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THE HOME DEPOT I NTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS PLAN OCTOBER 5, 2016 Presented by: Tommy Morgan

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THE HOME DEPOT INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

OCTOBER 5, 2016

Presented by: Tommy Morgan

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Executive Summary

The Home Depot is known globally as the world’s largest home improvement retailer and is the preferred choice for professional customers. Keeping these achievements in mind, this IMC plan aims to “tame the beast” for the millions of do-it-yourself customers and position The Home Depot as their go-to choice for all home-improvement needs. To achieve this, increasing brand visibility and thought leadership among do-it-yourself customers is the biggest area of focus for The Home Depot in the marketplace. The implementation of a new rewards program combined with increased use of owned media for constant customer interaction highlight the approach The Home Depot can take to reach this target audience. A combination of paid, earned and owned media tactics will increase visibility and market share with various segments of the do-it-yourself consumer target market.

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Table of Contents

Background ...................................................................................................................... 4-5 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................ 6-7 Target Market Definition .................................................................................................. 8-9 Target Market Example......................................................................................................10 Campaign Objectives & Strategies ....................................................................................11 Integrated Creative Strategy Statement ............................................................................12 Creative Brief .....................................................................................................................13 Creative Execution ....................................................................................................... 14-15 Media Objectives ...............................................................................................................16 Media Strategies ................................................................................................................17 Media Tactics ............................................................................................................... 18-19 Flow Chart ..........................................................................................................................20 Public Relations & Social Media Objectives ......................................................................21 Public Relations & Social Media Strategies ......................................................................22 Public Relations & Social Media Tactics ...........................................................................23 Measurement & Evaluation................................................................................................24 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................25 References ................................................................................................................... 26-27

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Background

The Home Depot was founded in 1978 by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank in Atlanta, Georgia. After the duo purchased two 60,000-square-foot warehouses, they set out to provide a superstore that offered the largest variety of selection along with a staff that was well-versed in every area of home improvement (The Home Depot, “The Home Is Where Our Story Begins,” para. 3). Marcus and Blank founded the company on eight core values, “Doing the right thing, building strong relationships, giving back, excellent customer service, creating shareholder value, entrepreneurial spirit, taking care of our people and respect for all people” (Built From All The Right Materials, 2016, para. 3). The values put in place nearly four decades ago still guide the company today. In addition to company values, The Home Depot utilizes an inverted pyramid approach to service. With this approach, customers come first, then font-line associates, field support, corporate support and the CEO comes last. The Home Depot believes that their success has stemmed from the loyalty to their values and by following the inverted pyramid approach to service (Built From All The Right Materials, 2016, para. 4). An extension of The Home Depot’s commitment to service is their culture of advocacy, volunteerism, and sustainability. In 2015, employees volunteered over 224,000 hours with Team Depot, an employee-led volunteer group. Also, the Home Depot foundation invested over $130 million to support veterans between 2010 and 2015 (Menear, 2016). In the sustainability front, The Home Depot was name a 2015 Industry Leader by the Carbon Disclosure Project, an organization that works with businesses to reduce greenhouse emissions and water use (Menear, 2016). The company also lead the way among large corporations during the recent flooding events in Louisiana with donations to the affected areas (Boccacio, 2016). The Home Depot isn’t just leading the way in corporate social responsibility. The company is currently the largest home improvement retailer in the world with over 400,000 employees in North America (Built From All The Right Materials, 2016, para. 6). According to the company website, The Home Depot generated $88.5 billion in revenue last year and has over 1 million products available for purchase through their online ecommerce platform (Did You Know, 2016). Furthermore, the 2015 annual report showed that the company experienced a 6.4 percent increase in gross profits from $28.4 billion in 2014 to $30.3 billion in 2015 (Menear, 2016, p. 21). In terms of products and pricing, 20 percent of the company’s sales in 2016 have been on orders $900 or more. For orders, The Home Depot uses a customer order management system to connect all stores and online orders to make it easier to process customer orders (Dignan, 2016). The Home Depot also utilizes an analytics company to ensure that products receive accurate price reductions across all stores (Rossolillo, 2016). While The Home Depot remains ahead of its main competitors in many ways, the main competitor Lowe’s has provided steep competition recently. According to Fernando (2015), Lowe’s has identified improving customer service as one of its primary initiatives. Through the use of improved in-store displays, adequate inventories, and professional customer focused marketing strategies, Lowe’s has made strides to improve customer service (Home Depot Vs. Lowes). Lowe’s has also formed strategic partnerships with companies such as Sherwin Williams and created an ecommerce platform for professional customers in an effort to secure the business of more professional home improvers (Derousseau, 2016).

