over
12
months
The
campaign
objectives
will
be
achieved
through
a
tightly-­‐integrated
and
program
of
print
and
digital
media
advertising,
increased
and
more
creative
use
of
our
existing
social
and
other
owned
media
platforms
for
content
marketing
and
public
relations,
expansion
of
our
women’s
DIY
workshop
series,
increase
our
brand
presence
at
relevant
community
events,
targeted
use
of
sales
promotions
and
direct
marketing
appeals.
This
combination
of
marketing
elements
will
provide
The
Home
Depot
with
measurable
positive
results
from
our
target
audience.

4. 4
The Home Depot Company Background Information
Overview
The
Home
Depot
(NYSE:
HD)
is
the
world’s
largest
home-­‐improvement
superstore
with
store
presences
in
the
United
States,
Mexico,
and
Canada.
In
the
United
States
alone,
Home
Depot
employees
more
than
300,000
people
into
over
2000
stores,
all
dedicated
to
helping
Home
Depot
customers
find
the
products
and
tools
they
need
to
conquer
their
home
improvement
and
construction
projects.
This
dedication
to
the
needs
of
the
do-­‐it-­‐yourselfer
is
an
integral
part
of
Home
Depot’s
corporate
identity
and
the
reason
the
company
exists
at
all.
In
1978,
Bernie
Marcus
and
Arthur
Blank
opened
two
massive
warehouse
stores
in
Atlanta,
Georgia,
packed
with
25,000
home-­‐
improvement
items
designed
to
make
Home
Depot
the
one
stop
home-­‐improvement
shop
in
Atlanta
(Home
Depot,
Inc.,
n.d.-­‐a).
Of
course,
the
massive
inventory
is
only
part
of
the
Home
Depot
story.
From
the
beginning,
Bernie
and
Arthur
expected
customer
service
to
be
the
real
driving
force
behind
creating
customer
loyalty.
Then,
as
now,
Home
Depot
employees
were
expected
to
“go
the
extra
mile”
to
ensure
that
people
coming
to
Home
Depot
for
help
with
a
project
would
go
leave
not
only
with
the
right
products,
but
also
with
the
advice
they
need
to
succeed,
whether
they
were
installing
tiles
or
buying
a
new
drill
(Home
Depot,
Inc.,
n.d.-­‐a).
Today,
that
commitment
to
providing
and
constantly
improving
customer
service
is
embedded
in
Home
Depot’s
core
values
and
mission:
Mission
&
Values
The
Home
Depot’s
values
guide
the
beliefs
and
actions
of
all
associates
on
a
daily
basis.
Our
values
are
the
fabric
of
the
Company’s
unique
culture
and
are
central
to
our
success.
In
fact,
they
are
our
competitive
advantage
in
the
marketplace.
Associate
pride
and
our
“orangeblooded”
entrepreneurial
spirit
are
distinctive
hallmarks
of
our
culture.
• Taking
care
of
our
people: The
key
to
our
success
is
treating
people
well.
We
do
this
by
encouraging
associates
to
speak
up
and
take
risks,
by
recognizing
and
rewarding
good
performance
and
by
leading
and
developing
people
so
they
may
grow.
• Giving
back
to
our
communities: An
important
part
of
the
fabric
of
The
Home
Depot
is
giving
our
time,
talents,
energy
and
resources
to
worthwhile
causes
in
our
communities
and
society.
• Doing
the
right
thing: We
exercise
good
judgment
by
"doing
the
right
thing"
instead
of
just
"doing
things
right."
We
strive
to
understand
the
impact
of
our
decisions,
and
we
accept
responsibility
for
our
actions.
• Excellent
customer
service: Along
with
our
quality
products,
service,
price
and
selection,
we
must
go
the
extra
mile
to
give
customers
knowledgeable
advice
about
merchandise
and
to
help
them
use
those
products
to
their
maximum
benefit.
• Creating
shareholder
value: The
investors
who
provide
the
capital
necessary
to
allow
our
company
to
grow
need
and
expect
a
return
on
their
investment.
We
are
committed
to
providing
it.

5. 5
• Building
strong
relationships:
Strong
relationships
are
built
on
trust,
honesty
and
integrity.
We
listen
and
respond
to
the
needs
of
customers,
associates,
communities
and
vendors,
treating
them
as
partners.
• Entrepreneurial
spirit: The
Home
Depot
associates
are
encouraged
to
initiate
creative
and
innovative
ways
of
serving
our
customers
and
improving
the
business
and
to
spread
best
practices
throughout
the
company.
• Respect
for
all
people: In
order
to
remain
successful,
our
associates
must
work
in
an
environment
of
mutual
respect,
free
of
discrimination
and
harassment
where
each
associate
is
regarded
as
a
part
of
The
Home
Depot
team.
(Home
Depot,
Inc.,
n.d.-­‐
b)
Financial Position
Today,
33
years
after
Home
Depot
went
public
on
the
NASDAQ,
the
company
is
showing
strong
continued
financial
growth
and
it
has
boosted
its
expected
earnings
for
fiscal
year
2014
(Home
Depot’s
profits,
2014).
On
August
29,
2014,
Home
Depot
was
trading
at
93.5
on
the
New
York
Stock
Exchange;
almost
double
its
closest
competitor
in
the
home-­‐improvement
industry,
Lowe’s
Home
Improvement
(NYSE:
LOW).
In
addition,
sales
were
up
7.5%
in
2013,
which
means
Home
Depot’s
US
sales
have
rebounded
to
pre-­‐financial
crisis
levels
and
the
outlook
for
future
growth
is
positive,
especially
given
the
continued
recovery
of
the
US
housing
market
(Home
Depot,
Inc.,
2013,
preface).
That
said,
much
of
Home
Depot’s
financial
growth
is
dependent
on
a
domestic
housing
market
that
some
economists
are
concerned
about
a
contraction
in
the
market
due
to
the
combination
of
high
housing
prices
and
low
wage
growth
(Howley,
2014).
If
economists’
negative
predictions
are
borne
out
by
the
market,
Home
Depot
will
need
to
find
ways
of
expanding
its
services
to
customers
other
than
new
construction
market.
A
potential
alternate
focus
may
be
in
the
home
remodeling
market
since
that
area
is
positively
impacted
by
rising
home
prices
and
therefore,
expected
to
continue
to
grow
(McCluskey,
2014).
Competitive Landscape
Although
Home
Depot
is
currently
the
United
States
market
leader
in
the
area
of
one-­‐stop
retail
home-­‐improvement
stores,
it
operates
in
a
highly
competitive
industry
and
competes
in
numerous
market
segments
with
many
different
types
of
businesses.
The
Home
Depot’s
major
national
competitors
include:
• Lowe’s
Home
Improvement
(NYSE:
LOW)
• Ace
Hardware
• Amazon.com
(NASDAQ:
AMZN)
• Menard,
Inc.

