Archive for August 24th, 2007
One lucky blood donor could win a $500 shopping spree at Ashley Furniture Home Store for taking part in the Hattiesburg store’s community blood drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Another $100 shopping spree will be awarded and all participants will receive a free T-shirt and a Chick-fil-A coupon.
United Blood Services also offers free cholesterol testing when people give blood.
Blood donors must be 17 years or older and in good health. Donors are asked to bring photo identification and donor card. First-time donors receive a donor card with their blood type in the mail shortly after their first donation.
People who wish to donate at the blood drive may schedule an appointment by calling (800) 880-0743 or by logging on to www.bloodhero.com (use sponsor code, ashleyhburg).
August 24th, 2007
By: Furniture World Magazine
The upcoming High Point Market could be your chance to break into the media spotlight. Sign up for a special webinar, “How to Prepare an Effective Press Kit,” to learn ways to raise your company’s visibility in the consumer press. The webinar event will be held next Wednesday, August 29, 2007 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. EDT.
The online event, sponsored by the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) and the High Point Market Authority (HPMA), will focus on the “ins” and “outs” of putting together an effective, attention-getting press kit. Presenters will share tips for writing press releases, creating product photography that will get you noticed, and attracting media to your showroom during Market.
“Journalists covering the High Point Market are extremely pressed for time. It’s not easy to get their attention, but it can be done,” says Pat Bowling, AHFA vice president of communications. “Though the webinar, you will learn ways to craft a press kit that will help your company get noticed and increase your chances of receiving valuable coverage in the consumer media.”
“Telling your story to the media requires a level of practical knowledge, such as how to write a press release and how to work with the High Point Market Media Center, which welcomes press kits from all High Point Market exhibitors,” adds Kimberley Wray, vice president of marketing and communications at the High Point Market Authority. “It also requires creativity and an eye for news.
“The most important thing, however, is that all exhibitors make an effort to participate by compiling information about their companies and new product introductions for the Media Center,” Wray says. “One of the key differences in our Market than any other is the depth and breadth of consumer press coverage that results from the large numbers of leading journalists who attend each season. Companies that don’t send press kits to the Media Center are missing out on a tremendous opportunity to connect with them.”
“Together, the AHFA and the High Point Market Authority are able to bring insights from the industry’s media relations pros to our Market exhibitors” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority. “By offering free, webinar events like this one, we are continuing to invest in the success of all Market exhibitors.”
The “How to Prepare an Effective Press Kit” webinar is open to any High Point Market exhibitor, but space is limited. Reserve your spot today by calling Jan Wellmon at (336) 869-1000 ext. 221 to register.
About the High Point Market Authority: The High Point Market Authority is the official sponsor of the International Home Furnishings Market, in High Point, North Carolina. Featuring more than 2600 exhibitors and attracting tens of thousands of visitors from more than 110 countries, the High Point Market is the driving force of the home furnishings industry.
About AHFA: The American Home Furnishings Alliance–located in High Point, N.C., and Washington, D.C.– is the largest association of home furnishings companies in the world and represents more than 250 leading furniture manufacturers and distributors, as well as 225 suppliers to the furniture industry worldwide.
August 24th, 2007
Agency creates ‘Angry Man,’ other harried folks who need to relax
By Gary T. Pakulski Toledo Blade
MONROE, MICH.: No one would confuse ‘’Angry Man'’ with designer Todd Oldham.
‘’Angry,'’ a middle-aged shopper wearing the sort of short-sleeve, button-down shirt that was once popular among computer programmers and factory foremen, is soothed by an encounter with comfortable La-Z-Boy Inc. furniture in one of a series of new TV commercials.
The humorous spots scheduled to debut next month are part of a marketing makeover for the Michigan furniture maker.
Struggling to boost sagging sales, the $1.6-billion-a-year firm has dumped its longtime advertising agency, shifted from a strategy that focused on a more stylish image, and will push to accentuate what executives see as La-Z-Boy’s biggest sales point: comfort.
The campaign by the inventor of the La-Z-Boy recliner includes a new slogan: ‘’Comfort. It’s what we do.'’
Revenue fell 13 percent in the quarter that ended July 28 after declining 5 percent in the most recent fiscal year.
‘’We think we have a campaign that will lift our sales,'’ Chief Executive Kurt Darrow said last week at the firm’s annual shareholders meeting.
A company spokesman said later that J. Douglas Collier, vice president and chief marketing Please see La-Z-Boy, C10
Continued from Page C9 officer, was unavailable for comment. Executives don’t want to discuss the new campaign until it debuts, said spokesman Kathy Liebmann.
But Collier provided a preview during the shareholders meeting.
As part of La-Z-Boy’s earlier effort to boost its style quotient, executives hired Oldham to create a line of hip, contemporary furniture.
There are no indications that La-Z-Boy has ended its relationship with him. The Todd Oldham collection and the designer’s photo are featured in the summer catalog for the firm’s La-Z-Boy Galleries retail chain and on the company’s Web site.