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With competition and values in mind, The Home Depot’s current marketing strategies are centered around customer service. The company breaks down their customer service marketing strategies into three programs to target their three key audiences (Soni, 2015). The stores host workshops and clinics to market to the do-it-yourself customer, which establishes an educational and emotional connection. The company has a professional customer targeted loyalty program named Pro Xtra and use exclusive products from industry leading suppliers to attract all customers (Soni, 2015). Aside from their customer service marketing, The Home Depot has three major sponsorships: ESPN College GameDay Built by The Home Depot, Major League Soccer and the Mexican National Team (Sponsorship & Paid Media, 2016, para. 1).

1978 -The Home

Depot founded

1981 -Team Depot began

1989 -The

100th Store opens

1994 -Canadian Division acquired

2000 -ecommerce

platform developed

2002 -Mexican Division acquired

The Home Depot is currently the largest home improvement

retailer in the world with over 400,000 employees.

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SWOT Analysis

Strengths Weaknesses

Store locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico

The amount of selection available through the online portal

Quality customer service processes and protocol

Enjoyable shopping experience/atmosphere

Improved supply chain method with an emphasis on technology

Undifferentiated products and services in relation to competitors

Similar marketing tactics for the professional customer demographic as the competition

Lack of rewards programs for general customers

Poor store layout for general customers

Opportunities Threats

Using social media to expand customer service quality to consumers

Forming strategic alliances with industry-leading product providers

Expanding corporate social responsibility efforts

Increased consumer spending on home improvement

Lowe’s new ecommerce platform to attract professional contractors

Lowe’s customer-facing initiatives to improve customer service

Competition has expanded to additional markets (Australia)

The Home Depot outnumbers its main competitor, Lowe’s, in both physical locations and online selection (Rossolillo, 2016). In addition to the company’s logistical supremacy, The Home Depot has made strides in improving its overall supply chain method through the use of new, innovative technology (Dignan, 2016). The company has also instituted a “whatever it takes” policy and dedicated 60 percent of store labor hours to customer-facing activates (Soni, 2015). While The Home Depot has clearly established itself as the frontrunner in the home improvement industry, the company has several avenues for improvement. Currently, The Home Depot partners with industry-leading products, including Behr, Weber, and KitchenAid (Soni, 2015). By continuing to partner with industry leaders, The Home Depot can differentiate its product selection from its competitors. Additional routes of improvement can be found in corporate social responsibility and consumer spending. With the recent flooding events in Louisiana, The Home Depot led the way with donations (Boccacio, 2016). Continued expansion of the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts will set them apart from the rest. As stated before, consumer spending is something that The Home Depot should take advantage of as more consumers are spending money on home improvement (Derousseau, 2016). On the other hand, The Home Depot will need to address some key areas to maintain its edge over competitors. The company has yet to address to call for a rewards program suited for all customers, not only professionals (Soni, 2015). Additionally, The Home Depot’s stores are designed in a manner that is aesthetically-pleasing to professionals. With tall shelving only accessible by forklifts and an overly-warehouse feel to the stores, The Home Depot is leaving general customers confused (Fernando, 2015). Their main competitor, Lowe’s, has also

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instituted new initiatives to attract professional customers and improve overall customer service while also expanding into new markets like Australia (Derousseau, 2016). The Home Depot will have to take every positive and negative factor into consideration when deciding the direction of their marketing communications strategies.