6. 6
In
addition
to
its
national
competition,
in
most
geographic
areas
that
Home
Depot
operates
in,
it
faces
competition
from
other
home
improvement
stores,
general
retailers,
and
home
improvement
contractors,
all
of
whom
provide
services
or
products
in
one
of
Home
Depot’s
primary
market
segments.
Despite
Home
Depot’s
leading
position
in
the
home
improvement
market,
these
other
businesses
can
provide
stiff
competition
for
many
reasons.
A
primary
consideration
for
many
customers
is
whether
they
will
leave
the
store
with
a
feeling
of
confidence
in
their
ability
to
complete
the
project
they
went
in
for
products
or
help
with.
This
confidence
requires
not
only
friendliness
but
also
technical
expertise
on
the
part
of
store
associates.
Unfortunately,
despite
the
emphasis
placed
on
customer
service
in
Home
Depot’s
corporate
values,
the
brand
has
developed
a
reputation
for
poor
customer
service.
(Hoovers,
2014).
This
weakness
enables
competitors
–
particularly
smaller
or
niche
businesses
–
to
position
themselves
as
a
superior
customer
service
alternative
because
they
are
not
part
of
a
faceless
conglomerate.
Home
Depot
will
need
to
improve
its
customer
service
efforts,
potentially
placing
greater
emphasis
on
hiring
associates
with
technical
home
improvement
expertise,
to
ward
off
these
threats
to
their
business
model
(Castellanos,
2012).
Another
reason
customers
may
avoid
patronizing
Home
Depot
stores
is
the
perception
that
supporting
a
“big-­‐
box”
store
will
drive
smaller
local
businesses,
many
of
which
have
been
parts
of
the
local
community
for
years,
out
of
business
(Walsh,
2014).
This
is
a
perception
that
Home
Depot
must
be
sensitive
to
if
it
wishes
to
be
welcomed
into
communities.
Products
Another
area
in
which
Home
Depot
differentiates
itself
is
its
partnerships
with
top
product
manufacturers
(Home
Depot,
Inc.,
2013,
p.
4).
While
other
home-­‐improvement
stores
have
developed
store
brand
product
lines
as
a
means
to
provide
added
value
to
their
customers,
Home
Depot
has
opted
to
provide
exclusive
access
to
top
name
brands
including:
• Husky®
hand
tools
and
tool
storage
• Defiant®
door
locks
• Everbilt®
hardware
fasteners
• Hampton
Bay®
lighting
and
fans
• Vigoro®
lawn
care
products
• RIDGID®
and
Ryobi®
power
tools
• Glacier
Bay®
bath
fixtures
• HDX®
tools,
hardware,
storage
and
cleaning
products
• CE
Tech®
audio-­‐visual
accessories
• Behr®
interior
and
exterior
paint
Equally
important
in
providing
the
customer
with
a
superior
product
selection
is
Home
Depot’s
focus
on
localized
store
inventories
allowing
each
store
to
focus
on
stocking
the
products
customers
in
that
geographic
area
are
likely
to
want,
at
prices
the
local
market
can
bear,
a
strategy
that
seems
like
it
should
make
shopping
more
relevant
for
customers.

7. 7
Services
In
addition,
as
Home
Depot
expands
its
focus
beyond
simply
selling
products
to
providing
home-­‐improvement
services,
they
have
found
several
interesting
ways
of
inserting
themselves
into
even
DIY
projects.
These
tactics
range
from
providing
in-­‐store
workshops
for
do-­‐it-­‐yourself
customers
to
in-­‐home
installation
of
products
purchased
at
Home
Depot
through
the
store’s
installation
service,
or
through
its
national
contractor
network.
Here
are
just
some
of
the
services
provided
in
Home
Depot
across
the
nation:
• National
installation
&
repair
services
• Dedicated
contractor
services
desks
• Direct
to
job
site
delivery
• Contractor
loyalty
programs
• DIY
how-­‐to
clinics
• Kids
workshops
• Tool
&
truck
rental
Of
course,
like
so
many
other
companies
today,
Home
Depot’s
primary
area
of
expansion
is
in
the
area
of
home-­‐improvement
e-­‐commerce,
specifically
in
what
the
company
refers
to
as
interconnected
retail.
Over
the
past
four
years,
Home
Depot
has
been
developing
a
retail
experience
that
weds
e-­‐commerce
with
the
company’s
physical
stores
and
services.
In
addition
to
drastically
expanding
inventory
on
HomeDepot.com,
the
company’s
online
store
and
seeking
to
provide
a
seamless
mobile
experience
through
the
Home
Depot
mobile
apps,
the
idea
of
interconnected
retail
has
led
to
the
implementation
of
new
online
shopping
delivery
services
that
use
Home
Depot’s
2000-­‐plus
stores
as
support
and
distribution
centers
(Home
Depot,
Inc.,
2013,
p.
2).
The
new
delivery
services
are:
1. Buy
Online,
Ship
to
Store
("BOSS")
–
2013
2. Buy
Online,
Return
In
Store
("BORIS")
–
2013
3. Buy
Online,
Pick-­‐up
In
Store
("BOPIS")
–
2011
4. Buy
Online,
Deliver
From
Store
("BODFS")
–
2014
Not
only
will
these
new
services
support
Home
Depot’s
expanding
e-­‐commerce
traffic
and
improve
the
online
customer
experience,
they
will
have
the
secondary
effect
of
bringing
online
customers
into
the
stores
and
reinforcing
the
value
of
the
in-­‐person
experience
for
the
online
shopper.
Current Marketing Communications
Binding
together
the
tangible
and
intangible
elements
of
the
Home
Depot
experience
is
the
brand
itself
–
the
Home
Depot
name,
the
ubiquitous
orange
logo,
and
the
company’s
longtime
slogan
of
“You
can
do
it.
We
can
help.”
These
elements
of
the
Home
Depot
brand
are
displayed
throughout
the
company’s
marketing
communications
Home
Depot
logo

8. 8
program
on
channels
spanning
the
breadth
of
the
promotional
mix.
Advertising
Home
Depot
advertises
across
all
traditional
media
types
from
newspaper
ads
and
inserts
to
radio
and
TV
spots,
and
outdoor
ads
in
order
to
reach
the
widest
number
of
potential
customers
and
stay
in
the
public
consciousness.
Home
Depot
continues
to
utilize
a
wide
variety
of
direct
marketing
strategies
including
traditional
mediums
such
as
direct
mail;
however,
its
primary
area
of
marketing
growth
is
in
the
area
of
digital
and
Internet
marketing.
Home Depot: "Manhattan Direction Wallscape2" Outdoor Advert by The Richards Group
Direct Marketing and Digital/Internet Marketing
Home
Depot
continues
to
expand
its
direct
e-­‐mail
marketing
system,
at
the
same
time
increasing
the
visibility
of
homedepot.com
as
a
primary
direct
sales
location.
Further
blurring
the
lines
between
Home
Depot’s
traditional
communication
strategies
and
it’s
adoption
of
digital
and
Internet
marketing
techniques
is
Home
Depot’s
strong
emphasis
on
localized
web
content
which
connects
the
consumer
with
the
stores
closest
to
them
and
the
products
available
in
the
stores.
This
focus
on
a
localized
customer
experience
compliments
Home
Depot’s
growth
in
the
area
of
mobile
marketing.
Not
only
does
Home
Depot
provide
individual
apps
customized
for
the
retail
and
contractor
clienteles,
the
company
has
gone
to
great
lengths
to
tailor
the
content
of
these
apps
to
the
individuals
geographic
location,
shopping
history,
and
level
of
home
improvement
expertise,
in
the
process
reinforcing
Home
Depot’s
message
of
giving
their
customers
exactly
what
they
want.
Content Marketing and Social Media
Unsurprisingly
for
a
company
that
exists
to
help
people
build
new
things
and
fix
old
things
and
convince
them
to
do
so
using
Home
Depot
products,
Home
Depot
is
strong
in
the
area
of
content
marketing,
particularly
through
their
large
portfolio
of
social
media
channels.
Home