However, Stan Diroff, who operates La-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery stores in Toledo and Monroe, Mich., said some Todd Oldham lines have been discontinued.
La-Z-Boy is in talks with Oldham about extending the contract, which expires at the end of the year, said Shannon Quinn, a La-Z-Boy spokesman.
Recent research has prompted the company to redefine its assumptions about the type of people who are most likely to buy La-Z-Boy furniture.
It now sees its target market as both men and women between 35 and 65 years old who live in households with incomes between $50,000 and $150,000, Collier told shareholders.
Formerly, it defined its primary audience as women between 25 and 54.
Collier said research determined that La-Z-Boy customers are ‘’relaxed, unpretentious. They value the home as a refuge from a hectic world.'’
Although most people are familiar with La-Z-Boy, the firm continues to wrestle with the perception that ‘’we are tired, we are dated, we are a ’70s brand,'’ Collier said.
To try to win over buyers, the firm replaced its ad agency of 15 years, W.B. Doner & Co., of Southfield, Mich., last spring with RPA, of Santa Monica, Calif. The new firm has created campaigns for brands including Honda and Acura automobiles. The trade publication Ad Week reported that the La-Z-Boy account is worth $35 million a year.
A series of seven TV spots, all set in La-Z-Boy retail stores, feature shoppers dealing with everyday stresses of modern life, including a woman talking to a salesman while carrying on a separate conversation on a hands-free mobile phone.
The ads will be shown on both network and cable TV.
August 24th, 2007
Ideal for around the pool, the mesh recliners do not retain water
Morgan Hill, Calif.-based Faulkner Furniture has introduced a line of zero-gravity folding recliners to combine comfort and style in an easy-to-carry, easy-to-store form.
The ergonomically engineered recliner frame is made from sturdy powder-coated steel tubing with contoured padded or wood armrests and a high-tension elastic cord system for flexible support. Faulkner’s easy-to use lever lock system allows consumers to select the reclining angle.
“Faulkner stands out from other folding recliners on the market today because we offer a choice of over a dozen unique fabrics, patterns and fabric/frame color combinations,” said Sylvain Lussier, senior vice president, sales and marketing. “And with a weight capacity of 350 pounds, Faulkner recliners are the strongest folding outdoor recliner available.”
Faulkner recliners come in a choice of padded, 100% colorfast, UV-resistant poly/cotton fabrics with polyester lining or open-mesh weave fabrics that let air circulate. The mesh recliners will not retain water and are ideal for the pool environment. Faulkner recliners are available in a standard size and an XL size, which provides a better fit for people over 6-foot tall.
Faulkner also offers a line of accessories for its recliners. An adjustable serving tray attaches to the frame to keep food and beverages at the fingertips. A soft, 100% cotton chair/beach towel has generous pockets to keep accessories handy, adds extra comfort, and protects the recliner from suntan lotions and chlorine. A vinyl coated polyester carry bag has reinforced shoulder straps to make carrying easy and to provide protection from dirt and scratches.
Faulkner Furniture is distributed across North America to specialty retailers, pool and patio furniture dealers, RV and marine dealers. To see the complete line of Faulkner recliners, visit its Web site at www.faulknerfurniture.com. For more information, call Faulkner Furniture, 1-888-346-2184 or e-mail salesinfo@faulknerfurniture.com.
August 24th, 2007
Groups to start shipping in January
Guidecraft has signed an agreement with bedding and décor manufacturer Lambs & Ivy to produce a line of furniture that coordinates with Lambs & Ivy’s designs. The first two groups from the collaboration will launch at the ABC Expo in Las Vegas next month.
The Sports USA collection is composed of a table and chair set, media cabinet, storage step stool and rocking chair. The line features turned posts legs in a distressed denim blue finish that coordinates with the vintage bedding with the same name. The feminine Swan Lake is designed to go along with a princess-themed bedding set being launched at ABC. The collection includes a table and chair set, toy box, storage step stool and rocking chairs with scalloped aprons and carvings and hand-painted in shades of pink, raspberry, lime and espresso.
Retail prices for the pieces range between $45 and $160. The collection is being targeted to furniture, department and gift stores as well as independent specialty shops, and plans are to start shipping in January.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Lambs & Ivy,” said Jason Fein, president of Guidecraft. “Over the years, our accounts have come to expect a lot from our furniture lines – from hand-painting to hand-carving to character and sports licensing. However, we were missing an essential piece of the puzzle, which was a strong tie-in with a fashion-forward company such as Lambs & Ivy.”
Barbara Laiken, president of Lambs & Ivy, said, “We’re very much looking forward to working with Guidecraft. This is the perfect addition to our family of products. We love to see our designs carried through successfully to an entirely different category of products.”
The new collections can be seen at the Lambs & Ivy booth, 1039, and Guidecraft booth, 3133, during the ABC Expo.
August 24th, 2007
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