Lowe's Countdown to a Milestone - July 13, 2020
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Lowe’s Countdown to a Milestone July 13, 2020 The information contained in this document is the confidential property of History Factory. The use or disclosure of information without expressed written consent of History Factory is strictly prohibited. Copyright 2020.
Initial Thinking 1. Make sure your message isn’t just that you’re turning 100. 2. Codify Lowe’s heritage and brand story. 3. Create an ownable theme with an anniversary arc. 4. Produce a content bank for stronger storytelling. 5. Invest in evergreen programs with enduring value. 6. Leverage partners and suppliers. 7. Put your unique spin on what you do and how you measure it. 8. Prioritize external platforms for internal messaging. 9. Drive engagement by going big on surprise and delight. 10. Lean into the history of the moment.
Initial Thinking Make sure your message isn’t just that you’re turning 100. • Market research affirms that no one cares about the message you’re reaching a milestone age • You’re not good because you’re old. You’re old because you’re good. • Emphasize the track record of accomplishments and the stories behind them • Milestone provides a once-in-a-generation platform to tell a story in a unique and different way • Messaging needs to be tied to brand promise with a history of proof points behind it • “What’s in it for me?” payoff for associates, contractors, DIY’ers, partners/suppliers, communities
CASE STUDIES
Make sure your message isn’t
just that you’re turning 100.
Stanley Black & Decker 175
We worked with the company to
develop a theme and messaging
framework focused on the
company’s new purpose “For Those
Who Make the World,” which rolled
out during the 175th year of legacy
company Stanley Works.
To ensure content was on-message
and represented the breadth of
iconic brands in the portfolio, we
developed a Content Bank of stories
aligned around the three message
pillars of its purpose: Innovation,
Social Responsibility and
Performance. The content was used
across earned, owned and paid
media.
Initial Thinking Codify Lowe’s heritage and brand story. • 2021: the 100th and/or 75th anniversary depending on what market-facing content one sees • Now is the ideal time to finally create more brand heritage clarity and preserve organizational memory • Assuming it’s not been done, commission a corporate archives and oral history program • Develop a Content Bank of heritage assets and more contemporary stories for distribution and use • Pursue third-party partnerships to begin merchandizing Lowe’s heritage in key markets and the industry • Consider a visitor’s center or small museum for new global tech center and/or headquarters
CASE STUDIES Codify Lowe’s heritage
and brand story.
Verizon 20
This year Verizon turns 20, but the
company’s predecessors have
origins that go all the way back to
Alexander Graham Bell.
We provide a broad range of
archival, research, content and
creative services to Verizon. Our
counsel has included how to balance
their 20-year contemporary story as
a 21st century technology leader
while preserving the equity of a
prior century’s worth of
accomplishments and innovations.
Initial Thinking
Create an ownable theme with an anniversary arc.
• Our experience affirms that an overarching theme is critical for tying everything together
• The most impactful themes are thought-provoking, uniquely ownable and actionable
• Theme serves as an umbrella for a messaging framework of key storylines aligned with Lowe’s:
o Four strategic initiatives
o Mission and values
• Theme and messaging framework provides cadence – along with events calendar – for anniversary arc
• The anniversary arc provides the structure for editorial calendar and rollout of activations
• Begin arc with teaser messaging and opt-ins in Q4 2020 and extend thru Q1 2022 pivot to the future
CASE STUDIES
Create an ownable theme
with an anniversary arc.
Sherwin-Williams 150
Inspired by a speech we uncovered
from its co-founder Henry Sherwin,
the theme for the company’s 150th
was “What is Worth Doing is Worth
Doing Well.” The sentiment
captured the ethos of the culture -
and was relevant to all of the target
audiences for the 150th.
The theme effectively unified
messaging across a broad spectrum
of communications.
Initial Thinking
Produce a content bank for stronger storytelling.
• Develop a Content Bank that:
o extensively documents essential history
o provides legal/brand compliant assets
o arms internal teams and agencies with approved and consistent content
CASE STUDIES
Produce a Content Bank for
stronger storytelling.
Whirlpool 100
We worked with Whirlpool to
reposition how it told its 100-year
story. Like many corporations, the
company’s narrative had become too
small and narrow given its scope and
breadth.
A global research and story gathering
project resulted in a “Story Palette” -
a content bank of stories and
iconography organized around
Whirlpool’s brand pillars. We then
worked with the company to
repurpose the content in training and
onboarding as well as several
centennial activations including a
publication.Initial Thinking
Invest in evergreen programs with enduring value.
• Bigger ideas/programs should be evaluated by the value they can have beyond 2021
• From the outside looking in, initial thoughts potentially relevant to Lowe’s include:
o Thought leadership extensions to current D&I, sustainability and/or vocational initiatives
o Philanthropic extensions through current community programs of the Foundation
o New customer engagement programming to drive customer loyalty and data collection
o Enhanced employee experience e.g.: associate onboarding and recognition/awards
o Establishing the corporate archives and oral history program as a lasting legacy of the 100th
o Lowe’s visitor center with programming in headquarters and new global tech centerCASE STUDIES
Invest in evergreen programs
with enduring value.