9. 9
Depot
uses
its
social
presence
to
build
relationships
with
their
customers
and
let
them
know
what
can
be
done
with
the
products
available
at
Home
Depot
rather
than
making
a
sales
pitch.
• Blog
-­‐
http://ext.homedepot.com/community/blog/
• YouTube
-­‐
https://www.youtube.com/user/homedepot
• Facebook
-­‐
https://www.facebook.com/homedepot
• Pinterest
-­‐
http://www.pinterest.com/homedepot/
• Twitter
-­‐
https://twitter.com/HomeDepot
• Twitter
(Sale
Promotions)
-­‐
https://twitter.com/HomeDepotDeals
• Tumblr
-­‐
http://homedepot.tumblr.com/
According
to
a
2011
AdAge
article,
Home
Depot’s
social
media
program
is
run
not
out
of
corporate
headquarters,
but
from
sales
floors
in
Chicago,
Atlanta,
Orange
County,
and
Boston,
where
some
of
the
company’s
best
store
associates
develop
content
for
distribution
on
social
media
(Zmuda,
2011).
This
is
an
interesting
concept
because
it
means
the
individuals
creating
the
content
that
attracts
customers
to
the
store
and
sparks
new
ideas
are
the
same
people
who
spend
the
rest
of
their
time
on
the
sales
floor
handling
new
products,
helping
with
customer
projects,
identifying
trends,
and
learning
what
their
customers
are
doing
outside
the
store.
This
helps
them
create
timely,
authentic
content
like
this
how-­‐to
blog
post
for
a
yard
game
they
posted
right
before
Labor
Day:
Sales Promotion
Although
Home
Depot
seeks
to
maintain
ongoing
competitive
pricing
in
relation
to
its
competitors,
it
does
provide
additional
consumer
targeted
sales
promotions
through
weekly
ads
–
both
online
and
in-­‐store.
Other
promotional
strategies
include
price
matching
guarantees,
product
rebates,
daily
Special
Buys,
and
periodic
sweepstakes
publicized
on
its
website,
in
print,
and
across
social
media,
often
in
relation
to
major
holiday
and
sporty
events.
Public Relations and Publicity
Another
way
Home
Depot
continues
to
strengthen
its
reputation
with
the
public
is
through
ongoing
support
of
environmental
sustainability
initiatives
throughout
its
supply
chain
and
for
the
store’s
customers.
Home
Depot
is
actively
pursuing
environmentally
conscious
consumers

10. 10
through
targeted
blogs
project
ideas
and
information
that
makes
going
green
using
Home
Depot’s
products
and
services
simple
and
beneficial.
At
the
same
time,
Home
Depot’s
previous
commitment
to
sustainability
is
about
more
than
selling
products
by
improving
energy
efficiency
in
its
own
operations.
Not
only
does
Home
Depot
hold
its
suppliers
to
the
Corporation
sustainability
standards
is
also
moving
forward
by
building
new
stores
that
meet
or
exceed
LEED
certification
requirements
and
retrofitting
many
existing
stores
to
decrease
water
usage
(Home
Depot,
Inc.,
2013,
p.
6).
Home
Depot
also
contributes
to
its
local
and
national
community
through
strategic
partnerships
and
sponsorships
of
various
sports
and
philanthropic
organizations
that
are
in
line
with
its
values
and
goals
through
The
Home
Depot
Inc.
and
the
Home
Depot
Foundation.
Current
Home
Depot
sponsorships
and
partnerships
include:
• Home
Depot
Racing
(NASCAR)
• Red
Cross
• Good360
• Atlanta
Braves
(MLB)
• Atlanta
Falcons
(NFL)
• Georgia
Aquarium
• College
Football
Hall
of
Fame
• Peachtree
Road
Race
• Major
League
Soccer
o Mexican
National
Team
(MNT)
o Major
League
Soccer
(MLS)
o New
York
Red
Bulls
o Los
Angeles
Galaxy
o Seattle
Sounders
FC
o Houston
Dynamo
o Chivas
USA
• ESPN
College
GameDay
• Team
Depot
(military
veteran
support)
Direct Selling and Relationship Building
Rounding
out
The
Home
Depot’s
marketing
communications
strategy
portfolio
is
the
one
type
of
communication
that
makes
the
rest
of
the
company’s
message
meaningful
–
the
service
and
sales
skills
of
Home
Depot’s
associates.
For
several
years,
customer
service
was
an
acknowledged
weakness
in
Home
Depot
stores
(Hoovers,
2013).
Customers
complained
about
the
lack
of
available
staff
to
system;
however,
once
the
company
recognized
this
weakness
in
their
service
model,
they
responded
by
re-­‐organizing
their
store
associates’
responsibilities
so
that,
by
the
end
of
fiscal
year
2013,
60%
of
employee
labor
hours
are
dedicated
to
customer
service.
In
addition,
the
company’s
ongoing
Customer
First
training
has
been
augmented
with
additional
segments
on
how
to
support
the
new
interconnected
retail
services
the
stores
are
providing
(Home
Depot
Inc.,
2013,
p.
2).
These
training
programs
should
help
repair
negative
customer
sentiment
regarding
service
at
Home
Depot
and
reinforce
the
brands
message
that
it
is
the
best,
most
welcoming
store
experience
for
do-­‐it-­‐yourselfers
of
all
experience
levels.

11. 11
Target Audience Profile
Meet
Madeline
and
David
Stark.
This
couple
is
going
to
be
the
target
of
Home
Depot's
upcoming
IMC
campaign.
Home
Depot
has
a
store
within
five
miles
of
their
home
and
we
would
like
them,
and
couples
like
them
to
become
active
customers.
Although
we
are
marketing
to
the
couple,
we
will
be
targeting
Madeline
as
our
primary
potential
customer.
Madeline,
who
prefers
to
be
called
Maddy,
and
David
have
been
employed
full
time
at
West
Virginia
University
(WVU),
in
Morgantown,
WV
since
2011.
Maddy
is
a
tenure-­‐track
associate
professor
at
the
School
of
Social
Work
while
David
works
in
the
Office
of
Student
Affairs.
Before
coming
to
WVU,
Maddy
spent
two
years
as
a
lecturer
at
the
University
of
Iowa
where
she
obtained
her
PhD
in
social
work.
That
is
also
where
she
and
David
met
while
he
was
completing
his
Master's
of
Higher
Education
Administration.
Before
that,
Maddy
obtained
her
Bachelor
of
Arts
in
English
and
Communications
from
Grinnell
College.
Currently,
both
Maddy
and
David
are
salaried
WVU
employees
that
work
a
minimum
of
35
hours
a
week
and
often
more
during
the
peak
months
of
academic
activity,
which
are
from
August
to
October
and
April
to
May.
Maddy
is
33
and
David
is
35.
David's
parents
moved
from
Salzburg
to
Virginia
before
he
was
born
so
his
father
could
join
an
international
relations
think
tank
in
the
D.C.
Beltway
before
he
was
born.
He
is
their
only
child
and,
having
grown
up
in
a
dual-­‐culture
family,
speaks
fluent
German.
Maddy's
mother
was
a
homemaker,
who
cared
for
Maddy
and
her
three
siblings
while
her
father
served
as
a
police
officer
in
the
vice
department
for
25
years.
Neither
of
them
is
particularly
religious;
however,
both
have
Protestant
Lutheran
roots.
Unsurprisingly,
Maddy
and
David
share
many
of
the
same
political
and
social
opinions.
Both
Maddy
and
David
support
a
strong
social
net
for
members
of
society
who
cannot
support
themselves,
global
human
rights,
and
are
deeply
opposed
to
corporate
and
government
exploitation
of
developing
nations.
Both
are
strong
supporters
of
self-­‐sufficiency
and
civil
liberties.
In
addition,
Maddy
is
a
strong
supporter
of
anti-­‐drug
legislation,
likely
due
to
her
father's
experiences
on
the
police
force
and
David
has
taken
his
parents
support
for
a
strong
E.U.
defense
program
and
transferred
that
to
supporting
a
strong
U.S.
military
defense
program.
Maddy
and
David
married
in
2010,
a
year
after
they
met
in
a
restaurant
in
Iowa
City
where
David
played
guitar
in
a
band
with
friends
from
the
University
of
Iowa.
Their
meeting
place
is
indicative
of
Maddy
and
David's
shared
interest
in
the
local
music
and
social
scene.
Since
coming
to
Morgantown,
David
has
found
a
new
group
of
friends
to
play
with
and
he
and
Maddy
spend
many
evenings
traveling
to
local
clubs
to
perform
or
hear
their
friends
perform.
For
vacations,
which
only
occur
over
the
summer
months
when
the
University
is
less
active,
the

