As millennials and younger digital-savvy consumers are becoming homeowners, mobile and social media are becoming an integral part of advertising, with marketers seeing a more effective pull on these platforms when it comes to reaching individuals executing renovations.

The IAB?s Digital Influence on Home Improvement Plans analysis showed that 22 percent of consumers who were working on home improvement projects were influenced by ads on mobile, social media and desktop. Individuals working on renovations are much more receptive to advertising, compared to those not working on renovations, of which only 12 percent claimed that advertising guided their purchases.

"Marketers cannot rely on easy formulas to reach those planning home improvements in the next 6 months," said Sherrill Mane, senior vice president of research, analytics and measurement at IAB. "Home improvement planning is a broad category that, from a consumer perspective, includes planned investments in kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations and outdoor space renovation. 

"Importantly, those planning to invest in home improvement use digital media, especially mobile and video far more than the general US adult population," she said. "Their overall media usage patterns as well as their sources of inspiration for renovation ideas are heavily digital."

Home improvement importance
Social media and mobile are a growing influence on those completing projects around the house, which makes advertising in these areas an effective tool for marketers reaching consumers within that purchasing period with 19 percent of consumers looking to Facebook or Pinterest for ideas.

Channels such as Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter offer a variety of content that users can base idea projects on. Consumers in the process of renovating that use social media for inspiration constituted one out of five of those polled, and three out of four check these platforms at least once a week.


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Consumers making up the home improvement population are likely to be 35 to 64, and are very digitally active. Those looking for product information are significantly more likely to research via digital and mobile devices, compared to at a bricks-and-mortar store.


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Shoppers using desktop and mobile online sources to research ideas made up 40 percent of those researched. Marketing geared toward home décor and electronics is highly effective through these channels for those looking to renovate as well.

Demographic importance
The report also showed that Hispanic-American home renovators are more likely to use their mobile devices for research and purchasing. The majority of the Hispanic shopper speaks English, but 73 percent prefer Spanish content.

At this time, 9 percent of Americans are planning to undergo a home renovation with 32 percent of these individuals located in southern regions of the US.  

"More than two thirds, 68 percent, of US adults believe that an area of their home is in need of improvement, thereby extending the potential for marketers well beyond the imminent home improvement intenders," Mr. Mane said. 

"Like in all categories, understand your consumer," she said. "For Hispanics who are home improvement intenders, use Spanish language and English language media and put mobile first.

"For the overall category, digital media must be a vital part of the media mix and presence. By presence, we mean consider the broader market potential and be there for that group in a more constant way."

Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer