Business View Magazine | March 2018

12 OPENING LINES V alassis,a leader in activating consumers through intelligent media delivery,recently re- leased its DynamicHome Improvement Shop- per findings,to help advertisers create smarter, more customized campaigns based on howconsumers research,plan,and purchase items for their home projects. Valassis’surveyof over 1,200 respondents found that homeowners across generations are planning tomake some type of home improvement in the next year,with 79 percent of Millennials (67percent of GenXers,49percent of Boomers) planningtodoso.Thehighpercentageofmil- lennial home improvers isnot asurprise,especiallygiven that theyare the largest segmentof newhomeowners today,with Zillowreportingthat thisgenerationmakesup42percent of homebuyers.However,intermsof theannual spending onhome improvement projects,Scarborough2017data shows thatBoomers ($2,799) andGenXers ($2,652) currently outspendtheirmillennial counterparts($2,412).Thesedata pointsall highlight the importanceforbrands toengage multipleaudiences throughstrategic,relevantmessages. Accordingtoa reportfromHarvardUniversity’s Remodel- ingFuturesProgram,home renovationsandrepairs spanning frommid-2017to thesecondquarterof 2018areexpected to reach$324billion,providinga lucrative landscape for brandsandretailerswithinthismarket. “Takingaconsumer-centricapproachhelpsmarketers understandwhatmakes eachshopper tick,”saidCurtisTingle, ChiefMarketingOfficer ofValassis.“First,use real-timesignals to identifywhichconsumersare‘in-market’andreadytobuy. Next,overlay insights that identify the type of media that is influencing them tomake a purchase,andwhy.Finally, craft relevant messages based onyour findings to in- crease traffic,drive sales andwin the shopper as they look to spendmore on their homes.” SHOPPERS PRIMED TO SPEND AND SAVE ON HOME IMPROVEME