Craftsman 75
We developed a comprehensive
collection of research for the brand,
which included the launch date for
every product ever sold, references in
popular culture, and evidence of use
on iconic construction projects.
The content informed the advertising
campaign ”Craftsman Built America”
and provided hooks for product
promotions. The content is still used.
We also leveraged the brand value of
a beloved product Sears hadn’t sold in
over 60 years: homes. A Sears
Modern Homes website built a
community for historic home
enthusiasts and included Craftsman
and Kenmore discounts.Initial Thinking Leverage partners and suppliers. • Make the most of your key relationships to strengthen them and subsidize activations • Recognize your partners and suppliers who have been critical to the supply chain of your success • Offer key suppliers co-branding, customer engagement and sponsorship opportunities
CASE STUDIES
Leverage partners
and suppliers.
NFL 100
We worked with the NFL to produce a
strategy for how to plan and
implement its 100th season. We
developed an overarching messaging
framework that included how to
position the 100th in various markets
and created the concept for the
“Fantennial,” which created a platform
the NFL used make the centennial
more meaningful for fans.
The NFL used the milestone to
engage its sponsors and partners in a
year-long campaign that gave fans
and players a celebration of the past,
present and future of football.Initial Thinking Put your unique spin on what you do and how you measure it. • Avoid overthinking “what to do” versus executing creatively and effectively • Most anniversaries fail by ideas and plans that are followed through half-heartedly • Award-winning anniversaries rarely have unheard of ideas (it’s how they’re done that sets them apart) • Do a few things and do them well: Invest in high quality content creation and production value • Provide opportunities for two-way dialogue and engagement (people want to be heard) • Create experiences that align with hardware ethos and technical skills/interests of audiences • Our research affirms that well-executed anniversaries create record-setting levels of engagement • Set KPIs and create specific metrics aligned with anniversary goals and activations
CASE STUDIES
Put your unique spin on what
you do and how to measure it.
Discover 25
At a time in the bank’s history when it
had lost some of its luster, we worked
with Discover to rekindle its mojo.
Reconnecting the company’s
associates and customers with its
origin story as a scrappy disruptor of
the big banks through innovative
incentives, we created a tightly
integrated campaign that re-
introduced the brand to younger
associates and customers – and
reinvigorated the culture and brand
for older employees. The campaign
was presented as a case study at
several marketing and
communications conferences.Initial Thinking Prioritize external platforms for internal messaging. • Our experience is publishing employee-focused content on external channels amplifies impact • Anniversaries offer a pride point for employees • Videos, books, podcasts and snackable content can be consumed and easily shared • Provides platform for showcasing culture externally
CASE STUDIES
Prioritize external platforms for
internal messaging.
Adobe Photoshop 25
We first worked with the Photoshop
team to capture and document one of
their most challenging projects ever.
We then worked with the team to
fully chronicle the history of one of
the world’s most enduring software
applications.
Although our work was largely
commissioned for internal purposes,
the team realized it had value to their
customers and in their battle with
Apple for top talent. “Behind the
Splashscreen” showcased the team’s
creativity, collaboration, passion and
history-making accomplishments –
and was their most successful social
media campaign ever at the time.Initial Thinking Drive engagement by going big on surprise and delight. • A common pitfall? Implementing an anniversary like it’s any other marketing communications campaign • Rise to the the significance of the milestone • Go big on gratitude and provide lots of viral-worthy “we didn’t expect that” moments • Create surprise and delight opportunities for associates, customers and communities • A combination of big newsworthy elements balanced with tons of small acts across your footprint
CASE STUDIES Drive engagement by going big
on surprise and delight.
Southwest 50
We work with Southwest on a range
of initiatives with a number of their
teams and other agency partners. We
are the agency lead for the 50th
anniversary next year.
Now more than ever the 50th
anniversary next year is a central
element to engagement, activations
and expressing appreciation to one of
the world’s most admirable
employee- and customer-bases.Initial Thinking Lean into the history of the moment. • Connect the commitment and sacrifice of current associates, partners and suppliers to past crises • Capture and document the history being made today as a testament to mission and values • Lead with an empathetic tone of gratitude and “commemoration versus celebration” • Be prepared for criticism of past shortcomings that could go viral in a highly polarized environment • Stay flexible with “what if” scenarios in place
CASE STUDIES
Lean into the history
of the moment.
Deloitte 175
Over the last couple of years we
have been working with Deloitte to
implement one of the very few
enterprise-wide global brand
initiatives the world’s largest
professional services firm has
undergone: its 175th anniversary this
year.
In the spirit of the firm’s emphasis
on agility, we’ve had to be agile as
messaging and activation has been
adapted to be all virtual. One
adjustment: we’re now capturing the
history the firm is making today and
contextualizing the challenge of this
moment with those from the past.Thank you
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