12. 12
couple
visits
their
parents,
all
of
whom
live
within
a
10-­‐hour
drive
from
Morgantown
or
go
to
Myrtle
Beach
where
they
meet
up
with
friends
from
graduate
school.
When
they
moved
to
Morgantown,
the
couple
bought
their
first
house,
a
small-­‐ish
20th
century
Queen
Anne
in
the
South
Side
neighborhood
where
many
of
the
university's
faculty
and
administrators
lives.
The
Morgantown
housing
market
is
limited
for
single-­‐family
homes
because
the
majority
of
new
housing
in
Morgantown
is
high-­‐density
apartments
for
the
students
at
the
university
so
Maddy
and
David
feel
lucky
that
they
found
their
home
at
a
reasonable
price.
Maddy
loves
their
new
house
and
neighborhood.
Not
only
is
the
South
Side
well
known
for
its
tight-­‐knit
community,
this
is
the
first
time
since
she
left
home
that
Maddy
has
been
able
to
have
a
garden,
which
is
her
primary
hobby
and
allows
her
to
grow
most
of
the
produce
she
and
David
use
during
the
summer
and
fall.
Another
interest
both
she
and
David
are
able
to
indulge
since
they
are
not
planning
to
move
again
is
collecting
antique
furniture
to
complement
their
home.
They
have
done
some
basic
restoration
on
a
few
pieces
but
both
of
them
would
like
to
learn
how
to
handle
larger
projects.
Their
Queen
Anne
house
has
given
Maddy
and
David
another
source
of
entertainment,
albeit
one
that
is
unevenly
welcome.
The
previous
owners
had
not
kept
the
house
up
and
most
of
the
rooms
lacked
up-­‐to-­‐date
amenities
and
decor
so
Maddy
and
David
spend
a
significant
amount
of
their
free
time
rehabbing
various
parts
of
the
house.
Neither
of
them
have
a
construction
or
home
improvement
background
so
they
are
learning
how
to
complete
the
projects
as
they
come
up.
They
are
planning
to
have
their
first
child
within
the
next
1-­‐2
years,
which
should
coincide
with
Maddy
passing
her
first
stage
of
tenure
review,
leading
to
greater
job
and
financial
security
for
the
couple.
Currently,
both
Maddy
and
David
make
between
$52,000
and
$70,000
per
year
plus
full
health
benefits
and
a
mandatory
matched-­‐contribution
retirement
plan.
Although
Maddy
and
David
are
relatively
confident
in
their
financial
security,
they
are
concerned
about
the
rising
cost
of
insurance
and
household
necessities,
and
how
adding
a
child
to
their
family
will
change
their
financial
situation.
Maddy
and
David
would
not
consider
themselves
heavy
spenders.
Besides
their
house,
they
own
two
vehicles
-­‐
one
mid-­‐size
car
and
a
small
SUV,
both
of
which
are
about
three
years
old.
They
are
planning
to
replace
the
car
next
year;
however,
since
the
SUV
is
mostly
used
in
the
winter
when
four-­‐wheel
drive
is
required,
it
will
probably
last
several
more
years.
Other
than
those
purchases,
Maddy
and
David's
major
spending
occurs
related
to
their
various
home
improvement
and
restoration
projects.
When
they
do
make
purchases,
they
would
rather
pay
more
for
products
they
feel
will
be
durable
and
retain
their
value
over
multiple
years.
They
are
not
attached
to
name
brands
unless
that
brand
is
strongly
associated
with
quality
and
reliability.
When
they
find
brands
of
products
or
stores
that
provide
them
with
the
level
of
quality
and
service
they
demand,
they
are
loyal
as
long
as
service
and
quality
remains
high;
however,
they
will
not
tolerate
poor
service
in
the
name
of
loyalty.

13. 13
David
hates
going
into
stores
and
only
goes
shopping
when
he
cannot
find
the
item
online.
His
only
dislike
related
to
online
shopping
are
the
limited
options
for
shipping
and
returns.
He
may
talk
about
his
latest
project
or
where
he
is
performing
tonight
with
his
friends,
which
he
will
usually
do
in-­‐person
or
on
the
phone
but
he
is
not
a
major
social
sharer.
He
uses
Facebook
to
keep
in
touch
with
college
friends
and
share
pictures
with
his
parents,
but
he
has
become
annoyed
with
the
company's
manipulation
of
his
News
Feed
and
avoids
the
platform
when
possible.
His
primary
social
media
platform
is
Twitter,
which
he
appreciates
for
its
free-­‐
form
content
and
straightforward
operation.
He
will
engage
with
brands
on
Twitter,
provided
he
feels
like
there
is
a
value
to
that
interaction.
In
contrast,
although
Maddy
jokes
that
she
should
have
her
iPhone
grafted
to
her
hand
and
she
shops
online
several
times
a
month,
she
still
prefers
having
experts
available
to
provide
advice
on
the
best
products
and
techniques
to
use
in
her
various
home
and
garden
projects.
If
she
can
get
this
personal
connection
through
on
online
retailer,
she
will
use
them,
but
she
usually
ends
up
going
to
the
store
for
help
with
large
or
novel
projects.
Her
desire
for
a
personal
aspect
to
her
projects
extends
to
her
social
media
habits.
She
remains
close
to
her
college
friends
who
she
communicates
with
primarily
using
Facebook.
When
she
isn't
texting
them,
she
can
always
find
work
and
internet
friends
on
Twitter
and
Instagram,
which
she
enjoys
for
their
ease
of
sharing
news,
images,
and
accomplishments
including
her
antique
finds
and
garden
produce.
Her
newest
social
media
addition
is
Pinterest,
which
she
uses
to
find
and
collect
interesting
images
and
ideas
for
new
projects.
She
likes
the
way
professional
and
personal
images
mix
on
her
wall
and
is
happy
to
pin
from
brands
when
she
likes
the
pin.
She
is
aware
of
other
social
platforms
like
tumblr,
but
lacks
the
time
or
willingness
to
engage
on
yet
another
platform.
Both
Maddy
and
David
use
Apple
devices
exclusively
outside
of
work.
They
appreciate
the
ease
of
setup
and
relatively
seamless
interaction
between
their
various
devices
as
well
as
the
inference
of
quality
and
community
that
is
part
of
the
Apple
brand
experience.
Despite
their
adherence
to
the
brand,
they
would
not
qualify
as
early
adopters.
They
upgrade
their
phones
only
when
the
newest
version
offers
a
significant
improvement
in
features
and
speed
over
their
current
model.
They
both
have
MacBook
Pro
laptops;
however,
for
casual
internet
surfing
and
non-­‐work
travel,
the
couple
uses
their
iPads
more
than
their
computers.

14. 14
SWOT Analysis
Internal
Strengths
• Strong
brand
recognition
as
the
leading
home
improvement
store
in
the
U.S.
• Caters
to
wide
range
of
home
improvement
and
construction
customers,
making
company
less
vulnerable
to
economic
stresses
• Early
involvement
in
high
tech
appliances
and
home
device
market
(Phillips,
2014)
• Exclusive
access
to
well-­‐known
product
lines
increases
customer
traffic
• Focus
on
eco-­‐friendly
products
• Interconnected
retail
strategy
allows
company
to
compete
against
e-­‐commerce
exclusive
stores
• Home
improvement
customers
prefer
in-­‐store
shopping
(Erwina,
2013)
Weaknesses
• Reputation
for
poor
customer
service
• Weakness
in
perceived
levels
of
home
improvement
expertise
in
store
associates
• Customer
data
breach
leading
to
decreased
customer
confidence
and
involvement
in
legal
proceedings
• Perception
in
communities
that
big
box
stores
drive
small
local
businesses
out
of
operation
• Dependence
on
third-­‐party
product
installers
for
DIFM
customers
• Season
and
weather-­‐dependent
nature
of
home
improvement
projects
decreases
year-­‐
round
sales
consistency
• Limited
online
presence
in
comparison
to
competitors
such
as
Amazon
External
Opportunities
• Improving
economic
outlook
resulting
in
increased
home
improvement
activity
• Growing
public
interest
in
home
automation
opens
new
market
for
tech-­‐oriented
home
improvement
projects
• Customers
seek
in-­‐person
guidance
on
completing
home
improvement
projects
• Growth
in
Maker
Movement
encompasses
many
aspects
of
home
DIY
(Maker
Market
Study.
p.
12)
• Growth
of
online
and
mobile
shopping
makes
it
possible
to
serve
consumers
at
time
and
point
of
need
Threats
• Dependent
on
volatile
US
housing
market
(Howley,
2014)
• Operates
in
concentrated
and
competitive
industry,
limiting
potential
profit
margins
and
pricing
ability
(Phillips,
2014)
• Niche
businesses
positioned
as
superior
customer
service
and
expertise
options
• Changes
to
national
or
regional
wage
laws

