There are few flooring manufacturers, if any, doing more than Armstrong to drive consumers to retail showrooms. In fact, we send a consumer to a retailer every two minutes.

Our marketing strategy involves following the consumer throughout the entire shopping process, from pre-shopping to interest trigger (such as whether she is redecorating or replacing a worn out floor), through product exploration, to final selection and purchase. Because we think all these phases are important, we remain flexible in our approach. We realize some people shop in stores, some on the Web, while some want a brochure.

Consumer advertising is at the forefront of our strategy to create exposure—and buzz—for our portfolio of products. We lead the industry in consumer advertising by reaching more consumers on a more frequent basis. Advertising supports our strong brand awareness and equity.

Why is this important? Because research shows us that consumers are much more likely to purchase flooring if it is a brand they know and trust. Fortunately, our brands have terrific awareness. Great brands are tremendous assets to retailers by helping bring people into the store. For flooring purchases, an area which most consumers have little experience, a meaningful brand says “here is a product in which you can have confidence.”

The Web is important with this, too. We are focused on providing the best online experience for our customers with even more inspiration and ideas to help increase product sales offline and aid dealers build in-store sales. Millions of shoppers search for a retailer via Armstrong’s residential flooring site annually and hundreds of thousands of Armstrong.com shoppers use the store locator each month. The most important aspect of our site is to make it easy for consumers to find the products they want, and to drive them to our loyal retailers.