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Target Market Definition

“Developmentalists categorize middle age as people between ages 35 to 64, and they maintain that healthy and unhealthy lifestyles and attitudes are the main concerns for those in this age group” (Middle Adulthood Development, 2016). Middle-aged men and women are a diverse and eclectic group of individuals that span a few different generations. Many middle-aged adults are married with children, but an increasing number have experienced divorce, financial trouble, and significant loss throughout their lives. The Sandwich Generation, as it has been called, refers to many middle aged adults who are now caring for their aging parents while financially supporting their millennial children. The key demographic target is 35-55 years old with several segments within the group that need consideration. From a psychographic standpoint: “With an aging population and a generation of young adults struggling to achieve financial independence, the burdens and responsibilities of middle-aged Americans are increasing” (Parker & Patten, 2013). Middle-aged adults of the Sandwich Generation have experienced the years of prosperity in the late 20th century as well as the economic turmoil of the late 2000s. 48 percent of these adults have provided some form of financial aid to their adult children in the past year. Of those same adults, 21 percent have also provided financial support to their aging parents (Parker & Patten, 2013). Middle age brings with it significant changes. One major change is responsibility at work or the lack of it. Many middle-aged adults lose responsibilities at work or lose their jobs all together (Palmer, 2015). Today’s middle aged adults are facing technological changes as well. Many are being forced to learn new skills in order to stay in touch with the world around them. Adults who identify as middle age have experienced significant volatility throughout the course of their lives. They have seen economic prosperity, the fall of communism, the rise of terrorism, and the ups and downs of the current economic and housing market. Because of this they have the ability to adapt quicker than the generation before them and are more open-minded, but not as much as their predecessors the millennials. A report from the National Center for Biotechnology Information studied 27 middle-aged adults. The study found that middle-aged adults have the ability to have extraverted personalities while also maintaining emotionally stability (Noftle & Fleeson, 2011). Middle-aged adults are at a crossroads where status along with emotional and financial stability are major factors in their day-to-day life. Other findings from the report include:

Middle-aged adults vary the most of any age group when it comes to emotional openness.

Compared to young adults, middle-aged adults are more agreeable and conscientious of their actions.

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While middle-aged adults can balance extraverted personalities with emotional stability, they are found to be less extraverted than young adults.

Summary: Who will Home Depot be communicating to? 35-55 years old ethnically diverse do-it-yourself customers Men are a primary segment with Caucasian men leading the way. All ethnicities should be targeted. Women are a secondary segment. With increased divorce rates and more women in the workforce they are taking on home improvement independently. Geographically, the Southeast United States is the prime target, but any geographic location with a Home Depot should provide a market. Based on psychographics, these are men and women who live with a sense of “agelessness” and are concerned with financial stress placed on them by their aging parents and financially unstable children. Many of these men and women have lost or changed jobs several times and most likely have children. They are also men and women who are looking for an easier and inexpensive way to get things done.

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Target Market Example

Meet Thomas, he’s a 43-year-old single father who lives in suburban Huntersville, North Carolina, just north of Charlotte. He was born and raised in Huntersville, only leaving the town for four years to get his B.S. in Graphic Design at the nearby University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He currently works for a small design agency in Uptown Charlotte and makes an annual salary of $70,000. Thomas spends his free time watching ESPN and considers himself to be a “gym guy.” Environmentalism doesn’t concern him as much as the financial stressors placed on him by his 21-year-old daughter who cannot find work after recently graduating. He is always connected to the outside world on his iPhone. Whether it’s responding to emails or staying up-to-date with clients on social media, Thomas is very technologically and socially aware. His desire to master social media stems from his do-it-yourself mentality. He puts a lot of emphasis on family. His parents are each 65 years old and require significant care after a lifetime of tobacco use. His parents ensured that he had everything he and his daughter needed as he began his adult life roughly 20 years earlier. Because of this, he allocates a significant amount of his income to assisting his parents.

