LED lighting adoption in the U.S. has been slow due to its high price point, but in 2012 new energy legislation requires that incandescent bulbs be phased out. Philips wanted to take that opportunity to win consumers over to its brand through its retail installation at Home Depot and increase sales for its 12.5 watt AmbientLED bulb, while helping establish Philips as a leader in LED technology.
To achieve Philips’ goals, Source Marketing created the LED Light Experience, where “science meets style.” The promotion was activated for 57 days across 15 markets—from Sept. 3 to Dec. 9, 2011, visiting home shows, green festivals and 39 of the top 150 ranked Home Depot stores. Two full-time tour managers went on the road with the 20 foot x 30 foot mobile exhibit that allowed consumers to “see what light can do.”
The exhibit included a light installation game, where consumers could slide a dimmer to see the bulb in action and also receive instant wins; science/technology learning stations, including a deconstructed light bulb; energy efficiency learning stations with comparison stats; and “Light Over” design stations, cubbies featuring different design styles with actual Philips LED bulbs and dimmers installed; as well as a legislation video, an ordering kiosk with a sweepstakes entry and a downloadable rebate offer, a demonstration station, handouts and a giant inflatable Philips 12-watt bulb.
Consumer takeaway materials drove attendees to a microsite, while on-site consumer data was collected through iPad surveys with questions designed to explore consumer reactions, including brand affinity, purchase intent and potential barriers to future purchase, and to help identify key segments for future targeting and overall reaction to the experience. There was also a Facebook page and Instagram integration.
More than 80,697 consumers interacted with the experience. Over 90% of consumers reported having a positive experience and found it valuable. A majority (67%) of interactions were with potential new users, while 75% of all tour participants said they would be likely to recommend Philips’ AmbientLED bulbs to friends and family and 73% of participants reported they were likely to purchase a Philips AmbientLED light bulb in the next 30 days.
Online, there were more than 171,000 unique visits and 491,000 total visits to the site, with 39,578 unique sweepstakes entries and 282,518 total entries. Nearly 7,000 people downloaded the rebate offering.
Network
