Home Hardware Stores Limited is Canada’s largest independent home improvement retailer. Founded in 1964 and owned by close to 1,100 independent small business owners, the company is found in
communities all over the country, and remains 100% Canadian.
Home Hardware is working hard to respond to a changing market and demographics. Having ranked first in Canadian Customer Experience, they are committed to helping Canadians with all of their project needs.
And this is where Home’s use of influencer marketing comes in. Influencer marketing is like online word of mouth. An influencer is someone with a social media following whose message influences their audience. Home Hardware’s influencers select home improvement projects and create content showcasing Home’s product offering.
I spoke with Kim McClennan, Home Hardware’s Social Media Manager, who mentioned that Home’s goals for their influencer marketing strategy are to reach a new demographic for awareness of the brand, as well as generating engagement and content creation.
Since many DIY influencers have established audiences who follow them for décor and renovation tips, the best types of influencers are the ones who already use your products. Home Hardware has worked with bethanythislittleestate throughout 2018, with great success. Bethany is a natural fit for Home Hardware with an authentic voice to her posts, as she was already a fan of their Beauti-Tone paint.
“Moderndaywonderland creates beautiful projects and she always has a little fun with her content” says McClennan. When an influencer tells a story around the project, it will reach and resonate with your target audience. Millennials prefer influencers who create authentic, engaging content.
“We did a lot of testing and learning in 2018,” adds McClennan, “we will build upon those learnings next year.”
Lessons for Others
Building relationships and engaging in conversation are part of the basic social media marketing model, and influencers do just that. People trust people more than ads. Home Hardware’s use of influencer marketing bridges the gap between the brand and their followers to accomplish these goals.
Organization:
Home Hardware Stores Limited
Industry:
Retail
Name of Organization Contact:
Kim McClennan, Social Media Manager
Authored by: Amber M
If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site, please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Program Director, Social Media for Business Performance.
References
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McClennan, Kim (2018) Home Hardware Social Media Manager, Personal Interview
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