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Company: The Home Depot with MSL and Hartmann Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
Nomination Submitted by: MSL
Company Description: The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement retailer. Since its founding in 1978, The Home Depot has been committed to “Doing the Right Thing.” As a values-driven company, The Home Depot has found success through consistently putting its customers and associates first.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Marketing – Consumer Products
 Nomination Title: How to Sleigh the Holidays: The Home Depot Halloween & Holiday Program 2021
- Optional: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
In 2021, people were looking forward to the holidays and spending expectations were high. The National Retail Federation predicted holiday sales growth at a whopping 11.5 percent over 2020. However, retailers and consumers were concerned about the supply chain and inventory during the continued global pandemic. These concerns coupled with the potential to shatter previous holiday spending records meant it was crucial to promote and encourage an early holiday shopping season with The Home Depot.
Research and insights supported this, suggesting that the best time to reach consumers for the holidays in 2021 was as early in the season as possible. Pinterest noted that “brands who start their holiday campaigns earlier in the season see better results on Pinterest.” Additionally reported by Pinterest, every year, the majority of holiday sales influenced by the social platform are complete by Cyber Monday, indicating that consumers would be searching for holiday ideas earlier than they ever had – much earlier – during the holidays. Furthermore, consumer interest in the holidays remained widespread. According to a 2021 online survey of Nextdoor users in the U.S., 90 percent of respondents planned to decorate for the holiday season. Time and time again, the interest in decorating early filtered to the top as a way for consumers to create joy this holiday season. [REDACTED FOR PUBLICATION]
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated PR campaign or program, or written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
April 2021
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 201 words used.
To meet business objectives and communications goals after an incredible 2020 season including the massively successful introduction of the 12-Foot Giant Skeleton with LifeEyes (or, as he is affectionately known by many, “Skelly”), The Home Depot needed to deliver big in 2021. [REDACTED FOR PUBLICATION] And, as the pandemic continued in 2021, there was growing consumer interest in celebrating bigger than ever and a newfound respect and enjoyment for e-commerce and curated digital experiences.
Skelly returned [REDACTED FOR PUBLICATION] with hundreds of other Halloween and Holiday décor pieces designed to surprise and delight consumers nationwide. Product expectations were very high – and The Home Depot wanted to ensure it continued to bring excitement to consumers this season by introducing other massive friends to keep Skelly company: the 12-Foot Inferno Pumpkin Skeleton and 8-Foot Giant Nutcracker, both of which utilize the company’s proprietary LifeEyes LCD technology, giving them a uniquely lively appearance. In response to the global landscape and retail environment, the team set aggressive coverage and event attendance goals to introduce the new, innovative, exclusive décor and unique trend-focused products while exceeding consumer expectations.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
The Home Depot PR team anticipated other retailers’ holiday announcements and launched its holiday showcase event earlier in July to break through the crowded market and establish itself as a leader and innovator for the season. This was part of the broader Halloween and Holiday program, inclusive of an integrated PR strategy, always-on storytelling cadence, marquee virtual media events, subject matter expert interviews with merchants and associates, strategic industry partnerships, and a philanthropic component.
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- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2020. Even if your initiative started before 2020, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2020 only (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
PR efforts reached a highly valued audience with strategic, targeted media outreach and thoughtful, trend-forward messaging, generating a total of 3.2 billion media impressions. The 8-month campaign elevated The Home Depot as a seasonal retailer of choice and yielded significant ROI in many areas.
The Home Depot was featured in 981 pieces of earned media coverage in outlets such as Buzzfeed, The TODAY Show, Business Insider, Better Homes & Gardens, Martha Stewart, The New York Times | Wirecutter, Mashable, USA Today, Access Hollywood and more, including 166 headline mentions. This increase in overall earned media placements when compared to the 2020 Halloween and Holiday program represented an improvement of 65 percent year over year.
Targeted broadcast outreach resulted in the team securing dedicated segments with Access Hollywood (in October and December) and LIVE with Kelly and Ryan. [REDACTED FOR PUBLICATION]
The virtual media events attracted 225 total attendees hailing from publications such as Better Homes & Gardens, Good Housekeeping, HGTV Magazine, and more.
The Home Depot experts Lance Allen, Senior Decorative Holiday Merchant, and Sarah Fishburne, Director of Trend and Design, were successfully positioned as go-to sources of insight and inspiration for the Halloween and holiday season, with specific quotes in 35+ media placements, including Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and Morning Brew.
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