Miranda Lucas

Media Plan

Crafters as a Target Group for Lowes

Target Segment Summary
Targets Psychographic Summary

Likes crafting
Wants to save money
Likes to decorate
Home improvement
Wants to earn money

Targets Demographic Summary

Female
Married
45-64
$50,000+

Targets Geographic Summary

Salt Lake City, Utah

Charleston/Huntington, West Virginia
Traverse City/Cadillac, Michigan

Client Description
Company Overview: Lowes was founded in 1946 and started out as
a small hardware store. Since then, the company has grown to a company

dedicated to total home improvement and has been traded on the New York
Stock Exchange since 1961. Lowes retail customers include homeowners
and renters looking to complete do-it-yourself projects and some do-it-for-me
projects. The companys two largest categories of professional customers
include construction and trade, and maintenance, repair and operations.
These two trades account for 30 percent of Lowes total sales (About Lowe's).
Lowes offers different programs to help support their community that
focus on K-12 education and community improvement projects. One program
is the Lowes Toolbox for Education. The program is currently in its ninth
year of operation and has provided over $35 million to more than 8,000
schools across the country. Schools and parent groups can apply for this
grant and receive up to $5,000 to help improve the school (Toolbox For
Education).
Another program is Lowes Heroes. The program encourages
employees in a location to work together, adopt a volunteer project with a
local nonprofit organization or K-12 public school, and make a difference
(Lowe's Heroes). Rather than just funding improvement projects, Lowes
takes the time to actually donate their time and help non-profit organizations
complete their projects.
The third Lowes program is called the Lowes Charitable and
Educational Foundation. The foundation was founded in 1957 and since has
been dedicated to supporting public education and community improvement

projects in the local communities served by Lowes. The foundation also

funds non-profit partners, scholarships and hometown grants (Lowe's
Foundation).
Lowes is dedicated to being a good corporate neighbor. For over 6o
years the company has committed to customer and community service. The
company looks to improve the places its employees and customers call
home. Lowes sees it as an investment into their future; an investment that
grows as the company grows. It believes to fulfill its commitment, Lowes
must do more than just provide financial support. Lowes wants to actually
make an impact within its communities. For more than 20 years, Lowes
260,000 employees have joined together to provide thousands of hours of
support to local communities (Our Mission). When Lowes hires its employees
it looks for pioneer spirits that are driven by potential and inspired by a
vision, just like the company itself. Employees fall under the spirit of the
company. A spirit driven to help its local communities improve and prosper
(Careers).
Types of Products Offered: Lowes offers its customers a wide array
of products and services. Customers have the option to shop in-store, online
or over the phone and offer delivery of products to the customers home or
place of business (About Lowe's). If a customer doesnt have the time to
install a product on their own time Lowes provides an option of professional

installment to help make customers lives a little easier. They also deliver
during all days of the week.
If youre buying plants, Lowes provides a one year plant guarantee
that if your product doesnt survive one year they will replace it with a new
one. The company offers consumer credit cards for those making regular, or
large purchases that gives you five percent off every purchase made. There
are Build and Grow clinics offered that are designed to teach children how to
safely complete a variety of projects. They also offer a paint matching
service, translation services, free computer project design, in-store
consolation and design services, and they also cut, assemble and load all
products if necessary. There are in-store educational work-shops that teach
home safety and home protection. A ten percent discount is also offered to
those who have served in the military (In-Store Services).
The products offered by Lowes include anything and everything that
revolves around the home and home improvement. The product categories
featured under the Shop tab on the website include: appliances, bathroom,
building supplies, electrical, flooring, hardware, heating and cooling, home
dcor, kitchen, lighting and ceiling fans, outdoors, paint, plumbing, storage
and organization, tools, and windows and doors (Home Page).
Target Audience: Crafters
Introduction: Crafting is something that all ages can take on as a
hobby. Crafting isnt limited to just one kind of project in one specific area.
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There are many things people could do and directions that it can be taken.
Even the reasons why people craft are unending it seems. A crafter can be
anyone from someone on a budget looking to save money by doing things
themselves, or someone with an unlimited budget who simply likes to craft
for the satisfaction of doing something for themselves. There are even those
who rely on this as a main source of income, or just extra money on the side.
Psychographic Elements of Target: There are many different
factors that contribute to why crafters do what they do. Not only can crafting
save money, it can also earn the crafter money by selling what they make.
According to the 2011 CODA (Craft Organization Development Association)
Review, 50 million Americans made artisan crafts. Of those 50 million, 5
million of Americans made part of their income off artisan crafts, and of the
50 million, 30,000 to 50,000 Americans relied on artisan crafts as their main
source of income. Another reason people craft is that they simply enjoy the
experience and quality of doing something for themselves and knowing they
control the quality of craft (Williams). Most crafters between the ages of 1834 desire to craft is driven by a recent life changing event like buying a home
or having a child. Crafters ranging from 35-54 are usually driven by the want
to be energy efficient. Lastly, crafters who are 55 or older take on projects
along the lines of home repair and preparation for growing old in their home
(Williams). People who craft usually have a need to make projects their own
or to personalize them. Sometimes for people who craft, craft doesnt even

