Venveo and The Farnsworth Group teamed up to survey nearly 2,000 industry professionals and DIYers from across the United States to gain insights on what's shifted this year in how they research, select and purchase building materials, home improvement, and lawn & garden products. The results for shifts in DIY brand behaviors are available in our annual Building Product Customer Guide.
What was once an industry that relied on brand loyalty and relationships is now one that is centered on who has the right products at the right time and how they are able to deliver them. In today’s ever-changing COVID-influenced culture, customers are willing to explore new product offerings, brands and suppliers solely based on availability.
While this economic shift happened in a short period of time, the effects of these changed behaviors will be lasting.
DIYers Are Trying New Brands – In All Categories
20% of DIYers have tried a new brand of building material, home improvement, lawn & garden product in recent months. Those brands are across all categories, though some categories are seeing more disruption than others. This is a great opportunity for brands looking to gain share.
Sources for New Brand Information
Supplier websites and Manufacturer websites have been a steady source for product and brand information. However, with the pandemic, we saw accelerated online activities across our lives. With increased digital exposure on a daily basis, DIYers were engaging more than ever with Online Ads. Over 1/3 of DIYers that tried a new brand found that information through Online Ads. Another 30% found brand information on Social Media and another 10% saw information from Print ads.
The mix of mediums continues to be wide. More importantly, the share of mediums being used for information has changed. How are you leveraging DIYers current use of these mediums? Where are you positioned? How are you positioned?
New Brands are Satisfying DIYers
While brand shift may be a reaction to availability, brand loyalty may be long lasting. Over 90% of DIYers that tried a new brand of building material, home improvement, or lawn & garden product were satisfied with that brand. Nearly 75% felt the new brand was actually better than a product brand they used prior.
This highlights that lack of loyalty many DIYers have towards brands they’ve used in the past. It also suggests there may more brand ‘sameness’ than you believe. What is your brand awareness? What are perceptions of your brand? How do you stack up to key competitors in your category? Conducting regular brand health research will help you and your team capture real market insights outside of internal speculation that may be providing you a false sense of brand position within your market.
DIY Brand Shift is Real
Availability was the leading cause for DIYers trying a new building product brand. As supply chain continues to be a challenge, it’s likely that brand shift will continue. This presents great opportunities for organizations looking to gain share or build loyalty. It’s also a critical time for all manufacturers and retailers to understand the value of brand and what must be delivered to DIYers to meet their expectations.
Want to understand your brand’s strengths, product factors that drive decisions and DIY segments that are aligned with your offering? We utilize custom research to provide you detailed recommendations that help you improve your market strategy. Contact us to discuss how our industry expertise can help.
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