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Objectives and Strategies

Objectives

Increase sales among do-it-yourself customers by 10%

Encourage current customers to shop more frequently and for more reasons

Increase all combined in-store and online sales by 5% Strategies

Establish The Home Depot as the go-to for all home improvement needs Develop a rewards program for do-it-yourself customers

Promote The Home Depot as an industry-leader in volunteerism and charity

Offer a better store experience by creating a more effective and simple layout

Partner with additional industry-leading product providers

Communicate with do-it-yourself customers with interactive how-to videos via social media

Acquire sponsorship opportunities with NFL and MLB franchises Garner media exposure by hosting large-scale home improvement events

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Integrated Creative Strategy Statement

Creative strategy statement ideas:

The Home Depot helps every customer achieve the home of their dreams.

The Home Depot provides every customer with what they need to tackle home improvement.

The Home Depot is a one-stop shop for products, services, and instruction for every type of home improvement.

Creative Strategy Statement:

The Home Depot provides every customer with what they need to tackle home improvement with ease.

Affordable home improvement supplies

Wide variety of products and services

Great online ecommerce platform

Top-rated products in various product categories

Independent, do-it-yourself customers

Mindful of quality products and pricing

Heavily invested in excellent customer service experience

Eager to learn both hands-on and online

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Creative Brief

Client: The Home Depot Date:10/1/16 Type: Social media campaign Why are we advertising?

To increase sales from do-it-yourself customers by 10 percent by end-of-year 2017. Whom are we talking to?

Men and women, Age 33-55, Income $50K+, do-it-yourself customers, homeowners primarily in the Southeast United States What do they currently think?

I know The Home Depot is one of my choices for home improvement wants and needs, but I feel unwelcomed by their professional-focused atmosphere. What would we like them to think?

The Home Depot is my first choice for home improvement because of the ease of purchasing and gratifying, money-saving rewards program. What is the persuasive idea we can convey?

The Home Depot can help me handle all of your home improvement projects. Why should they believe it?

The Home Depot has the most diverse and economical selection of home improvement products and services available for purchase at lower prices. What are the creative guidelines?

A series of paid social media campaigns with a unique hashtag highlighting the new Home Savings rewards program targeted at do-it-yourself customers.

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Creative Execution: Social Media Campaign

Twitter: Tweet #1: 124 characters for tweet copy. 24 used for image.

Ready to tackle your next home improvement task? Get started for less with the #HomeSavings rewards program from @HomeDepot [IMG] Tweet #2: 90 characters used for tweet copy. 23 used for link.

Redeem your #HomeSavings rewards with hands-on classes at your nearest @HomeDepot [link] Tweet #3: 115 characters used for tweet copy. 24 used for video.

Get your kids involved! The #HomeSavings rewards program allows you to get more out of your local #KidsWorkshop at the @HomeDepot [video of an interactive kids workshop] Facebook: The weather is getting cooler and the holidays are just around the corner. Are you ready to tackle that new kitchen you’ve been dreaming of? Enroll in The Home Depot’s Home Savings rewards and make your dreams a reality! #HomeSavings provides savings on every product in-store or online. You can also redeem your rewards points for unique hands-on classes at your nearest store! Enroll today: [link]

LinkedIn: What inspires you to tackle a DIY project? On this Motivation Monday we’re pleased to announce our new Home Savings rewards program. Enroll today to earn special discounts on

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products across the store and online. You can also use rewards point to enroll in one-of-a-kind DIY classes. Are you feeling inspired yet? Learn more here: [link]

Instagram: Photo: A newly-remodeled patio area. Caption: Dreaming of summer? Enroll in our Home Savings rewards program and get started on the backyard of your dreams for less! Learn more about the program by visiting our profile. #HomeSavings #SummerDreamin

Pinterest: Develop a new board titled Home Savings. Include pins of DIY projects that can be made simpler and cheaper by using the Home Savings rewards program.

Snapchat: Develop an ad highlighting a family using the Home Savings program to complete a DIY project. Place the ad in Live Story advertisements on sports-related Stories.

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Media Objectives

Achieve a reach of 3,000 target consumers in 2017.

