Click on the links below to jump to story.

Furniture World Magazine, 9.19.10, “Klaussner Enhances Partnership With Banner Marketing”

Furniture Business Briefing, 9.16.10, “Top 5 Ways to Get the Most from Advertising”

Furniture Business Briefing, 7.6.10, “The Importance of Knowing Your Online Audience”

Spokane Journal of Business, 5.7.10, “Ad Designer Here Combines Web, Print”

Furniture World Magazine, 4.5.10, “WHFA Partners With Banner Advertising”

Home Furnishing Business, 4.2.10, “WHFA Partners with Banner Marketing”

Furniture Today, 3.1.10, “Rising expectations prompt stores to enhance websites.”

Furniture World Magazine, 9.19.10, “Klaussner Enhances Partnership With Banner Marketing” (Back to top)

Banner Marketing, a Spokane-based integrated marketing and advertising firm, announced that it has enhanced its partnership with Klaussner Home Furnishings. The move comes as the Asheboro, N.C. based company announces the launch of subsidiary company, Enso Sleep Systems. Enso Sleep Systems will provide customers with a new line of memory foam mattresses.

“We are very pleased to announce the continued growth of our strategic and valued partnership with Klaussner in 2011,” said John Dresel, CEO of Banner Marketing. “We are excited to extend the partnership to work with Enso Sleep Systems, providing a valuable opportunity to help dealer’s market high quality furniture and bedding to consumers.”

Klaussner, one of the largest furniture companies in America, has worked with Banner Marketing since 2009. Banner Marketing will provide advertising and marketing materials for Enso Sleep Systems, and launch the program at High Point Market in October, along with a continued program for Klaussner. The goal of the partnership is to help dealers promote high quality bedding and home furnishings through strategic advertising solutions and promotion.

“Enso Sleep Systems is a user friendly brand and this program builds on that initiative by putting the marketing resources needed for success at the dealers’ fingertips, saving time and money,” said Steve Brower, vice president of sales and marketing. “Building upon our current relationship with Banner Marketing makes perfect sense, and we’re excited to get started.”

About Banner Marketing: Banner Marketing helps businesses grow through integrated marketing; a combination of digital and traditional marketing strategies that reach a company’s key consumers and inspire them to buy. In business since 1983 and based in Spokane, Wash., Banner develops creative content to support its client’s brands – from traditional circulars to cutting edge Web sites – keeps that content up-to-date, tracks program results, and provides reporting to refine and adjust strategies for even greater success. Banner provides cohesive programs and experiences that translate into stronger brands, increased sales and improved advertising spend and frequency. Learn more at www.bannerretail.com.

Furniture Business Briefing, 9.16.10, “Top 5 Ways to Get the Most from Advertising” (Back to top)

There are certain questions that I hear from furniture retailers all the time. How do I know if my promotion is working? How can my business stand out among our competitors? How do I get more people walking through the door?
But among all of these questions, the one I am most asked is (drum roll, please), how can we make the most of our marketing dollars – in essence, how can we increase our advertising effectiveness?
Having spent more than 10 years at a marketing firm that caters to furniture retailers, I can say that while these questions may seem pretty basic, they are valid, and there are ways to ensure that the promotions are running to their full potential.
Here are five ways to make sure your advertising pays off:

1. Offers: It is important to include strong promotional offers in your advertisements that appeal to your target audience. We often find success with seasonal promotions because they fill an immediate need that a potential customer has. Be it Back to School, Mother’s Day or Something for Your Sweetheart, seasonal appeals serve as reminders to potential customers that action is required to participate in timely promotions.

2. Urgency: It is important to create a general sense of urgency in your promotions. Shoppers, regardless of status or income, are always looking for a good deal. It’s natural to want to save money when possible. Holding promotions that have time sensitive limitations are great ways to get people to “act now.” These work especially well with larger items such as sofas that require a larger investment on the purchase. Sofas 40% off this weekend only? Count me in.

3. Coupons: Coupons may seem like an old school gimmick, but believe it or not, they are making a comeback. When the recession hit in late 2008, retailers saw a huge increase in customers clipping or downloading coupons. According to research conducted by the Coupon Sherpa, consumer coupon use grew 29 percent in 2009, the first annual increase since 1992. More than 3.3 billion coupons were redeemed that year, for a total savings of $858 million. Additionally, according to a survey by Promo P&I, nearly 30 percent of people surveyed said they made a special trip to a store to use a coupon.

Coupons can either stand-alone or be included in another promotion. For example, a New Fall Looks sale is already running in-store, and that’s great, but giving a customer a coupon for an additional 10% off during the sale is more likely to get them to come in.

