This month Mohawk kicks off a new marketing campaign to help its retail partners leverage the power of branding in conjunction with the advantages that come with domestic production. The campaign, dubbed “American Originals,” kicks off with the wildly popular RevWood line.
Seth Arnold, vice president of residential marketing at Mohawk, said RevWood—which is made right here in America—is just the right product to kick off the campaign. “It’s a phenomenal product, one of the fastest-growing products in our history and a testimony to high quality,” he explained. “The campaign is built around the fact that it is a truly American product, and we’re excited about that.”
Production of RevWood is facilitated entirely via Mohawk’s plants in Garner and Thomasville, N.C. In recent years, Mohawk has invested significantly in both facilities as a means to not only further leverage its domestic production advantages, but to also accelerate the rate of new product development. “These investments are not just to bolster product availability but also drive craftsmanship and innovation,” Arnold stated. “One of the things that Americans do very well is they innovate; they’re particularly driven to build high-quality products that solve problems. And so the RevWood products that we’re rolling out are some of the most high-quality, innovative floors anywhere in the world, made right here in the United States.”
A prime example of that high level of innovation is Signature Technology, Mohawk’s proprietary image-scanning technology utilized to replicate natural materials in its engineered hard surface offerings. It’s no accident that the breakthrough technology made its debut on RevWood. “One of the things we’ve been investing in is our Signature Technology, which we’re extending across our product portfolio,” Arnold explained. “We’re leveraging this technology to create the most beautiful, realistic wood decor floors. All of that was based on our investments in North American manufacturing.”
The domestic production tie-in to the American Originals campaign cannot be overstated, according to Arnold. “Much of the success of RevWood has to do with the demand from our retailers, specifically for reliable supply chains,” he explained, citing the shipping issues the industry has experienced over the past few years. “You don’t realize how incredible our supply chains are until they’re not working. There’s been a meteoric rise in demand for products that are made right here—products that retailers can trust. As a result, we’ve been making tremendous investments in our North American capacity and building on that footprint, which only strengthens the RevWood value proposition for our retailers. But it’s not only important for our retailers; it’s also an increasingly important attribute for consumers.”
Not surprisingly, the Made in USA message underlying the American Originals campaign also resonates with another segment that’s critically important to Mohawk—its manufacturing workforce. “The other people we listen to quite a bit are the people who make the product—the men and women who show up to work every day at Mohawk,” Arnold stated. “The American Originals campaign gives us an opportunity to tell their stories and the craftsmanship and pride that goes into making these products. These are hardworking, smart, innovative people right here in our backyard who are building these products and shipping them every day.”
And let’s not forget about the perspective of the installers—those who have often have the final interaction with the consumer. “Installers love RevWood—it’s easy to install and it stays down. They know it’s very reliable and stable.”
There’s also the sustainability story behind producing RevWood domestically. Aside from the fact that the product comprises recycled materials, there are no issues that come with the environmental impact of shipping a product across the ocean. “There’s the sustainability side that people are more aware of now,” Arnold said. “Consumers understand that buying local is a more responsible choice vs. having products shipped across the ocean.”
Brand iconography
More than any single product feature or attribute, the overarching message Mohawk wants to convey to retailers via the American Originals marketing campaign is the connection to American iconography, according to Arnold. In much the same way that Levi’s, Harley-Davidson motorcycles and barbecues conjure up certain emotions, Mohawk is hoping the American Originals campaign—led by coordinated and strategic marketing of RevWood—will similarly inspire all those involved in the manufacturing, sale, installation and consumption of the product.
“With this campaign we didn’t simply want to beat the ‘Made in America’ drum,” Arnold explained. “What we wanted to do was tell an American story about the craftsmanship and the quality of the product by listening to the retailers that promote the product and the people in the factory who make the product. You can’t help but feel proud to be a part of something that is a great American story—one that’s contributing to jobs and improving people’s lives and decorating people’s homes.”
