American Home Furnishings Alliance

Challenge: in 1998, when Americans’ disposable income was high and McMansions were emerging, yet Americans were not focused on the home as a haven for their growing families.
Furniture was simply not top of mind. AHFA wanted to increase purchase by educating consumers about the importance of furniture to their lives and homes.
We began with comprehensive consumer research. We learned that homeowners did not understand or trust their own sense of style and that women were afraid of making the wrong furniture choices. ‘Furniture fear’ kept people living with furnishings that did not reflect their personalities or lifestyles.

Insight: Everyone has a “tipping point” when it comes to needing a new piece of furniture – it may be the addition of a new child or when a child leaves home – or even when someone says, “I just can’t take looking at this old chair one more day!”

Action:
•Developed publicity-driving press kits addressing the furniture needs of multiple groups – from empty nesters, to parents, to people have small living spaces. Our media kits featured national opinion poll results, product photography and advice from industry experts.
•Created two award-winning Web sites – one for consumers to help them find their furniture styles (www.FindYourFurniture.com) and one for the news media from which to gather sources information for stories (www.ahfanews.com).
•Helped AHFA provide news and information resulting from Furniture Market, the twice per year High Point, North Carolina event that determines the future of furniture fashion. Currently we are working with the furniture industry to encourage Americans to donate their safe, underutilized

Outcomes:
•There has been a 180 degree shift in consumer attitudes and behaviors. According to independently conducted new 2008 qualitative research, 10 years after our benchmark research, consumers are highly motivated buyers, confident in their choice of furniture and rely on their own sense of style for furniture purchases.
•AFHA is viewed as the authority on home furnishings trends by America’s home and lifestyle media corps.
•AHFA has secured more than 2 billion impressions, including numerous placements in long-lead magazines and daily newspaper home sections. The industry has also been covered on “Oprah.”