Achieve a minimum 1,000 potential do-it-yourself customers enrolled in the rewards program in the first quarter of 2017 and a minimum 2,000 current do-it-yourself customers in the last three.

Utilize two-thirds of our media resources toward potential do-it-yourself customers and one-third toward current do-it-yourself customers.

Increase sales from do-it-yourself customers by 10 percent by end-of-year 2017.

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Media Strategies

Utilize DIY-focused social media advertising to target advertisements both demographically and geographically

Utilize paid social media campaigns to target DIY customers

Leverage DIY-focused television advertising to visually detail the new Home Savings rewards program

Utilize DIY-focused magazine advertising (both digital and print) to target customers based on their interests

Utilize DIY-focused search engine advertising to target customers based on their searches

Display DIY-focused online banner advertisements on home improvement-focused websites

Sponsor NFL teams to reach the target customers during leisure

Sponsor the ESPN Espy Awards annually to reach target customers during leisure

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Media Tactics

Display advertisements on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat for the

Home Savings rewards program targeted at 35-55 year olds. This tactic will allow the Home Depot to garner exposure for its new Home Savings rewards with the target audience.

Display advertisements on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat each quarter with season-specific content. This tactic will target the target audience with home

improvement projects relevant to the current season

Run paid social media campaigns on Facebook, and Instagram targeted at DIY customers. This tactic will reach a broader segment of the target audience by

incorporating relevant content directly into their social media content without the timeliness of organic campaigns.

Run paid search engine (pay-per-click) advertisements on Google with season-

specific content. This tactic will garner impressions by the target audience throughout

each season.

Run season-specific paid search engine (pay-per-click) advertisements on Google targeted at the target audience on Saturdays and Sundays. This tactic will garner

impressions by the target audience on the weekends when many will be doing home improvement projects.

Purchase advertising placements in magazines such as, Better Homes and

Gardens, Traditional Home, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, and Southern Living. This tactic will allow The Home Depot to reach thousands of members

in the target audience that subscribe to these magazines both in print and online.

Run targeted social media advertisements on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat during Q1 and Q3/4 for the Home Savings rewards program. This will

allow consumers to be introduced the Home Savings rewards at the beginning of the year and reintroduced before the holiday season.

Run targeted seasonal social media advertisements on Facebook, Twitter,

Instagram, and Snapchat. This tactic will expose consumers to seasonal home

improvement suggestions on various social media platforms year-round.

Run targeted advertisements on national television outlets (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, HGTV) for the Home Savings rewards program. This tactic will expose the target audience and additional consumers to the Home Savings rewards program during Q1 and Q3/4.

Run targeted seasonal advertisements on national television outlets (NBC, ABC,

CBS, FOX, ESPN, HGTV). This tactic will reach the target market and additional

consumers with season-specific home improvement content.

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Develop strategic sponsorships for pre-game and in-stadium billboards with the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, and New York Giants NFL teams. This tactic

will connect with a portion of the target market as well as additional consumers during leisure activity.

Leverage website banner advertisements on Home Advisor, Do It Yourself, DIY Network, and HGTV websites. This tactic will reach a number of do-it-yourself

consumers through visitors of each website within a given quarter. Leverage sponsorship of the ESPN Espy Awards annually. This tactic will include

television, online, and print advertisements as well as repeated brand mentions during the televised event.

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Public Relations/Social Media Objectives

Public Relations

Help increase lead generation of do-it-yourself customers by 10%

Persuade 100,000 general customers to enroll in the Home Savings rewards program by December 31, 2017

Influence 40% homeowners (men and women) 35-55 years old to shop at The Home Depot

Increase corporate social responsibility awareness in communities serviced by The

Home Depot by 10% between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017 Social Media

Increase The Home Depot’s website conversions (from blog to ecommerce platform) by 15% with the development of a do-it-yourself blog

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Public Relations/Social Media Strategies

Public Relations

Develop an employee education program about The Home Depot’s corporate social responsibility

Position The Home Depot leadership as thought leaders in the realm of do-it-yourself customer service through editorial and broadcast interviews

