When the cover was pulled off Nationwide Marketing Group’s Tiny Home last summer, the message was clear: the connected home needs to be displayed in a functional and engaging environment in order to be effective. Explaining the benefits of a smart home product to a customer doesn’t have the same impact as being able to show that product in its intended environment.
Understandably, a tiny smart home isn’t going to be the most ideal in-store solution for a retailer. And that’s where Nationwide Marketing Group’s partnership with retail activation firm Gorrie comes into focus.
Introduced to Nationwide members at the recent PrimeTime show in Houston, Gorrie is a 135-year-old company that has a history of turning branded ideas into full-fledged retail experiences. Their team of designers, engineers, program and project managers, warehousing and distribution specialists, installers and services technicians work closely with retailers to develop and deliver in-store activations that are impactful and engaging — which is imperative when it comes to the connected home retail experience.
Using basic retail fixtures, Gorrie presented a simplified retail display at PrimeTime that incorporated elements of a living room, kitchen and laundry room into a relatively compact space. The area featured four smart TVs, multiple smart speakers, smart lighting fixtures and several connected major home appliances alongside info-packed digital price tags.
“In tapping into the longstanding expertise of a company like Gorrie, we’re providing members with a streamlined and simplified process for merchandising the connected home experience in their stores,” says Derek Mattila, VP of Nationwide’s Connected Home Division. “The same way the Nationwide Tiny Home showcases this technology in a meaningful way, Gorrie installations — like the one displayed on the show floor at PrimeTime — present these products in a manner that makes sense and is educational and engaging for the customer.”
Utilizing Gorrie’s expertise, combined with other Nationwide offerings like the Google Nest Prime Retail Program, Nationwide members will be able to seamlessly integrate a modern-looking, fully functioning connected home experience right into their showrooms.
“Gorrie has been supporting independent retailers for over 40 years,” says CEO Ashley Gorrie. “Members of Nationwide are uniquely positioned to tell the connected home story across multiple brand and product categories and to clearly educate the consumer on the benefits of the smart home. Our solution requires little real estate within the retailer’s store and helps them tell a big story.”
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