15. 15
Marketing Campaign Objectives & Strategies
Goal:
Position
Home
Depot
as
leading
resource
for
planning
and
completing
DIY
home
improvement
projects
Objective
1:
Increase
preference
for
Home
Depot
over
competing
brands
in
target
market
by
30%
over
12
months
• Expand
owned
media
program
to
support
DIY
activities
by
target
audience
• Create
media
campaign
demonstrating
unique
features
and
benefits
of
Home
Depot
products
and
services
to
target
audience
• Expand
reach
of
marketing
efforts
through
promotional
and
public
relations
programs
Objective
2:
Increase
amount
of
per-­‐visit
sales
by
target
customers
by
30%
over
12
months
• Create
promotional
campaigns
encouraging
DIY
project-­‐related
purchasing
by
target
customers
• Create
in-­‐store
and
advertising
campaigns
highlighting
inventory
and
support
for
popular
DIY
home
improvement
projects

16. 16
Creative Strategy Statement
Your
Home,
One
Project
at
a
Time
Choice:
Building
your
home,
one
project
at
a
time
Rejected Ideas:
1. Expert
help
for
all
your
home
project
needs
2. We’ll
help
you
do
that
3. For
when
you
can
“almost”
do
it
yourself
4. Your
ideas,
our
experience
*See
Appendix
1:
Creative
Strategy
Diagram

17.
17
Creative Brief
Client: The Home Depot
Date: 9/13/14
Type: Online Commercial
Why are we advertising?
To position The Home Depot as the leading resource for planning and completing DIY home
improvement projects in our target market
Whom are we talking to?
Married, well-­‐educated middle class women in their mid-­‐twenties to early thirties who work full-­‐
time, and enjoy renovating their homes, working in the garden, and other DIY types of projects in
their free time. The projects they work on with their spouses provide a sense of accomplishment
and self-­‐sufficiency outside of work and are major pastimes for these couples. They are
technologically adept, though not early adopters, active on social media, and expect a high level
of quality and service from the stores they patronize.
What do they currently think?
The Home Depot is just one home improvement store of many, all of which provide the same,
often unremarkable, products and services
What would we like them to think?
The Home Depot is the best place to go for the products and support that will help them make
their houses into homes.
What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey?
Your Home, One Project at a Time
Why should they believe it?
The Home Depot has the best products and people to help them complete their home
improvement projects.
Are there any creative guidelines?
60-­‐90 second commercial

18.
18
Sample Creative Execution – Online Commercial
Setting:
● Suburban
neighborhood,
historic
houses
(old,
not
wildly
flashy),
wide
sidewalks,
trees
&
grass
lining
the
roads
● Background
sounds:
kids
playing,
cars
(a
few)
passing,
dogs
barking,
people
talking
away
from
our
scene
● Music:
needledrop
jazz
or
blues
-­‐
medium
energy
Scene
1
• car
(Volkswagen
Passat,
Mazda6,
etc)
pulls
up
to
curb,
parking.
o couple
gets
out
-­‐
woman
is
driving
o both
dressed
in
business
casual
clothes
(no
suits)
● Couple
turns
to
face
house
(View
switches
to
house
from
couple’s
perspective)
○ house
is
older
Victorian
style.
well-­‐kept,
not
run
down
but
not
pristine.
Shows
wear
(crumbling
retaining
wall,
uneven
front
stair,
etc.)
● semi-­‐opaque
thought
bubbles
appear,
overlaying
scene
■ bubbles
indicate
completed
projects
(re-­‐seeded
lawn,
installed
new
faucet
in
bathroom,
hung
pictures
in
living
area)
and
and
future
projects
(repair
front
step,
tile
bathroom
floor,
re-­‐paper
upstairs
hallway,
etc.)
using
orange
check
marks
in
to-­‐do
style
boxes
■ no
more
than
7
bubbles
total
to
avoid
clutter
■ older
boxes
fade
as
new
ones
appear
<cut
to
couple
still
facing
house>
● couple
looks
at
each
other,
indicating
recognition
of
the
bubbles’
content
(shrug,
raised
eyebrow,
etc.)
and
heads
into
house
Scene
2
• inside
house,
couple
(camera
facing
couple)
standing
in
living
area
or
foyer
● wife
searches
for
“weekend
home
projects”
on
her
phone
○ search
engine
auto-­‐suggests
do
you
mean
“the
home
depot”?
○ clicks
link
to
HD
website,
opens
showing
a
banner
ad
for
weekend
projects
● Woman
looks
over
at
husband,
and
asks,
smiling,
“So,
what
are
we
doing
this
weekend?”
● Husband
pulls
out
phone
&
starts
tapping
things
(holding
phone
so
both
people
can
see
screen)
○ semi-­‐opaque
task
list
slides
in
from
his
side
of
screen
(implication
that
that
is
what’s
on
phone
screen)
■ different
tasks
highlight
like
someone
is
scrolling
through
them,
stopping
at:
tile
bathroom
floor

19.
19
Scene
3
● Couple
with
cart
in
Home
Depot
store,
standing
in
front
of
tile
display
with
Home
Depot
associate
gesturing
and
clearly
explaining
something
regarding
tiles
● Cut
to
all
three
people
around
computer
screen
watching
homedepot.com
training
video
from
website
as
woman
points
to
screen
and
asks
questions
of
associate
● Cut
to
couple
checking
out
with
loaded
cart
○ women
takes
picture
of
cart
&
posts
to
Instagram®
#LetsDoThis
#newproject
#tiling
#before
Scene
4
● Couple
standing
in
bathroom
doorway,
looking
happy,
tired,
and
a
little
grubby
(grout
streak
on
clothes,
dusty,
etc.)
● Wife
pulls
out
camera
and
takes
picture
of
room
(which
is
behind
the
camera)
and
posts
to
Instagram
hashtag
#tiling
#after
#beautiful
#thxhomedepot
#LetsDoThis
○ show
picture
of
sparkling
bathroom
on
camera
screen
as
woman
types
hashtags
● Husband
opens
phone,
to-­‐do
list
from
earlier
re-­‐appears
on
screen
○ task:
tile
bathroom
floor
is
checked
off/struck
through
Close
● White
background
● Caption
in
The
Home
Depot
logo
font:
Your
Home
-­‐
One
Project
at
a
Time
○ followed
by
checkbox,
which
checks
(with
pencil
sound)
as
we
watch
● The
Home
Depot
logo,
hashtag,
and
website
information
at
bottom
END

20.
20
Advertising Media Plan
OBJECTIVE
1:
Use
local
print
and
OOH
media
to
reach
75%
of
target
market
at
least
4
times
during
12
month
period.
Strategy
1:
Place
billboard
ads
near
major
shopping
areas
and
traffic
hubs
to
reach
target
market
during
commute
and
while
running
errands
Tactic
1:
Billboard placements for 1-­‐3 locations for 2-­‐3 month periods on rolling basis.
Flighting; Placements will be present in target geographic area for full 12 month period
Rationale:
Placing billboard ads near several major traffic centers will increase the
likelihood of being noticed by target markets while the 2-­‐3 month flighting plan will
prevent the ads from becoming stale.
Strategy
2:
Run
ads
in
newspaper(s)
serving
target
market’s
geographic
area
Tactic
1:
Run bi-­‐weekly flyer in Dominion-­‐Post Sunday editions to reach target market on
weekend days
Flighting; March – June, August
Rationale:
Weekends are the days the target audience is likeliest to have time to read
the newspaper and will also the days likely spent on home improvement and DIY
projects, making the placement timely.
OBJECTIVE
2:
Use
online
media
to
reach
70%
of
target
market
at
least
4
times
over
12
month
period
Strategy
1:
Run
30-­‐second
ads
on
streaming
radio
stations
that
reach
target
market
Tactic
1:
Run advertisements on Pandora and Spotify during typical working and
commute hours
Flighting; peak times beginning late Q1 through Q3 to coincide with home
improvement/DIY season
Rationale:
Pandora and Spotify are the most popular streaming radio stations for the
target market and during work hours, our target market is likely to spend long periods on
the computer with internet radio turned on while they work.