4. Integrate: Say it with me now, integrate, integrate, integrate! Long gone are the days when radio and television ads alone will do the trick. According to a recent study, 90 percent of shoppers look online before ever stepping foot into a store, making it more important than ever to “integrate” your traditional advertising with web-based offers. Make sure that your website reflects what promotions are being offered in store – in essence; merchandise your website just as you would your retail space. Diversifying your programs and ensuring they all work in tandem is crucial to capturing customers across all platforms. Making all of the integrated offers time-sensitive will encourage them to respond.

5. Personalize: What I hear from most shoppers is that they don’t want to be sold. They want to buy, and there’s a huge difference between the two. Creating relationships with customers is the key to making them feel like you as a retailer are a consultant, but they are ultimately making the decision. Stores are using tools like social media to connect to their customer base locally by sending special deals and offers, establishing a personal connection, and ultimately keep their store name in front of the customer.

These are all great ways to drive your promotions, but to really gauge whether your promotion is in fact working, track it! Tracking customer engagement is an essential part of the marketing process. In the most basic form, ask how they heard about you when they walk in the door. But to take advantage of the technology that is available today, make sure your website has tracking capabilities, and take time to view reports on a regular basis. This valuable information will help you determine what worked, what didn’t, and what to do next. – SG

Shirley Griffiths, the vice president of sales, is one of Banner Marketing’s longest tenured employees with 11 years of experience with the integrated marketing company. Griffiths is responsible for overseeing Banner’s sales, creative and operations departments. She can be reached at shirleyg@bannerretail.comor 800-843-9271.

Banner Marketing helps businesses grow through integrated marketing; a combination of digital and traditional marketing strategies that reach a company’s key consumers and inspire them to buy. In business since 1983 and based in Spokane, Wash., Banner develops creative content to support its client’s brands – from traditional circulars to cutting edge Web sites – keeps that content up-to-date, tracks program results, and provides reporting to refine and adjust strategies for even greater success.

Furniture Business Briefing, 7.6.10, “The Importance of Knowing Your Online Audience” (Back to top)

As the online retail space continues to grow, so does the fundamental need to have a website. These days, if you aren’t online, it can be easy for shoppers to overlook your product or service, even if it is far superior to your competitors.

In a 2010 shopping study, PowerReviews and the e-tailing group found that 57 percent of online buyers started looking for items online with a search engine, while 20 percent started with a brand’s site and 18 percent with a retailer’s website.

A website not only serves basic, functional purposes such as showcasing your products or service and displaying information about your company, but can help you understand who is interested in your inventory and why. With the proper tracking tools, you can find out what products your customers looked at online, what online coupon promotions are working the best for your store, when you have received the most online customers and so much more.

For example, we tracked results for one dealer who distributed print materials that included the company’s website address on them. On the day that the printed materials went out, he saw an increase of five times the traffic on the store’s website. Whereas the company usually received 10 to 15 website visits per day, on the day that the mailing went out, it received 115 visitors. That’s a huge boost in website traffic that the dealer wouldn’t have known about if he wasn’t tracking online results.

Additionally, we pulled area profile data for a customer in Indiana and used the information when we created the customer’s website, as well as when we updated the site with online promotions. Through these initial processes, we learned that this store’s average customer lived in single housing in suburban areas, that 56 percent of the households were renting, and that the median age was 40 years old. We also knew that they used coupons regularly, worked on home remodeling or improvement projects and bought domestic vehicles.

Armed with this information, this store created the following promotions on their website: free gift cards to home improvement stores; free game systems; monetary discounts with minimum purchases; free sales tax; and, percentages off with minimum purchase.

All of these promotions garnered great responses from the store’s customers because the store knew exactly who they were targeting and what they would most be interested in. If retailers did not have this information, they would be crafting promotions without any details – basically shooting in the dark.

Also, by tracking the results of your website, you can learn how your customers are finding you online. Are they typing in your web address directly, finding you through a search engine like Google, or being pointed to your site from a referral site like Facebook? This information can easily be obtained through an online report.

If you aren’t tracking online information, ask your website provider if online reports are available to you. By accessing this information, you can improve your company’s promotions by targeting the customers most likely to visit and purchase from your store.

Ad Designer Here Combines Web, Print (Back to top)
Banner, now led by former Tully's president, says new strategy has triggered rebound

Excerpts from Spokane Journal of Business, May 7, 2010

By Mike McLean
Of the Journal of Business
John Dressler, CEO

Banner Retail Marketing Group LLC, a Liberty Lake retail advertising designer, has expanded its focus beyond print mailers and circulars to include integrated Web site design and servicing, says John Dresel, Banner's new CEO, largest shareholder, and former president of Tully's Coffee.

