Herman Miller Retail President Debbie Propst discusses how the pandemic shifted their core customer from corporate procurement to individual work-from-home consumers. Learn how Design Within Reach "softened" its brand image, moving from museum-like displays to relatable, lived-in home settings to connect with this new demographic and drive sales in a challenging market.
Key takeaways
The shift to remote work has transformed the office furniture customer from corporate procurement to individual consumers; brands must adapt marketing to target personal rather than B2B needs.
Re-evaluate brand messaging and visuals to reflect current customer realities. Design Within Reach moved from "museum-like" showcases to "realistic, livable modern homes" to resonate with home office shoppers.
Even premium brands can increase relatability without sacrificing brand equity by focusing on how products integrate into customers' actual lives.
Understand that for new-to-category shoppers (like first-time ergonomic chair buyers), education and simplifying the purchasing decision are crucial.
Leverage challenging economic times as an opportunity to reposition your brand and connect with new customer segments organically.
The pandemic has quickly changed the typical office chair shopper. It's no longer entire companies investing in ergonomic seating, but individuals working from home.
"Most consumers have never had to think about this type of product purchase before," Herman Miller Retail president Debbie Propst said on the Modern Retail Podcast. "They've relied on procurement teams or ergonomic specialists who have decided what chair you sit on while you're working."
Herman Miller Retail includes Herman Miller, Design Within Reach and HAY. Propst joined the company in January, overseeing a year of momentous change.
"One of the things that we've done over the spring and summer months, specifically for the Design Within Reach brand, is really soften the way that we look and feel so that we can be more relatable," Propst said. "We used to showcase a lot of museum-like homes that don't look lived in. And we've used this time period to really transition into much more realistic, livable modern homes."
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
The shift to remote work has transformed the office furniture customer from corporate procurement to individual consumers; brands must adapt marketing to target personal rather than B2B needs.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Re-evaluate brand messaging and visuals to reflect current customer realities. Design Within Reach moved from "museum-like" showcases to "realistic, livable modern homes" to resonate with home office shoppers.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Even premium brands can increase relatability without sacrificing brand equity by focusing on how products integrate into customers' actual lives.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Understand that for new-to-category shoppers (like first-time ergonomic chair buyers), education and simplifying the purchasing decision are crucial.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Leverage challenging economic times as an opportunity to reposition your brand and connect with new customer segments organically.