21.
21
Strategy
2:
Run
60-­‐second
commercials
on
streaming
television
platforms
during
shows
viewed
by
target
market
Tactic
1:
Run ads during primetime televisions dramas and lifestyle shows including Once
Upon a Time, Scandal, The Blacklist, Manhattan, American Pickers, and So You Think You
Can Dance streamed on Hulu
Flighting; during traditional Fall broadcast season (Sept-­‐May)
Rationale: Target audience members are major viewers of named shows; however, due
to work schedules, broadcast television is not a primary viewing method. Streaming
allows unscheduled viewing and use of mobile devices, both of which are major
entertainment traits of the target audience.
Strategy
3:
Run
ads
on
primary
social
media
vehicles
used
by
target
market
Tactic
1: Use ‘promoted’ content advertising on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
Pinterest to reach target market
Pulse; continuous advertising increasing near end of school year, and around major
holidays
Rationale:
The named social media platforms are the primary social communication and
sharing tools of the target market and therefore the platforms most likely to reach them
with the Home Depot advertising.
*See
Appendix
2:
Advertising
Media
Plan
Flowchart

22.
22
Public Relations Plan
OBJECTIVE
1:
Increase
positive
brand
interactions
(brand
interactions
meaning
“likes,”
“pins,”
or
“tweets”
as
appropriate
for
the
platform)
related
to
published
content
with
brand
followers
on
owned
social
media
platforms
by
100%
on
average
(across
platforms)
within
12
months.
Strategy
1:
Implement
24/7
social
media
monitoring
and
response
program
to
ensure
conversation
between
The
Home
Depot
and
public
is
continuous
Tactic
1:
Re-­‐pin
from
and
comment
on
exemplary
home
improvement
and
DIY
Pins
from
across
Pinterest,
Instagram,
and
YouTube
Tactic
2:
Seek
out
individuals
on
Twitter
talking
about
home
improvement
projects
and
engage
them
with
tips
and
information
Tactic
3:
Develop
and
publish
media
on
owned
media
channels
including
Pinterest,
Instagram,
Twitter,
and
Facebook
related
to
The
Home
Depot
DIY
home
improvement
products
and
project
instruction.
Media
may
be
original
and
unique
to
a
specific
platform,
or
linked
to
The
Home
Depot
product
pages,
events
calendars,
and
publications
on
other
owned
media
channels
Strategy
2:
Moderate
quarterly
Tweet-­‐chats
re:
home
improvement
questions
with
celebrity
home
improvement
figures
like
Genevieve
Gorder
(HGTV’s
Genevieve's
Renovation)
and
Amy
Matthews
(HGTV’s
Renovation
Raiders)
Tactic
1:
Provide
event
announcements
to
relevant
media
outlets
(like
HGTV)
and
featured
home
improvement
figures
for
use
in
their
own
promotional
campaigns
Tactic
2:
Promote
events
across
owned
media
platforms
through
tweets,
pins,
promotional
images,
Facebook
events,
and
related
interactions
Tactic
3:
Create
Storify
of
each
event
and
re-­‐post
to
social
accounts
and
other
owned
media
to
continue
conversation
after
event
is
completed
OBJECTIVE
2:
Create
20,000
positive
traditional
media
impressions
related
to
the
promotion
in
target
geographic
areas
over
a
12-­‐month
period.
Strategy
1:
Create
promotional
PR
campaign
for
print
media
Tactic
1:
Create
press
release
for
instructional
flyer
for
home
improvement
or
DIY
projects
and
distribute
to
print
media
of
interest
to
target
market
Strategy
2:
Offer
a
wider
range
of
female-­‐targeted
in-­‐store
DIY
workshops
Tactic
1:
Develop
press
releases
highlighting
new
workshop
series
and
distribute
to
local
media
relevant
to
target
audience

23.
23
Tactic
2:
Make
local
store
managers
and
workshop
coordinators
available
to
press
to
talk
about
motivation
for
workshop
series.
Strategy
3:
Sponsor
booths
at
community
events
of
interest
to
the
target
audience,
such
as
the
WV
Women’s
Extravaganza
and
Morgantown
Home
Show,
focusing
on
The
Home
Depot’s
ability
to
support
home
improvement
and
DIY-­‐ers.
Tactic
1:
Publicize
list
of
future
events
in
local
stores
encouraging
HD
customers
to
visit
the
booth
Tactic
2:
Invite
local
members
of
the
press
to
stop
at
booth
and
try
out
exhibits
OBJECTIVE
3:
Increase
the
number
of
positive
social
media
mentions
by
40
percent
over
12
months
based
on
use
of
the
#LetsDoThis
hashtag.
Strategy
1:
Run
sweepstakes
based
on
customers
reviewing
products
purchased
at
The
Home
Depot
on
the
brand
website
and
sharing
their
review
on
social
media
along
with
the
#fromHD
hashtag
Tactic
1:
Solicit
entries
based
on
company’s
database
of
recent
purchasers
Tactic
2:
Publicize
sweepstakes
on
owned
social
media
platforms
Strategy
2:
Expand
#LetsDoThis
campaign
on
Instagram
and
Twitter
to
encourage
customers
to
share
their
The
Home
Depot-­‐related
purchases
and
projects
on
social
media
Tactic
1:
Integrate
campaign
information
onto
store
receipts
to
encourage
participation
after
purchase
Tactic
2:
Educate
store
employees
about
campaign
so
they
can
encourage
customer
participation
Tactic
3:
Create
in-­‐store
signage
near
store
exits
soliciting
participation
from
customers
Tactic
4:
Solicit
participation
directly
from
brand
followers
on
owned
media
platforms
Tactic
5:
Embed
multimedia
feature
on
Homedepot.com
front
page
that
features
select
#fromHD
posts
to
website
visitors
and
notify
individuals
that
their
posts
have
been
selected
to
appear,
increasing
enthusiasm
for
participation.

24.
24
Direct Marketing & Sales
DIRECT
MARKETING
OBJECTIVE:
Increase
the
number
of
active
names
in
Home
Depot’s
customer
database
for
the
target
geography
by
60%
in
a
12-­‐month
period.
Tactic 1: Increase customer participation in Home Depot text message alert system through in-­‐
store signage, website advertising, and mobile app features that incentivize participation
Tactic 2: Based on target market demographics, develop new mailing list and distribute
promotional postcards announcing various sales promotions, events, and benefits of registering
for mailing lists, online accounts, and other brand communications*
Tactic 3: Offer one-­‐time 10% off promotion through website, stores, and mobile app to
customers who sign up for Home Depot text message alerts
*
See
Sales
Promotion
Tactic
3
SALES
PROMOTION
OBJECTIVE:
Achieve
50%
discount
redemption
by
target
customers
over
12-­‐month
period.
Tactic 1: Create 20% off next purchase discount incentive for customers who attend an in-­‐
store Home Depot DIY project workshop. Coupons will be coded for identification with the
workshop(s) they were distributed at for better measurement.
Tactic 2: Distribute free DIY-­‐related branded premiums (a mini tape measure, screwdriver set,
color wheel, etc.) to individuals who visit the Home Depot PR booths at area community events
including WV
Women’s
Extravaganza and Morgantown
Home
Show along with scratch-­‐off
discount (value between 10-­‐40% off) coupon for in-­‐store or online purchase. Coupons are coded
for identification with the event(s) they were distributed at for better measurement.
Tactic 3: Send 5x7 full color postcards announcing in-­‐store event schedule, related sales
promotions, and other The Home Depot features (early access to sales through mailing list
subscription, in-­‐store flash discounts for logged-­‐in mobile app users, etc.) to households fitting
target market profile*
*
See
Direct
Marketing
Tactic
2

