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Client: Garage Finisher Challenge: Mario Salwan, founder of Garage Finisher, is often asked by potential customers, "Why should I remodel my garage?" For Salwan, this is an easy answer, "you remodel, organize and clean it up because it is your new front door. No one actually uses the front door anymore so why shouldn't your garage look nice? Plus, aren't you embarrassed to show your junk to your neighbors?"
Garage Finisher's challenge isn't convincing people to makeover his or her garage; the challenge is getting the word out that his company simply exists! Garage Finisher (formerly Slide-Lok of Cleveland) is an offshoot of a 20-year old, family-owned company called Buckeye Painting & Decks. Mario Salwan was very familiar with how the referral business worked, however he needed more mainstream marketing strategies. Getting homeowners to buy wasn't the challenge - it was getting people to physically see his product. Once they saw Garage Finisher's expertise and quality service, it was a done deal.
Furthermore, Garage Finisher is on the brink of one of the hottest trends in America. According to a report completed by the Rockwell, MD-based market research firm Packaged Facts, by 2009, projected spending on garage makeovers would grow to $1.59 billion in 2009, making it one of the fastest-growing segments of the home-improvement industry. Therefore, Salwan needed to gain market share before new competitors began to emerge.
With a limited budget, seemingly endless available marketing avenues and a need for immediate recognition, Salwan turned to Felber & Felber Marketing to help him make the best marketing decisions.
Target: Upscale, affluent homeowners who want organization or perhaps they just want to finally fit two cars into their two-car garage when it snows. While women are typically the decision-maker in remodeling or decorating the kitchen, bathroom, etc., men (aged 24-54 years old) are really the driver of this decision. Males want a heated garage, a place to watch the BIG GAME or more room to work on cars, etc. Solution: A multi-channel approach that included advertising, tradeshows and special events, public relations and direct mail. Felber & Felber Marketing used public relations to introduce Garage Finisher. Salwan's former business name, Slide-Lok of Cleveland, and the new name, Garage Finisher, were mentioned in several outlets such as The Plain Dealer, Inside Business Magazine, Sun Newspapers and on the WAKR radio station. See examples of public relations:
Click image to enlarge.
Click image to enlarge.
With a plethora of advertising opportunities reaching the affluent market in Northeastern Ohio, Felber & Felber Marketing narrowed the field to eight print publications such as JStyle and Currents Magazine and one direct mail program called RSVP. In an effort to organize all of Salwan's efforts, Felber & Felber Marketing created an advertising flight plan set out to maximize his efforts and organize deadlines. In designing the ads, we wanted to fully engage our target market. Therefore, a number of the advertisements were designed to appeal to the male audience. See examples of advertisements produced as Garage Finisher and its former name:
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Click images to enlarge.Garage Finisher exhibited at two of the largest home remodeling shows in the area, the PRO RemodelOhio Show and National City's Home & Garden show. In addition, Garage Finisher teamed up with a local charity called, HeArt (an organization that helps improve the visual environment of women's shelters), to hold an "Open Garage" event. This "Open Garage" event was similar to an open house but instead was held in the remodeled garage. Direct mail and public relations were used to promote this well-attended event. The events raised more than $750 for HeArt, a 501(c) (3) organization. See an example of the HeArt campaign:
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Click images to enlarge.Results: As a result of the advertising, direct mail, public relations and special events, Garage Finisher is off to great seasonal start. With calls coming in from almost every "touch," (a message reaching the target audience), Salwan is experiencing a very high rate of qualified leads. "Felber & Felber Marketing was able to develop the best multi-disciplined approach for us and coordinate that with my budget. I knew who I wanted to target and they found the best way to get my message in front of the homeowner. It was a breath of fresh air to receive calls from genuinely interested prospects. Felber & Felber Marketing made it happen." - Mario Salwan, Owner of Garage Finisher
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