Lowe’s Takes Customer Engagement Literally and Figuratively During Night of Lowemance

The list of possible Valentine’s Day gifts this year has expanded to include splash painting at a big box hardware chain, thanks to Lowe’s first-ever Night of Lowemance event. On Feb. 14, the retailer is inviting 50 couples to select stores in ten markets for what it calls a “one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day experience” following “a year of date nights … replaced by takeout on the couch.” Isn't it Lowemantic? Attendees will gather “in a dedicated area of the store inspired by creativity and romance.” The night will begin with a toast at 8 p.m. Then, participants will dine on light bites while they choose from a curated selection of Sherwin-Williams paint colors. “Attendees will then be guided to a paint zone, complete with splash-painting supplies the couple can use to express their love story on a blank canvas—a gift they will create together and display proudly at home,” the store says. The event is sold out. A Lowe’s spokesperson did not disclose how quickly this happened after reservations opened Feb. 3. A virtual experience including “an at-home date night activity hosted by a special guest," is also being offered. Forrester analyst Sucharita Kodali noted this “very cute marketing” also helps keep Lowe’s top of mind in a season when consumers aren’t doing as many home improvement projects. But the Night of Lowemance also follows a growing list of pandemic-era experiences from retailers, like drive-thru trick-or-treating and drive-in movies as they seek new ways to keep consumers engaged. The $100,000-question: Does it work? There is some limited data, which shows moderate engagement. For example, Walmart says its summer movie series brought in 40,000 guests in 1200 vehicles. (A spokesperson did not provide additional comment.) “I think a lot of retailers … who have brick and mortar stores have been left with these assets that are a bit less productive … and I think it’s important to consider the ways to keep customers engaged with some of the experiential elements that maybe [they’re] missing,” said Sarah Marzano, senior principal analyst at Gartner. This challenge is compounded, as Gartner data shows consumers are still wary about going to stores. “They're making fewer store trips and they're looking to be more efficient,” she said. “There's a little bit less of a chance for a brand to capture a customer's attention or engagement.” Marzano said efforts like the Night of Lowemance are creative ways to tap into underutilized assets to fill some voids and create safe experiences to build up experiential loyalty again. ‘A content creation flywheel’ What’s more, consumers are sharing slightly less on social media now “because we're not necessarily traveling or going out to eat or hanging out with a lot of friends,” Marzano said. “I think another thing that's interesting about some of these events is their ability to create a content creation flywheel,” she added. “Whether that's branded content being created around the event or user-generated content [with] people going to the Walmart drive-in or going to one of the trick-or-treating events and having a great time and sharing them on their social channels.” Case in point: #WalmartDriveIn has about 2100 posts on Instagram. While it does not appear any consumers have posted about #Lowemance yet, an Instagram video from the retailer has more than 96,000 views. The other $100,000-question: Will these activations continue after the pandemic? An event like a drive-in movie has some nostalgia built in, which could lend it some staying power. Then again, there are inherent logistical challenges therein for retailers open 24 hours. “I think what will be smart for brands to do if they're rolling out these events is measure the demand, measure the engagement, measure the social content creation output that comes after that and get that feedback from consumers in terms of what makes sense post-pandemic in order to continue facilitating that interactivity,” she added. “But certainly, the notion of experiential perks when it comes to traditional loyalty programs is something that we were seeing increase prior to the pandemic.” For now, stores should thoroughly communicate what safety measures are in place to alleviate customer concern. “As we continue to poll our consumer panel on where their concerns are, that concern about other people in their community acting with others’ best interests in mind, or the safety of going into an in-person physical location—these still persist,” Marzano said. “If you're one of these retailers hosting an event, make sure that you're meeting the customers' expectations for safety.” Read More: Lowe’s Chief Marketer Marisa Thalberg on Setting up Marketing for Success