mean the project needs to be completely by them, but that they get to make
the decisions so that the finished project feels as if its their own (Williams).
Crafting is not defined by one kind of project, but many different kinds
that satisfy the different needs of crafters that I have described above.
According to the 2011 CODA Review, some different segments of crafting
include: home dcor, furniture, clothing, jewelry, kitchenware, tools, toys,
and lighting. There are certain things crafters fear when beginning a project
and according to Burst Media Online Insights (DIY Home Improvement), 20.8
percent of crafters fear they will go over budget, 16.5 fear unexpected issues
will arise, and 6.2 percent fear they will be dissatisfied with the results of
their projects.
Demographic Elements of Target: According to the Standard Rate
and Data Service, the average age of a crafter is 52.4 years. Of all ages
who craft, most seem to fall into the age range of 35-64. Married couples
account for 65.1 percent of total crafters, while single females account for
26.3 percent. Home owners represent 72.1 percent of crafters and when
referencing the stage in family lifecycle the largest categories are
represented by married 45-64 (21 percent), married 65 and up (14.4
percent), married with child under 13 (12.8 percent), single 45-64 and
married with child between 13-18 each represent 11.4 percent. As for
household incomes, those who make $50,000-$74,999 account for 21
percent and those who make under $20,000 account for 19 percent. When I

referred to the Age by Income section I noticed that 45-64 year olds who
make $75,000 and above account for a larger percentage. Looking at this
information I believe the best target audience is married couples between
the ages of 45-64 who make $50,000 and above. In almost every household
statistic, ages 45-64 were those most represented. Most households are who
make $50,000 and above account for 47.3% of total crafters and more
crafters are married couples than single male and females combined.
How Target Aligns with Lowes: Lowes aligns with the target in a
number of ways. On the Lowes home page under Ideas and How-Tos there
is an entire section dedicated to woodworking and crafts and other
categories include activities that fall under the different crafting segments
like repair and maintain and decorate and entertain. These links give
customers ideas on what projects to start next and other kinds of inspiration.
Lowes also helps crafters with the services that they offer.
Lowes is very adamant about helping their customers learn the howtos and best ways to get projects done through their in-store workshops and
services. Since a big part of crafting is saving money, Lowes customer credit
card that helps save 5% on every purchase is very beneficial to people who
craft on a regular basis. If they buy their supplies they will always end up
saving money. Lowes also offers a multitude of design services that will
produce designs for home improvement projects and allow the customer to
do the hands-on work if they desire. Last, any project a crafter wants to take

on, Lowes has a product category that could incorporate well with any
project. Crafters can make a variety of things like their own furniture for
example. Lowes offers its customers the products to get projects like that
done. If the crafter wants to make furniture for their home, Lowes can supply
the wood, tools, hardware and paint for to complete the project.
Besides projects and services, Lowes also offers their customers the
products to get them started on their projects. They have tools, building
supplies, hardware, paint and other kinds of products available to serve the
customer in their crafting projects; such as home dcor, furniture,
kitchenware, tools and lighting like I mentioned before in the psychographics
section.
Media Plan Targeted to Reach Crafters
Introduction: This media plan is designed to boost Lowes advertising
in the most efficient and beneficial way possible. In my opinion the media
vehicle I have chosen to advertise through in magazines, TV, Internet and
search are optimal strategies to give Lowes the best return possible and
reach the target audience in the most efficient way. Magazines are the
highest priority followed by Google keywords, Internet then TV.
Media Plan Schedule: I chose to advertise to crafters in May, June
and July. My thought behind this is that the weather will be nice enough for
crafters to work outside or in their garages. I think the kinds of products
Lowes can offer crafters are for bigger projects that require a lot of space to
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work on. I chose to advertise three months continuously to always keep

