Homewares company Dunelm Mill plans to use social media to put it at the centre of online interest in interior design. The move could bring new attention to a retailer that started life on a Leicester market stall in 1979.
The company is to use online communities, Facebook and Twitter to raise awareness of the company, which has 113 stores in the UK and turned over £535.8m in its latest financial year. It aims to become a key forum for discussion of interior design tips and has appointed Diffusion PR to develop its social media and blogger engagement strategy.
The campaign planned by Diffusion aims to inspire consumers to make small changes that make a big difference to the way their home looks and feels. It will include online communities that aim to inspire consumers to share their home design tips, supported by a Love it, Like it lookbook on Facebook. Blogger inspiration events will also be held at existing and new stores.
Ivan Ristic, co-founder and director, Diffusion said: “Social media has already transformed many retail markets in the UK, in particular fashion, with consumers increasingly sharing their purchases and tips through haul video and also parenting where mums and dads are keen to share their tips. We see huge potential for Dunelm Mill to lead a similar trend in the home interiors market, particularly given the strength of positive sentiment that already exists about the brand in the UK.”
Carole Brown, marketing director, Dunelm Mill, said: “We are seeing our customers using social media not just as a way of sharing their store experience but also in discussing the changes they’ve made to their homes using our products, helping others make small changes that make a big difference to the way they feel in their home. Through our work with Diffusion we want to make sure that Dunelm Mill is at the heart of these conversations, helping to inspire our customers on the right design choices they can make for their home.”