25.
25
Measurement Tactics
MEASUREMENT
TACTIC
1
(QUANTITATIVE):
Utilize
analytics
tools
from
the
targeted
social
media
platforms
to
develop
ongoing
social
monitoring
program
that
will
track
the
relevant
interactions
(“likes,”
“pins,”
“tweets,”
etc.)
to
track
brand
activity
based
on
pre-­‐campaign
baseline
statistics.
Reports
will
be
distributed
to
the
marketing
team
on
a
monthly
basis.
Baseline
data
which
will
be
gathered
prior
to
implementation
of
this
campaign
using
the
analytics
download
features
available
through
the
targeted
social
media
platforms’
business
analytics
tools.
Based
on
gathered
data,
related
tactics
can
be
adjusted
to
increase
engagement
on
a
rolling
basis.
Special
attention
will
be
paid
to
social
activity
related
to
special
events
like
Tweet-­‐chats.
Target – PR
Objective
1:
Increase
positive
brand
interactions
(brand
interactions
meaning
“likes,”
“pins,”
or
“tweets”
as
appropriate
for
the
platform)
related
to
published
content
with
brand
followers
on
owned
social
media
platforms
by
100%
on
average
(across
platforms)
within
12
months.
Measurements:
PINTEREST
ANALYTICS
(n.d.)
• New
followers
(by
board
and
for
whole
account)
• Audience
Analytics
o Country
o Language
(according
to
Pinner
account
settings)
o Metro
Area
o Gender
• Pin
Analytics
o Impressions:
number
of
times
a
Pin
linked
to
the
brand’s
website
or
Pinterest
profile
has
appeared
on
Pinterest
homefeeds,
category
feeds
and
search
o Repins:
The
number
of
times
an
existing
Pin
originating
on
the
brand’s
Pinterest
page
or
website
was
added
to
a
user’s
boards.
o Original
Pins:
first-­‐time
Pins
created
from
the
brand’s
website
using
methods
like
the
Pin
It
button,
browser
extensions,
and
manual
Pin
uploads.
o Avg.
monthly
viewers:
average
number
of
unique
impressions
of
Pins
per
month
o Avg.
monthly
engaged:
The
average
number
of
people
who
engaged
(repinned,
clicked,
etc.)
with
Pins
each
month.
FACEBOOK
AND
INSTAGRAM
INSIGHTS
(Lee,
n.d.)
• Post
Likes
• Post
Clicks:
number
of
clicks
other
than
Likes,
Comments,
or
Shares
• Number
of
Shares
• Total
Page
Likes
Over
Time
• Net
Likes:
What
Changed
(Unlikes,
Organic
Likes,
Paid
Likes,
Net
Likes)
• Where
Your
Page
Likes
Came
From
(On
Your
Page,
Page
Suggestions,
Mobile,
Your
Posts,
Others)

26.
26
• Hashtag
#LetsDoThis
tracking
(Instagram-­‐only
measurement)
TWITTER
ANALYTICS
(Benson,
2014)
• Individual
Tweet
performance
• Impressions
(times
a
Tweet
is
viewed
by
anyone
on
Twitter
web
and
Android
or
iOS
apps,
including
logged-­‐out
users)
• Retweets
• Engagement
–
Cumulative
score
of
Replies,
Re-­‐tweets,
Mentions
• Replies
• Favorites
• Mentions
• Account
Follows
• Link
clicks
• Embedded
media
clicks
(videos,
images,
etc.)
• Use
of
brand
hashtag
#LetsDoThis
Rationale:
The
mentioned
measures
are
those
most
indicative
of
increased
positive
interaction
by
potential
consumers
with
the
brand’s
social
media
content.
Since
the
brand’s
posted
content
is
designed
to
provide
viewers
with
increased
exposure
to
The
Home
Depot’s
products
and
services
related
to
DIY
Home
improvement,
engagement
with
the
content
will
encourage
viewers’
positive
impression
of
the
brand
and,
ideally,
increase
brand
preference,
one
of
the
campaign’s
primary
objectives.
MEASUREMENT
TACTIC
2
(QUANTITATIVE):
Utilize
scanner
data
and
online
purchasing
records
to
track
the
redemption
of
coupons
distributed
as
part
of
the
campaign
over
time
and
by
product.
If
possible,
as
in
cases
of
online
shopping
or
when
the
redeemer
is
in
the
marketing
database,
correlate
the
customers
to
the
target
audience
profile
to
determine
if
we
are
reaching
our
target.
Target –
Sales
Promotion
Objective:
Achieve
50%
discount
redemption
by
target
customers
over
12-­‐month
period.
Measurements:
• Ratio
of
coupons
distributed
to
coupons
redeemed
• Locations
and
times
of
redemption
• Size
of
purchase
with
discounts
in
comparison
to
past
purchases
• Length
of
time
between
coupon
distribution
and
redemption
• Redemptions
in
relation
to
the
activity
coupons
were
distributed
at/for
(based
on
unique
codes)
• Type
of
coupons
most
redeemed
based
on
discounts,
products,
and
physical
or
digital
medium
Rationale:
Coupons
are
a
known
method
of
encouraging
product
trial
and
repurchase.
In
this
case,
the
product
being
promoted
is
The
Home
Depot
itself
through
inventory-­‐wide
discounts
distributed

27.
27
to
produce
increased
purchasing
by
the
target
audience.
Based
on
that,
using
redemption
tracking
in
concert
with
The
Home
Depot’s
CRM
database
system
should
help
marketers
track
which
of
the
distributed
coupons
and
discounts
are
most
popular
with
consumers
as
well
as
which
venues
are
best
for
distribution.
MEASUREMENT
TACTIC
3
(QUALITATIVE):
Pretest
of
commercials
meant
for
airing
on
streaming
media
via
Theater
test.
Theater
test
will
allow
marketing
team
to
determine
strength
or
weakness
of
the
commercials
designed
for
placement
in
streaming
television
programs.
In
order
to
achieve
the
most
realistic
possible
viewing
environment,
test
participants
will
view
the
programs
and
commercials
in
their
own
homes
rather
than
a
central
location
and
will
provide
feedback
via
touchscreen
interface.
Participants
will
be
selected
based
on
the
campaign’s
target
audience
profile
in
order
to
provide
responses
reflective
of
the
target’s
likely
actual
responses
(Belch
and
Belch,
2013).
Target – Media
Plan
Objective
2:
Use
online
media
to
reach
70%
of
target
market
at
least
4
times
over
12
month
period.
Strategy
2:
Run
60-­‐second
commercials
on
streaming
television
platforms
during
shows
viewed
by
target
market
Measurements:
• Visibility
of
ad
(was
it
noticed)
• Preference
for
different
editions
of
advertisement
• Brand
awareness
(was
brand
memorable
based
on
advertisement)
• Persuasion
(specifically
does
the
advertisement
make
the
viewer
feel
more
likely
to
purchase
from
The
Home
Depot)
• Brand
enhancement
(attitude
towards
brand
based
on
advertisement)
Rationale:
The
overarching
purpose
of
this
campaign
is
to
increase
preference
for
The
Home
Depot
as
a
brand
and
increase
sales
among
the
target
market.
Pre-­‐testing
advertisements
with
carefully
selected
test
participants
will
allow
the
marketing
team
to
make
adjustments
to
the
ads
based
on
their
feedback
and
provides
a
greater
likelihood
that
the
ads
will
interest
and
resonate
with
members
of
the
target
audience.

