Armstrong.com Welcomes Spanish-Speaking Shoppers

LANCASTER, PA - Making a commitment to better serve Hispanic consumers and build traffic for its retailers, Armstrong, the most trusted name in flooring, trusted One Real World with the creation and launch of its award-winning web site - Armstrong.com - in Spanish. The website is accessible from a prominently placed link on the homepage, or directly from www.Armstrong.com/espanol.

The preferred language for many of our customers is Spanish," said Jesse Engle, general manager, eMarketing. "So providing Armstrong product information and design tools in Spanish fills an important need."

Almost two-thirds of online Hispanics (63%) use the Internet more than any other source for information for the final brand decision compared with about half the online general population.* In addition, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are now about 42 million Hispanics in the U.S., up almost 20 percent from the 2000 U.S. Census. The growth of the non-Hispanic population for that same period was about 2%.

"That means there are millions of Latino customers who will benefit from this service, " Engle said. "This is important for Armstrong retailers as well, because more people will now be coming through their doors both informed and motivated to buy."
Also helping to drive store traffic, Armstrong is advertising in a host of national Spanish-language magazines as well as banner ads on the two major Spanish language Web sites - Univision.com and Terra.com, along with an online $5,000 flooring sweepstakes.

The winner will accept a gift certificate, worth up to $5,000 in Armstrong flooring and Armstrong installation, from a local Armstrong retailer.
After entering the sweepstakes, consumers are encouraged to use the award-winning Design my Room (sm) makeover tool from Armstrong to design their own rooms with Armstrong hardwood, laminate and resilient floors, residential ceilings and cabinets. Consumers also are encouraged to browse the entire site and locate retailers in their area using the Store Locator.

Understanding the Market

Armstrong is the first major flooring manufacturer to release its Web site in Spanish for North American shoppers. The Armstrong.com site recently was redesigned to help consumers walk through the steps necessary to find the right floor for their needs. Offering the flooring and ceilings areas of the site in Spanish was seen as a critical phase of the redesign.

Home improvement spending among Hispanics increased by 85 percent between 1995 and 2003 - more than any other ethnic group, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Spending was highest among 35-54 year-olds with annual spending ranging from about $3,500 to nearly $4,000 a year. Those below 35 reported spending $2,500 to $3,000 a year.

With regard to Hispanics with Internet access, almost half (44%) look online for information about do-it-yourself home improvement products; and two thirds (67%) are planning a major home improvement in the next 12 months, *
Hailing from diverse backgrounds, Hispanics take pride in their dwellings. In a new book titled The New Mainstream, author Guy Garcia says Hispanics consider home ownership a measure of self-worth and a stake in the future. More than four in 10 own their own home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

"Many Hispanics have a passion for tackling home improvement projects and take pride on the things they build with their own hands," said Manuel Delgado, President of One Real World, the Hispanic marketing agency tapped by Armstrong to assist in their marketing efforts. "Many times they enlist the help of friends and family and make a social occasion out of it."

For these Hispanic customers, the Armstrong.com site offers tools and do-it-yourself information to assist them in bringing their ideas to reality.
Armstrong.com is designed to help consumers walk through the steps necessary to find the right floor for their needs.

The new site features inspiring design ideas, new interactive shopping tools, and more help envisioning new floors and residential ceilings in a home setting. It spans one of the widest selections of floor fashions anywhere - Bruce® hardwood flooring, ArmstrongT Hardwood by Hartco®, Robbins® Fine Hardwood Flooring, Armstrong laminate flooring, Genuine LinoleumT, vinyl sheet flooring and ceramic and vinyl tile flooring, as well as decorative ceilings.

After deciding on wood, laminate, ceramic or resilient flooring, consumers can use the Find Your Floor path to browse floor styles by color, look, or in the case of hardwood, by species. The last step is Where to Buy. The new Store Locator finds a local retailer who carries the shopper's specific floor or ceiling selection. Floor dealers and retailers that carry Armstrong decorative ceilings also can be contacted directly from the Armstrong web site.