Organisation Name: Home Depot
Industry: Home Hardware, Construction, DIY
Web Reference: Home Depot, HD Media Relations, Clickz Review, Social Success, AdAge
What is the Home Depot Doing?
In an effort to empower its cliental, the Home Depot has experimented with various points of attraction. Stuff the competition was slow to react on, in the business world its known that being pro-active will hold your head above water, longer than being re-active. Social media as its known now a days is the new communication medium that consumers and retailers use to communicate the pros/cons, shopping experience, product reviews and vent additional details.
All successful companies know that public relations (consumer and B2B) are essential to market capture. The Home Depot is very well known for its Public Relations:
-Assisting U.S vets adapt back to civil life
-DIY programs
-Tool and service consultation and rentals
-B2B service advantages and dedicated support
-Community support in sports and pass times
The Home Depot has a very successful market penetration rate; this includes consumers, businesses and contractors. In business 30+ years the company values are drafted around community support and engagement. Famous for the #20 Toyota NASCAR and soccer sponsorship, the company offers community support on an international level, across 2+ continents. When it comes to e-commerce and consumer engagement via online, the Home depot has also developed its own website and YouTube channel, RSS feeds to reach out to all market segments, internationally.
Empowering associates and consumers is at the core of the company mission statement. If you stop by a Home Depot some things you may notice:
- DIY consultation pads (consumers and associates can get together to work, analyze and construct projects).
- Tool and equipment rental (allows consumers to complete their personalized home project/install and test out products before purchase)
- Contractor services desk (empowers local contractors and community equity when locals are able to complete projects)
- DIFM (Do it for me! Huge for consumers who want to visualize their project, hiring a 3rd party to complete the messy install).
After all, consumers want to feel like they drafted, constructed and finalized the final piece. Adding a extra personalized touch to all projects, no matter size or shape. Reaching out to your customer at the inquiry stage and providing relevant support, will ensure customer engagement and loyalty for a prolonged time period. Want more deets? Check out how easy your next project can be at HD.
Smell That Other Depots?
Social engagement is a different communication platform, a platform firms are still trying to grasp. According to our friends at Clickz the HD scored much higher than other firms/brands in North America. Could this really be a result of customers completing DIY projects and sharing with their social platforms? Does it have anything to do with online tool/equipment rentals and streamlined pick-up/return process? How about a relationship with local small businesses and contracting offices? What about the consumers that opt for the DIFM option? It is clear that the HD has stepped outside of the norm to create customer engagement, all the while, upholding brand equity and image. A policy of engaging clients via regulated online tools, rather than wasting resources on outlining and policing employee social activity seems to be rather successful.
Submitted By: Fadi Batarseh, University of Waterloo
To contact the author of this entry please email at: Fadi_Batarseh@Hotmail.com
If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Programme Director, Social Media for Business Performance.