28.
28
Conclusion
The
Home
Depot
has
a
thirty-­‐plus
year
history
of
giving
its
customers
the
tools
and
skills
they
need
to
repair
and
improve
their
homes.
Thanks
to
that
mission,
The
Home
Depot
has
grown
from
two
stores
in
Atlanta,
Georgia
into
the
largest
home
improvement
chain
in
the
world,
spanning
four
countries
and
two
continents.
Despite
the
brand’s
current
market
leadership,
the
home
improvement
industry,
and
the
profile
of
our
customers
is
changing
rapidly
and
The
Home
Depot
must
adapt
its
marketing
accordingly
in
order
to
maintain
its
position.
Fortunately,
the
company’s
marketing
program
is
strong
and
we
have
the
luxury
of
adding
to
and
expanding
on
our
marketing
rather
than
playing
catch-­‐up.
The
IMC
plan
for
the
“Your
Home,
One
Project
at
a
Time”
campaign
addresses
an
important
demographic
for
our
company’s
future
with
a
comprehensive
and
measurable
set
of
goals
and
strategies
for
success
that
will
set
the
tone
for
our
marketing
to
similar
markets
in
the
future.
Our
target
market
for
this
campaign
are
the
female
partners
in
young
suburban
professional
couples
who
want
to
care
for
their
homes
themselves
but
sometimes
lack
the
knowledge
and
confidence
to
tackle
the
projects
they
want
to.
These
couples
value
ease
of
use,
high-­‐quality
products,
and
customer
service
more
than
brands
or
low
prices,
which
makes
them
a
valuable
and
natural
target
market
for
The
Home
Depot’s
products
and
services.
Further,
the
pervasiveness
of
technology
use
by
these
couples
provides
a
vast
array
of
opportunities
for
us
to
provide
them
with
content
that
will
help
them
pursue
their
goals
and
will
draw
them
into
a
closer
brand
relationship
with
The
Home
Depot.
This
plan
will
allow
us
to
reach
our
customers
where
they
live,
work,
and
as
they
go
about
their
daily
lives.
Our
mix
of
traditional
and
digital
advertising
media
increases
our
ability
to
reach
consumers
through
the
information
mediums
they
choose
to
interact
with,
and
the
ones
they
cannot
avoid
in
their
daily
lives.
The
public
relations
plan
builds
on
the
social
mediums
our
customers
already
enjoy
and
rely
on
for
new
home
improvement
ideas
and
sharing
as
well
as
our
ability
to
produce
DIY
home
improvement
ideas
and
training
through
workshops
and
instructions
that
will
bolster
our
customers’
self-­‐confidence.
Finally,
the
promotional
and
direct
marketing
tactics
we
will
weave
throughout
the
rest
of
our
campaign
will
increase
our
customer’s
connection
to
the
brand
and
create
loyal
customers
for
years
to
come.
By
highlighting
the
company’s
DIY
expertise
through
expanded
content
marketing,
advertising,
and
public
relations
outreach
using
a
mix
of
digital
and
physical
marketing
methods,
we
will
drive
home
to
our
customers
the
value
of
The
Home
Depot
as
a
brand
and
encourage
their
involvement
in
DIY
home
improvement
knowing
that
our
company
is
there
to
provide
them
with
products,
support,
and
new
ideas
whenever
they
turn
to
us.
We
look
forward
to
working
with
you
to
implement
the
“Your
Home,
One
Project
at
a
Time”
campaign
and
help
The
Home
Depot
continue
to
grow
and
reach
new
markets.

29.
29
References
Background
Castellanos,
D.,
(2012,
August
15).
“Customer
service
push
at
Home
Depot,
Lowe's
and
rivals
paying
off.”
Los
Angeles
Times.
Retrieved
from
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/15/business/la-­‐fi-­‐home-­‐improvement-­‐20120815
Hoovers,
(2014,
Aug
29).
The
Home
Depot
Inc
profile.
Retrieved from http://hoovers.com
Home
Depot,
Inc.,
(2013,
March
27).
Annual
report
2013.
Retrieved
from
http://phx.corporate-­‐
ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=63646&p=irol-­‐reportscurrent
Home
Depot,
Inc.,
(n.d.).
History.
Retrieved
from
https://corporate.homedepot.com/OurCompany/History/Pages/default.aspx
Home
Depot,
Inc.,
(n.d.).
Values.
Retrieved
from
https://corporate.homedepot.com/OurCompany/Values/Pages/default.aspx
Home
Depot:
"Manhattan
direction
wallscape2"
outdoor
advert
by
The
Richards
Group,
(2010).
Coloribus
Advertising
Archive.
Retrieved
from
http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/outdoor-­‐ambient/home-­‐depot-­‐manhattan-­‐
direction-­‐wallscape2-­‐13900855/
Home
Depot’s
profit
surges
14
percent,
(2014,
August
20).
Boston
Globe.
Retrieved
from
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/08/19/home-­‐depot-­‐profit-­‐climbs-­‐
percent/0EAJCCNzTa5GOfkUBsbDTL/story.html
Howley,
K.M.,
(2014,
June
20).
“Housing
market
falters
amid
rising
prices,
lower-­‐paying
jobs”.
Bloomberg.
Retrieved
from
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-­‐06-­‐20/housing-­‐
falters-­‐as-­‐forecasters-­‐see-­‐u-­‐s-­‐sales-­‐dropping.html

30.
30
McCluskey,
P.D.,
(2014,
August
20).
“Home
remodeling
rebounds
as
economy
improves.”
Boston
Globe.
Retrieved
from
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/08/19/home-­‐remodeling-­‐rebounds-­‐
economy-­‐housing-­‐market-­‐improve/ijKCdOneXPM7ar8griw8aM/story.html
Walsh,
D.,
(2014,
August
27).
“Kinnelon
man
goes
to
bat
against
giant
home
improvement
chains.”
Northjersey.com.
Retrieved
from
http://www.northjersey.com/news/business/small-­‐
business/local-­‐businessman-­‐aims-­‐to-­‐be-­‐a-­‐david-­‐vs-­‐goliaths-­‐1.1076923
SWOT
Erwina,
I.,
(2013,
May).
“Diy
home
improvement
and
maintenance”
[Infographic].
Mintel.
Retrieved
from
http://www.mintel.com
Hoovers,
(2014,
Aug
29).
The
Home
Depot
Inc
profile.
Retrieved
from
http://hoovers.com
Howley,
K.M.,
(2014,
June
20).
“Housing
market
falters
amid
rising
prices,
lower-­‐paying
jobs”.
Bloomberg.
Retrieved
from
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-­‐06-­‐20/housing-­‐
falters-­‐as-­‐forecasters-­‐see-­‐u-­‐s-­‐sales-­‐dropping.html
Make,
(n.d.).
Maker
market
study:
An
in-­‐depth
profile
of
makers
at
the
forefront
of
hardware
innovation.
Retrieved
from:
http://makezine.com/hardware-­‐innovation-­‐
workshop/research
Phillips,
J.,
(2014,
August).
“IBISWorld
industry
report
44411:
home
improvement
stores
in
the
us.”
IBISWorld.
Retrieved
from
http://www.ibisworld.com
Measurement
Belch, G., & Belch, M. (2014). Advertising and promotion: An integrated marketing
communications perspective (10th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-­‐Hill.
Benton, B. (2014, July 11). Introducing organic tweet analytics. Twitter advertising blog.
Retrieved from https://blog.twitter.com/2014/introducing-­‐organic-­‐tweet-­‐analytics

31.
31
Lee, S. (n.d.) Facebook’s new page insights: Everything you need to know. Hongkiat. Retrieved
from http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/facebook-­‐page-­‐insights/
Pinterest Analytics. (n.d.) Pinterest business and websites. Retrieved from
https://help.pinterest.com/en/articles/pinterest-­‐analytics

32.
32
Appendix
1. Creative
Strategy
Diagram
2. Advertising
Media
Plan
Flowchart