Dresel, who's also former president of operations for the Seattle SuperSonics and former chief operating officer of Seattle-based Tully's, moved to Spokane last year to take over management of Banner, which like many of its clients had taken a severe hit during the recession.

Dresel and a group of investors last year bought Banner from a Seattle private equity firm, which bought the company from Bill and Jane Sauther, of Spokane Valley, in 2007.

Banner, located in a 13,000-square-foot building at 23305 E. Knox, employs 40 people, down from 75 employees in 2007. Dresel, though, says the company is back on a growth track and currently is seeking to hire five salespeople.

He says Banner now integrates digital and traditional advertising media, in part by using print media to drive consumers to retailers' Web sites. That strategy has stabilized the company by helping its customers, mostly small to midsized independent furniture dealers, remain visible even as consumers' habits shift.

"Since the recession, consumer buying behaviors have changed," Dresel says. "Most adults research the Internet for local prices before going to retail locations for major purchases."

That hurts smaller independent retailers who don't have Web sites, or whose Web sites are underdeveloped, he says.

To continue to serve its clients, Banner added a Web-site service that it integrates with its glossy advertising inserts and mailers delivered here and elsewhere to enable independent retailers to compete with retail giants with much larger advertising budgets.

Dresel says Banner Retail has 1,200 customers nationwide, including Arcadia and Wis.-based Ashley Furniture Industries Inc…

The Web-site service has been embraced by many of Banner's clients that don't have the resources to keep their own sites updated, Dresel says. "We've created over 200 Web sites," he says.

For its print products, Banner had relied on manufacturers' representatives to distribute its own promotional materials. With the addition of the Web-site service, the company keeps in closer direct contact with individual retailers, Dresel says.

"The Web site always has to be in sync with seasonal promotions and advertising," he says. "We have to be in consistent contact with customers to do custom work in 1,200 different areas."

A custom Web site that Banner creates and updates regularly has basic features and includes information on in-store specials, online offers, brands, contacts, and financing, he says…

Banner expects to produce more than 400 million circulars this year, he says. That's down from 1.4 billion circulars that the company said it printed in 2006.

The company, however, is fiscally healthy, Dresel says. "We've navigated through a trying time, and we're moving in a fruitful direction," he says.

Furniture World Magazine, 4.5.10, “WHFA Partners With Banner Advertising” (Back to top)

The Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA) announced that it has partnered with Banner Marketing, an integrated marketing and advertising firm, to develop and enhance the marketing efforts of its nearly 800 independent home furnishings retailers.

“We chose Banner as our preferred partner because of their profound knowledge in the home furnishings industry,” said Sharron Bradley, executive director of the WHFA. “Banner brings more than 25 years of experience and has clearly developed a program that brings measurable results to furniture dealers.”

The WHFA represents independent dealers across 12 western states. The association offers its members business solutions and support by providing information, programs and services that improve business opportunities and management practices.

“We are excited to help WHFA members grow their businesses through innovative marketing,” said John Dresel, CEO and owner of Banner Marketing. “We aim to create everything a small business needs to set-up, maintain, track and analyze the effectiveness of an overall advertising program by integrating traditional media with their website.”

Banner creates traditional marketing pieces such as attractive circulars that are seen in Sunday newspapers, but it takes marketing several steps further by also building cutting-edge websites for furniture retailers that are based on intuitive consumer shopping behavior. Banner provides twice-monthly updates to the websites, saving the furniture retailers time and effort, that align with the store’s current promotions.

The websites have built-in features such as:

Product descriptions that are search engine optimized
Data collection
Coupon functionality
Viral elements

“What really makes Banner different, is our ability to observe consumer behavior, aggregate the information by geographic territory and then react in real time, updating a business’ website based on these behaviors to generate additional traffic to the retailer,” added Dresel.

About WHFA: Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA) is the industry advocate of the independent home furnishings retailer, providing members with essential resources needed to achieve and maintain long-term business goals. The WHFA’s membership consists of nearly 800 independent home furnishings retailers representing more than 2,200 stores throughout 12 western states. For more than 60 years, WHFA has provided retailers with information, education, group discount programs, services and networking opportunities that have transformed businesses and perpetuated the industry. Learn more at www.whfa.org.

About Banner Marketing
Banner Marketing helps businesses grow through integrated marketing; a combination of digital and traditional marketing strategies that reach a company’s key consumers and inspire them to buy. In business since 1983 and based in Spokane, Wash., Banner develops creative content to support its client’s brands – from traditional circulars to cutting edge websites – keeps that content up-to-date, tracks program results, and provides reporting to refine and adjust strategies for even greater success. Banner provides cohesive programs and experiences that translate into stronger brands, increased sales and improved advertising spend and frequency. Learn more at www.bannerretail.com.

