Strategies for marketing and advertising illuminated pool/spa products

by Sally Bouorm | December 1, 2013 9:50 am

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By Ted Lawrence

As the pool and spa/hot tub industry goes through what everyone hopes will be a short winter, it is important for business owners—especially those operating pool/spa retail stores—to start the New Year off right by putting together a marketing and advertising plan for the coming year. To do this properly, it is important to start with an advertising budget; once a reasonable monetary amount has been determined, plan all of the events and sales, the type of media that will be used to reach the end consumer and, finally, all of the products that will be advertised to bring consumers flocking to the store.

Does this sound ludicrous? There are many retailers who have extremely large advertising budgets to those who have none. Some retailers may even have competitively priced chlorine tablets, shock, and algaecide in all of their advertising, which may be better and cheaper than the competition, but they do not get the response they think they should with respect to drawing customers to their store, while others with small budgets may get huge reactions to their advertising. Why does this happen? The answer always comes down to the content. If the content does not get the consumer excited then they will not come through the door. Face it, chlorine and its ancillary products are not the most exciting products; however, they are a necessity to have in some advertising. Where many retailers are failing is they are not giving the consumer what they really want in an advertising piece. Sure the pricing has to be competitive, but it should not be the only content.

What do consumers really want?

It is hard for retailers to know exactly what the consumer wants, but guess what? They do not know either. For example, it is hard for some to imagine their lives without their smartphone (an item just a few years ago many lived without). Today, however, almost everyone has one of these devices and they cannot be pried out of their hands.

The pool and spa/hot tub industry may not have the exact equivalent with regards to product demand, but there are definitely products that once the consumer sees they will not only want, but also could not imagine their pool without it.

What are these products? One good example is illuminated accessories. Why? Because pool builders never talk about them, mass merchants hardly display them, and online/catalogue companies cannot properly convey the ‘wow’ factor to the consumer to create excitement. However, retailers can. But, similar to mass merchants, most do not display or talk about them either.

Illuminated products cover a wide array and variety; some are obvious, while others not so much. The following is a list of these products:

1. Replacement lights: Replacing existing incandescent pool lighting with either light-emitting diode (LED) or similar.
2. Landscape lighting: Lighting that accents the exterior perimeter of the pool, landscape, and home.
3. Floating lights: Rechargeable, battery-operated lights that are available in many shapes and sizes. These lights can be used in and around the pool and last up to eight hours without charging.
4. Lighted fountains: Add-on illuminated fountains can be self-installed and look great. These are the perfect touch to an upcoming party and typically sell for less than $100.
5. Lighted toys and games: Kids flock to illuminated accessories. One example of this type of product is illuminated noodles. These are the types of products people want when they see others have them.

No doubt about it, lights are cool

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Adding a light to any product definitely makes it more intriguing; however, simply putting the product on the shelf or lighting it up in the showroom does not sell it. There are seven things a retailer must do in order to sell these products and reap the benefits of increased profits. Satisfied customers will refer their friends and family, which will result in a new customer base that will shop at the store. Here is how to get started:

1.  It all starts with advertising. Where most retailers begin to fail is not advertising the new product correctly. Simply showing a picture of the product and a price does not cut it. Instead, the advertisement should not only show the consumer a picture of the product, but also contain a link to the store’s website—either by QR code or direct URL—to see where they can find before/after photos as well as learn how they can turn their pool from ordinary into extraordinary. Further, including a line such as “Pricing as low as $xxx with no installation required” also works.
2. Wow customers with a display by turning the most visible wall in the store into ‘The Cool Spot.’ The wall space does not have to be any bigger than 1.2 to 2.4 m (4 to 8 ft) long. Use this area to light it up; take every illuminated product the store carries and display them working. Include all of the manufacturer’s sales display materials in this area as well. Price the product, or if it needs to be installed, advertise an ‘As low as’ installation price. In this same section, use a TV or computer monitor to show various before and after installation photos, videos of the product(s) being used, in addition to how the consumer can install them (if needed). This display alone will sell these products.
3. Try it before they buy it. Offer to loan a floating LED light to the consumer for the evening. This is a great way for the consumer to see what a basic $100 investment will get them. When the

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   consumer comes back to return the light, more often than not, many will purchase the product along with several more. If not, it opens the door to selling them a product upgrade. Either way, once they start with accent lighting for their pool, over the years they will supplement their lighting features by adding permanent illuminated fixtures and landscape lighting to the mix. ‘Try me’ promotions pretty much have a 100 per cent success rate. Once the consumer turns the light on at night in their pool, they are almost always likely to buy it.

4. Set up a display pool and install the lights with independent switches to enable different lights and features to be turned on and off. By having an in-store ‘demo’ pool it shows the consumer what they can get now and what they can add on in the future. For those retailers without a display pool, one option is to install an array of illuminated features and accessories on a loyal customer’s pool at a discounted price and shoot a video showing the before and after results. In taking this one step further, retailers can make a deal with the customer that if they allow their name to be included on a referrals list, they will earn a commission on each one they help to sell.
5. Send a post card mailer out to every customer showing them the array of products available and how they can easily be retrofitted or added onto their pool.
6. Spread the word. Everyone the retailer employs (e.g. sales staff and service/construction personnel) needs to talk about the illuminated products. They should not only tell people about how cool illumination products are, but also explain how they are energy efficient, low-maintenance, as well as how easy they are to add to a swimming pool.
7. Make a commission program for sales staff on these products. Set it up so it is graduated; therefore, the more they sell the more they make. Then, sit back and watch the sales happen.

With little effort and focus, illuminated products can help pool/spa retailers increase their sales while making their customer’s pool/spa experience better. Giving the customer an experience they cannot get online is a competitive advantage to the business. In addition, these tips can be easily applied to other products and services that are offered.

 

 

Ted Lawrence is a global retail specialist with Pool Corp., a wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products in Cleveland, Ohio. He has served the swimming pool industry for more than 20 years and is an authority on retail, sales, and management. Lawrence is also a regular seminar presenter at various national and international industry events, and participates on several professional retail boards and councils. He can be reached via e-mail at ted.lawrence@poolcorp.com[4].

 

 

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/strategies-for-marketing-and-advertising-illuminated-poolspa-products/

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