Universal Furniture Supports Coastal Living Launch With Nationwide Marketing Plan

Furniture World News Desk on 10/14/2018

Universal Furniture reports that retailers who purchase Escape, the first collaboration from Universal Furniture and Coastal Living debuting this fall, will be the beneficiaries of more than a year of promotional planning and material development, designed to engage consumers and increase traffic at the retail level.

“Coastal Living is a powerful brand,” says Universal Furniture Director of Marketing Neil MacKenzie, “and we’re leveraging that power to build awareness for the new collection at both the national and local levels with digital and print support, along with in-store materials including a take home magazine for consumers at retail.”

The whole home collection comprises more than 60 designs across bedroom, dining room, kitchen, upholstery, home entertainment and accent categories and the reaction thus far has been extremely positive. “Many of our retail partners have already placed their orders,” said MacKenzie.  “And they’ll see their first products come in by year’s end.”

On the national level, Universal will be advertising in the 2019 issues of Coastal Living, and will execute national digital advertising across a number of fronts that target the Coastal Living customer. A significant social media buy, across platforms including Facebook and Instagram, is also planned.

“From Universal’s standpoint, it’s the most comprehensive effort to support a licensed collection in our history,” said MacKenzie.

Specifically for retailers, Universal has developed the customary point-of-purchase and in-store marketing materials and it’s also developed a new marketing product, called a magalog.  The magalog is a combination of a magazine and a catalog and features both editorial content from Coastal Living magazine and Escape products for sale. Each magalog can be branded by the retailer and used in-store or as a direct mail piece.

Universal will also offer retailers the opportunity to hold in-store events with Coastal Living magazine, and a national sales period is planned for the third quarter of 2019.

More about Universal: Universal Furniture creates quality furnishings for the whole home with a focus on function and lifestyle. The company’s casegood, upholstery, accent and accessory designs are developed under the brand names Universal Furniture (Lifestyle Collections), To The Trade (Interior Design) and Smartstuff™ (Baby and Child), and sold through retailers and interior designers throughout North America and around the world. Founded in 1968, Universal Furniture is a brand of Samson Holdings, one of the world’s largest vertically integrated furniture manufacturers. For more information, visit www.universalfurniture.com.