Anya Chrisanthon, Chief Brand Officer at Anewgo, facilitates an exciting conversation on having successful vendor-builder collaboration. Joining Anya are Melissa Morman, Chief Experience Officer at BDX , Steve Herbert, Director of Global Business Development at Samsung, Gena Kirk, VP of Studio Operations at KB Home, and Bret Jacob, Director of Builder Services at Nortek Control.
“KB is based on innovative design,” Gena says, and talks about the main components in understanding customers through personalization, conducting market research, utilizing data, and supplier collaboration. Steve talks about the challenge of matching the needs of customers with what’s available in the smart home marketplace. “What we do is we help pair them up with the right packages, the right design,” he says.
Gena shares her company’s process of meeting with suppliers to understand what their needs are and what is happening in the industry. She talks about the importance of bringing people to the table with the right expertise and following the trends.
Anya asks Melissa about the marketing techniques that can help builders meet customers where they are. Melissa shows a number of examples on how builders can show online options through simple graphics and descriptions, as well as more advanced technology, such as VR. “Embedded content is really effective,” she sys. “It’s about being really good storytellers and it’s about the content, both from the builders and the product manufactures and integrators coming together,” she says and emphasizes the need for builders to portray how new homes are going to transform the life of customers.
The group discusses how online tools can help sell houses by giving potential buyers more control. Gena discusses the potential of following the entire customer journey and using that touch point for generating additional business opportunities after the sale. Steve talks about providing digital and print brochures that marketing teams can customize to show the lifestyle benefits in their new homes.
The group talks about developing a good relationship with integrators and creating a “wow” moment for people. “Smart homes are so useful and pervasive in the home, I think the experience itself is super important to creating this emotional bond with the home that can happen in those moments of magic,” Steve says when discussing how to enhance the buying experience. He talks about creating packages that can appeal to different buyers. “We have a new energy management capability, so we are putting together energy smart packages.”
The group ends the presentation with a discussion on lifestyle packages and how the expert presenters have implemented them in their companies.