Home Furnishing Business, 4.2.10, “WHFA Partners with Banner Marketing” (Back to top)

The Western Home Furnishings Association has partnered with Banner Marketing, an integrated marketing and advertising firm in Spokane, Wash., to develop and enhance the marketing efforts of its nearly 800 independent home furnishings retailers.

"We chose Banner as our preferred partner because of their profound knowledge in the home furnishings industry," said Sharron Bradley , executive director of the WHFA. "Banner brings more than 25 years of experience and has clearly developed a program that brings measurable results to furniture dealers."

The WHFA represents independent dealers across 12 western states. The association offers its members business solutions and support by providing information, programs and services that improve business opportunities and management practices.

"We are excited to help WHFA members grow their businesses through innovative marketing," said John Dresel , CEO and owner of Banner Marketing. "We aim to create everything a small business needs to set-up, maintain, track and analyze the effectiveness of an overall advertising program by integrating traditional media with their website."

Banner creates traditional marketing pieces such as attractive circulars that are seen in Sunday newspapers, but it takes marketing several steps further by also building cutting-edge websites for furniture retailers that are based on intuitive consumer shopping behavior. Banner provides twice-monthly updates to the websites, saving the furniture retailers time and effort, that align with the store’s current promotions. The websites have built-in features such as: product descriptions that are search engine optimized; data collection; coupon functionality; and viral elements.

"What really makes Banner different, is our ability to observe consumer behavior, aggregate the information by geographic territory and then react in real time, updating a business' website based on these behaviors to generate additional traffic to the retailer," Dresel said.

Rising expectations prompt stores to enhance websites (Back to top)

Excerpts from Furniture Today, March 1, 2010

By Gary Evans

HIGH POINT — Realizing that 80% of consumers research products online before making a purchase, retailer Furniture World moved to make its business more productive a few years ago by establishing a stronger Web presence.

“We went with a very large website (provider) for retailers nationwide. It just never got where we wanted it to,” said Bill Turner, owner of Furniture World in Petal, Miss. “We felt it was not user friendly, it was complicated and was really hard to get the catalogs right from vendors.” …

According to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, 77% of 650 women and 350 men said their interest in buying from a particular merchant is influenced by the quality of content (descriptions, copy, images and tools) on a particular site.

In addition, 91% of those surveyed said they “always or frequently” click to learn more when they find a product of interest.

So what happens when a consumer visits a site and the content is stale, promotions have long expired, and product images and descriptions are unclear? They go elsewhere.

To improve…[Turner] turned to Banner Marketing, a company that provides everything from retail circulars to showroom signage. A key component in Banner's business model involves connecting traditional media with the Internet to create “a tool for driving traffic on a very local level,” said John Dresel, CEO.

Dresel was once responsible for 120 franchised stores and $60 million in annual business, and knows “what it's like to try and drive traffic,” he said. “That's a very difficult feeling. I've been that guy.”

The goal at Banner, he said, is to take “the complexity out of marketing for our dealers.” The company takes care of almost everything on a retailer's website — including designing the site, updating product, writing descriptions and overseeing promotions.

The company also provides analytics so that dealers can see who's visiting their sites, how often they're there, and what they interested in buying.

… Furniture World currently offers coupons for $25, $50 and $100 off, depending on the size of the ticket. “A lot of dealers who've switched to our program said they'd purchased a website before,” Dresel said. “But if you look at it, they haven't changed it in a year or two. We've seen special offers on their sites from 2007.”

Dresel said that dealers, especially those who do $1 million to $5 million annually, “are extremely busy people. One of the toughest things to do in today's environment is to find the time to integrate your marketing site and change all the different SKUs you have to continually offer. (But) anyone in retail knows that if you're not delivering something fresh, you're dying.”

Turner, of Furniture World, said his previous site had no updating capabilities. “That's the worst nightmare for a retailer — when we can't get our discontinued items off. People get mad at you because you don't have what you show.”

Among other improvements, Banner offers access to a number of manufacturers' online catalogs, which makes updating product changes on the Furniture World site much easier.

A big plus of Banner's approach, according to Turner, is the website analysis it provides.

“We're in a college town and I feel we have a stronger presence,” said Turner. “We're seeing a younger person come into the store. They'll come in and say, 'Oh, I saw that bedroom suite for $999 on the Web, so we get direct feedback.”

“I know (the site) increases sales and, in part, I feel that's why we're having a record February,” Turner said…