Promote the need for the Home Savings rewards program at home improvement trade-shows, conferences and events

Develop a company-wide handbook for hands-on learning experiences each store can provide to customers

Position The Home Depot as the go-to source for do-it-yourself customers Social Media

Inform customers about The Home Depot’s Home Savings rewards program by implementing a targeted rewards program campaign on social media

Generate one blog per week to control and deepen the message about the Home Savings reward program and The Home Depot as the leader in do-it-yourself service

Continue to build The Home Depot’s do-it-yourself messaging by through strategic “following” and interaction with members of the target audience on social media

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Public Relations/Social Media Tactics

Public Relations

Distribute a bi-weekly employee newsletter to inform employees of their tax-deductible CSR opportunities

Distribute educational materials to store managers to assist them with local CSR engagement in their communities (volunteer time is tax deductible to encourage participation)

Distribute a bi-weekly newsletter to customers who are enrolled in the Home Savings rewards program with hands-on learning opportunities at their local Home Depot

Distribute teaching materials to store managers to assist them with hosting hands-on learning events

Register for home improvement trade shows in major metropolitan areas (Example: Capital Home Show, Chantilly, VA)

Secure interview opportunities with national press (New York Times) to discuss The Home Depot’s thought leadership

Secure broadcast interview opportunities surrounding the rewards program and corporate social responsibility announcements with national outlets (NBC, ABC, CBS) to discuss The Home Depot’s thought leadership

Host pro-bono hands-on workshops for customers in each locality a Home Depot store is situated

Social Media

Develop 300-500-word blog posts focused on key topics in do-it-yourself home improvement on a bi-weekly basis

Develop a landing page for blog content on The Home Depot website Consistently interact with target customers on Facebook through interactive posts,

comments and reactions

Consistently interact with target customers on Twitter by strategically “following” and responding to user tweets

Consistently interact with target customers on Instagram by posting interactive photos and videos, as well as strategically “following” and responding to user comments.

Consistently interact with target customers on Pinterest by developing informative “pins” and “boards” and strategically interacting with users

Develop a monthly blog/newsletter focused on The Home Depot’s corporate social responsibility efforts

Create a YouTube campaign for the Home Savings rewards program

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Measurement and Evaluation Plan

After the first three quarters in 2017 each measurement will be conducted on a small scale. In the first quarter of 2018 a large-scale measurement and evaluation of the overall IMC execution will take place. Media Evaluation

Compare sales each quarter and overall to track increase in do-it-yourself sales

How much did all sales (in-store and online) increase each quarter? Overall?

Conduct email surveys to determine reach of paid media advertisements

Include surveys on each Home Savings rewards application to determine which form of media (if any) drove the customer

Conduct frequency tests each quarter to determine which forms of media are the most effective in driving consumer sales

Conduct focus groups with members of the DIY target audience each quarter to discuss various paid and owned media strategies

Social Media & Online Evaluation

Monitor unique website visitors each quarter

Monitor and compare conversions from social media to ecommerce sales each quarter

Monitor and compare conversions from the DIY blog to ecommerce sales each quarter Track each social media platforms analytics on a weekly basis (impressions, followers,

mentions, etc.)

Utilize tools such as Nuvi to accurately monitor and respond to negative customer sentiment on social media platforms

Track conversion rates on pay-per-click online banner advertisements each quarter

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Conclusion

This integrated marketing communications (IMC) plan for The Home Depot optimizes the communication of the company’s strong brand message through the use of several forms of media. Driven by metrics, a variety of tactics span the realms of marketing, advertising, public relations and social media to ensure an increase in brand presence for The Home Depot. While The Home Depot is widely-known as the largest home improvement retailer and the sales charts validate it each year, the brand has struggled to overcome the competition when it comes to do-it-yourself customers. The outcomes of this IMC plan will include increased brand awareness, brand loyalty and sales growth from do-it-yourself customers. The Home Depot has earned its place as one of the most trusted and respected brands over the past several decades. This IMC plan will give The Home Depot the tools it needs to continue to forge a path to continued success.

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