Case Study - 2000 Marketing Plan for Bassett Furniture Direct

   As is the case every year, existing competition continued to outspend us in every medium. We needed to find ways to increase exposure and meet sales projections while reducing advertising to sales percentages. In addition, we were facing new competition in the furniture market with two major chains moving into the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex - one appeals to the lower end of our target market and the other to the higher end. In essence, we had to be prepared to be squeezed at both ends of the sales spectrum.

   Undaunted, we planned our media accordingly to take advantage of peak selling opportunities during holidays and created our own opportunites when we could. Faced with skyrocketing broadcast costs with the emergence of the Dot-Coms in the market, we negotiated hard and won our battles.

   We used a mixture of radio, television and newspaper to pull off extremely successful holiday sales and went toward a more entertaining radio creative. As a result of the two new competitiors, we came back to focus on what made us different and changed the television creative to illustrate that and also to present the promotional offer. Image had been more the focus on television prior to this, and though the image was stepped up more, we were also able to sell the promotion. The newspaper creative was refined slightly and added some new elements that we needed for branding our look. We did all of this while still keeping the most important design elements we needed for consistency.

   We expanded our non-profit promotion with the SPCA, sponsored a major event in the city to gain more exposure, and developed a dynamic website www.bassettdfw.com. We began internet advertising to promote a giveaway CD-Rom that would allow people to design their dreams in the comfort of their own homes. The website is now averaging around 300 unique visitors per day and many more during the weekend.

   The results were phenomenal sales, and the advertising percentage to sales was 7% (a 6% improvement). The opportunites we created in March and September came close to the high volume sales normally associated with holidays.

   - ....and sales increased impressively by 18%.

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