Lowes in the back of the customers mind during this period of time.
Media Type Priorities: Magazines were my priority media type in this
plan. This being that magazines are for very targeted audiences and the
readers all have something specific in common; this case crafting. Magazines
also have a longer shelf life and are made of better paper that helps make
them nicer looking and longer lasting. Another benefit of magazines is that
readers can look at the ads as many times as they choose to look at the
magazine. Whereas in TV the ad could go by once and the viewer missed it
completely, or they just fast forward through all the advertisements in
general. With a magazine you can guarantee at least one glance. This shows
in my media plan because I spent the most money on magazine
advertisements.
My secondary media priority is Google keywords. Keywords are very
beneficial because you only pay when the user clicks your ad. So the
advertiser is potentially getting free publicity. Keywords are also very
targeted and can help lead your target directly where you want them to go.
My media plan shows this is where I spent the second-most amount of
money.
Specific Media Choices:

Magazine Choices:

o American Craft Magazine- I chose this magazine because I

felt that it aligned very well with the target audience. The
magazines reach is predominantly female; 76% of the
readers are female while the other 24% is male. Forty-one
percent of the readers are ages 55-64 which falls perfectly
into the target Lowes is trying to reach. The average
household income is $108,400 which is also in the target
range Lowes is looking for. I chose to do three full page
insertions because there will be one for every month of the
campaign. I chose full page advertisements because I think
those will grab readers attention the most compared to
the smaller sizes.
o Decorating Digest- I chose this magazine because it is
centered around crafting and giving its readers step-bystep instructions on how to complete projects. I also
believe its a good investment in the clients money
because it reaches over double of what the magazine
circulation is. For the same reasons as American Craft
Magazine, I chose three one page insertions; one for each
month of the campaign and the size to capture the
audiences attention.
o HGTV Magazine- This is the magazine for the popular TV
network HGTV (Home Garden Television). Many of the
shows HGTV airs revolve around home improvement and
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crafting related things, so anyone who is a fan of the

channel will likely be a fan of the magazine as well. The
magazine has an entire section dedicated to do-it-yourself
projects for its readers. Its audience aligns well with the
target group. The readers are predominantly female, the
median household income falls in the target groups range,
and it reaches more married couples than single people.
Because HGTVs ads run for so much money, I decided it
was best to go with page color advertisements because
they are still large enough to catch the readers eye and
get the message across.
o Fine Woodworking- I chose this magazine because its one
of the number one magazines for people interested in
creating things with wood. Which is a good resource for
crafters. This magazine is directed mostly towards the
male population, but 89% of its readers are married which
falls into the target Lowes is looking for. The average
household income is over $100,000 and the average age of
readers is 60 years old. Both of these statistics also fall into
the target audience for Lowes crafters. With the budget I
chose to buy four one page insertions for the advertising
campaign. According to the media kit, 100% of readers
obtain more information from an advertiser after seeing
the ad in the magazine. I think this is extremely beneficial
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for Lowes. Also the readers look through the magazine an

average of 5.7 times before getting rid of. This will result in

a lot of exposure for Lowes.

TV Choices:
o Flea Market Flip- This show demonstrates to viewers how a
little cash and creativity can go long way. The show turns
old objects into brand new and can be really inspiring for
people who enjoy crafting and doing the same kinds of
activities. They can take what they learn from the show
and turn it into something for their own home. This is why I
believe Lowes should target crafters while this show is on
air. Viewers are already in the crafting mindset while
watching and the advertisement would give them an idea
of where to start. I gave a lower number of insertions
because the show airs on TV at a later time in the night;
which is also a negative to the program. Although it plays
at a strange time of night I still think its a very good
vehicle to advertise through because of how aligned with
psychographics and demographics it is. I put more in Salt
Lake City because there are more households viewing the
program, and I decreased the number of insertions as the
household viewing went down for each different city.
o Ellens Design Challenge- After this shows first season aired
this year, it quickly became one of HGTVs highest ranked

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shows. The show is a competition between furniture

designers to see who can create the best furniture out of
materials they are given. I think this program is an
excellent choice for advertising because it is a hit show and
airs on prime time TV unlike Flea Market Flip. This show is
also something that can inspire viewers to make their own
furniture creations and advertising for Lowes crafting will
also give the shows viewers a place to start looking for
their next project. Just like Flea Market Flip, I decided to put
more insertions because this program brings in more
viewers than a lot of shows pertaining to crafting. I put
more in Salt Lake City because there are more households
viewing the program, and I decreased the number of
insertions as the household viewing went down for each

