Resource Interactive Hires New Associates |
Groundbreaking web-based feature allows consumers to “try on” different flooring options in their home using their own rooms
COLUMBUS, OH — April 26, 2007 — Resource Interactive and Shaw Industries introduced a groundbreaking photo upload feature to Try On A Floor™, further enhancing the visualization tool at ShawFloors.com. The first in the industry, Try On A Floor™ is a web-based photo upload feature that allows consumers to easily upload photos of their own rooms and envision different flooring options, all at no cost. This feature augments the visualization experience launched in 2006, which featured high-end stock photography and a broad range of features which raised the bar to a new level within the industry.
“With no software download, no fee and no excessive wait time, Try On A Floor™ positions Shaw Industries as lead innovators in the flooring industry,” said Tip Rose, Studio Director at Resource Interactive. While other online visualization tools require the consumer to purchase and download software—whether online or via a CD sent through the mail—Try On A Floor™ is a free tool available in-browser, offering an immediate and inspiring experience for the online consumer.
“In a category that is traditionally unemotional, one of our primary strategic goals was to enter a direct conversation with the consumer and change the focus—to help her see flooring as an opportunity for personal expression, rather than a utilitarian decision,” Rose continued. “The Try On A Floor™ feature furthers a relationship with the Shaw brand and brings inspiration to the process.”
The enhancement allows consumers to customize their uploaded photos with all categories of Shaw flooring, including carpet, laminate, hardwood, ceramic and area rugs. In addition, the enhancement allows consumers to change the colors of the walls, cabinets and other surfaces. The easy-to-use feature is offered at no cost to consumers.
To drive further traffic to the recently revamped ShawFloors.com, Resource Interactive also launched a revolutionary online advertising campaign that offers a room visualization experience in-banner before traveling to ShawFloors.com. Placed within home improvement channels such as HGTV.com, the campaign directly targets the DIY consumer.
“Ultimately, our goal is to bring the consumer to Shaw dealers ready-to-purchase. Let’s have a relationship with her,” said Steve Abernathy, Shaw’s director of marketing technology. “Try On A Floor™ is an invaluable tool that will help consumers take the guesswork out of choosing a new floor.”
Resource Interactive pioneered the photo upload feature for Shaw Industries in conjunction with Swatchbox Technologies™. Based in Westborough, Mass., Swatchbox provides virtual design tools for manufacturers, retailers and online publishers. The feature extends the site’s stock photography-based visualization tool, developed using Scene 7’s On-Demand, to enable the upload-your-own room capability.
“Resource Interactive has been a true partner in innovation and thought leadership. We’ve created a web experience that is unmatched in our industry,” Abernathy said.
“We were delighted to be selected by Shaw to create what the industry has been sorely lacking—a consumer-driven site that demystifies the flooring category and connects empowered and inspired buys directly with local dealers. ShawFloors.com has raised the bar for branded manufacturers online and will be looked to as a trusted authority, an inspiring resource, and go-to destination for consumers interested in new flooring for their home, ” said Rose.
Resource Interactive also partnered with Shaw to redesign the popular ShawFloors.com site based on in-depth consumer interviews, gender research, brand definition and strategic planning. Shaw’s overall goal for the redesign was to establish ShawFloors.com as the flooring authority, while helping consumers make an informed purchasing decision at retail. These goals made understanding consumer behavior the crux of the site’s development, and helped drive online marketing and advertising. As a result, unique web site visits have increased by 90 percent since the site relaunched in fall 2006.
About Shaw
Shaw Industries Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is the world’s largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider with more than $5 billion in annual sales and approximately 31,000 associates. Headquartered in Dalton, Ga., the company manufactures and distributes carpeting, rugs, hardwood, laminate and ceramic tile for residential and commercial applications worldwide. A recognized leader in environmental stewardship, Shaw has implemented hundreds of sustainability initiatives and cradle to cradle design solutions, collectively termed the Shaw Green Edge. For more information, visit www.shawfloors.com.
About Resource Interactive
Resource Interactive is one of the nation’s preeminent digital marketing agencies, helping Fortune 500 companies thrive in the evolving internet economy with award-winning digital strategy, creative and technology solutions. Known for its revolutionizing consumer insights, leading edge interactive design and technological innovation, Resource Interactive is ranked among the top twenty independent interactive agencies in the nation.
Unique in the industry as female-founded, owned and operated, Resource Interactive has grown over its 25-year history from its first marketing relationship with Apple to ongoing partnerships with clients such as Procter & Gamble, Hewlett-Packard, Wal-Mart, The Coca-Cola Company, Victoria’s Secret, Sherwin-Williams and L.L. Bean, among others. For more information, visit www.resource.com.
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Contact: Holly N. Davis
Media Relations Manager
614 621 2888 phone
614 621 2873 fax
hdavis@resource.com