Case Study
The Client
Lowe's - A global home improvement retailer
- Lengthy market launch time
- High costs and limited reusability of visuals in traditional photography
- Customer engagement hindered by inflexible creatives
- Product presentations with CGI technology
- Inspirational images of bathrooms using virtual environments
- Cost management through an efficient production pipeline
- Reusable virtual settings to swap products with minimal prop tweaks
Impact/Results
- Rapid market entry through time-saving measures
- Significant reduction in go-to-market costs
- Improved audience connection with engaging visual content
Spotlight on Lowe's International - A Home Improvement Giant
Lowe’s is a Fortune 50 company with 2000+ stores across North America. They are the world’s second-largest home improvement retailer and provide a diverse range of items for home improvement purposes, including maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating products. One of their key product categories is bathroom accessories, where they aim to inspire customers with high-end lifestyle images every season.
Challenges Faced by Lowe's
Lowe’s faced several challenges in its traditional approach to marketing its bath products:
Extended Go-to-Market Timeframe
- The average time to market exceeded three months.
- Delays caused by complex traditional photography setups.
- Issues with timely delivery of products like tiles and vanities.
Prohibitive Costs
- The typical cost for a product exceeded $3,000.
- Lifestyle images used to cost between $13,000 and $15,000 each.
- Physical bathroom sets could not be reused due to higher cost.
Compromised Customer Experience
- The time-consuming process constrained creative liberty
- This led to less inspiring images that did not engage customers.
Our Solutions
In response to these challenges, Lowe’s collaborated with a digital transformation partner to revolutionize their go-to-market approach for the bath category. The solution focused on three key areas.
1. Adoption of CGI Technology
We utilized computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create bathroom scenes and product displays. This resulted in a significant reduction in the need for physical product setups and logistics.
2. Cost-Effective Production
Our 3D modeling and CGI expertise reduced the cost of production by creating virtual environments to visualize the bath products. We reduced the average cost to approximately $300 per product, eliminating the high expenses associated with lifestyle photography.
3. Enhanced Creative Flexibility
CGI allowed for limitless creative possibilities in showcasing products. Moreover, the virtual environments were adaptable to various campaigns and seasonal changes.
Impacts/Results
1
Time Efficiency
The go-to-market time reduced drastically from over three months to just two weeks.
2
Cost Savings
Lowe’s experienced a significant reduction in go-to-market costs, leading to substantial long-term savings.
3
Improved Customer Engagement
Inspiring imagery led to increased traction in the bath category. The creative and visually appealing CGI images enhanced customer experience and engagement.
4
Operational Flexibility
Lowe’s achieved flexibility in marketing campaigns and product lines through virtual setups that could be easily modified and reused.
Conclusion
The journey of Lowe’s in digital transformation for its bath category not only streamlined its operational processes but also redefined the customer experience. This case study demonstrates the immense potential of digital solutions in addressing market challenges, reducing costs, enhancing customer engagement, and setting new standards in visualizing the home improvement industry.