different city.
Website Choices:
o HGTV.com- I chose this website because it ties in with the
magazine and TV advertisements campaign for the entire
HGTV brand. HGTV in general reaches a large audience
made of people who enjoy crafting and home improvement
projects who potentially want to save or earn money. Their
audience fits the psychographics of the target group
Lowes is trying to reach. The site has a large amount of
traffic that comes to it, including crafters. It would be crazy
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not to buy advertisements here. I placed the most

impressions here because HGTV of the four choices is the
most popular website and I think will drive more customers
to Lowes.
o DIYNetwork.com- This website is a great place for Lowes to
advertise their crafting products. The site has recently
been redone, and offers visitors multiple links to learn
different how-tos and how to remake things they already
have. It also gives visitors how-to videos so they can learn
from actually watching it be done. Its the same concept as
HGTV.com, so this site will attract the target audience for
the same reasons.
o DoItYourself.com- This is another website that drives a lot
of traffic from potential Lowes customers. The site is based
around giving its visitors different how-tos and do it
yourself projects. Including projects that deal with
bathroom, bedroom, electrical, exterior, woodworking and
others. All of these crafting projects can be started with
Lowes products. Therefore its a good idea to advertise
here, that way when visitors find their next idea they
immediately know where to start when they see a Lowes
add.
o BigDIYIdeas.com- This website costs more to reach the
target audience, but its one of the top website to come up

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in search engine results for DIY. The site gives its visitors
pictures and ideas of what can be crafted at home. It offers
a wide-array of projects to be done, but because it doesnt
receive a lot of visitors I bought the least amount of

impressions.
Google Keywords:
o DIY projects- Crafters are people who want to take on
projects for themselves, so DIY projects would probably
be one of their first searches to come to mind.
o Woodworking projects- Crafting can involve many things,
woodworking included, so crafters who enjoy working with
wood would most likely type a key phrase such as this to
look up new project ideas. Lowes also has wood products
available to their customers so this would be a good key
phrase to invest in.
o DIY furniture- A big crafting trend is creating your own
furniture, but not all furniture is an easy do-it-yourself
project. This key phrase would be beneficial to crafters
looking for what they can do in this area.
o Painting tips- Lowes has a wide-array of painting products,
and crafters looking for the best way to go about painting
projects would easily look up paint tips into their search
engine.
o DIY craft projects- Crafters may need some inspiration
when coming up with ideas, this search would bring up new
ideas for crafters to start.
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o Paint supplies- Like I said before, Lowes has a wide-array

of painting supplies and crafters who are looking to buy
paint for their project would likely type this phrase into the
search engine, bringing them to Lowes where they can
browse their selection.
o Do it yourself crafts- This is essentially another phrase
similar to DIY craft projects. I chose this key phrase for
the same reason, but people may type their thoughts
differently.
o Woodworking tips- The crafters who work with wood may
need some tips on how to go about their projects.
o Home improvement tips- Crafters who are looking to
improve their home may type this phrase into the search
engine to get ideas. Lowes services offers many tips in this
area so this phrase would be good to bring users to the
site.
o Do it yourself ideas- This is another phrase to give crafters
some inspiration. This phrase could take users to the
Lowes site in general, or the sites that Lowes advertises
on.
Justification of Money Spent: I recommend that Lowes spend
$344,004.40 on their media vehicles. Although there was a maximum
budget of $600,000, its important to remember to not buy ads for the
sake of buying ads. I believe with this plan in place Lowes will without
a doubt reach their target audience and get a lot of bang for their
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buck. The goal wasnt to save money, but its important that money
doesnt get wasted on inefficient advertising.

Bibliography
Lowe's. About Lowe's. 2014. 20 February 2015. <http://media.lowes.com/aboutlowes/>.
. Careers. 2014. 20 February 2015. <http://careers.lowes.com/>.
. Home Page. 2015. 20 February 2015. <www.lowes.com>.
. In-Store Services. 2015. 20 February 2015. <http://www.lowes.com/cd_InStore+Services+_745829091_?storeId=10151&langId=1&catalogId=10051#top>.
. Lowe's Foundation. 2014. 20 February 2015.
<http://responsibility.lowes.com/community/lowes-charitable-andeducational-foundation/>.

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. Lowe's Heroes. 2014. 20 February 2015.

<http://responsibility.lowes.com/community/lowes-heros/>.
. Our Mission. 2014. 20 February 2015.
<http://responsibility.lowes.com/community/>.
. Toolbox For Education. 2008. 20 February 2015.
<http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/>.
Williams, Zach. 10 Characteristics of the DIY Consumer. n.d. 21 February 2015.
<http://diyconsumer.com/article/10-characteristics-of-the-diy-consumer>.

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