PRESS FOLDER
Emotion
August 2010
Your contact persons are:
Stefan Pletzer
Director Sales & Marketing EGGER Retail
Michaela Huber
Head of Marketing EGGER Flooring
Table of Contents:
DISCOVER A NEW RESIDENTIAL AMBIANCE WITH EMOTION 2011
With Emotion 2011, EGGER is turning the spotlight on the expertise of the fabricator. Newly developed tools like the inspirational brochure and the collection case take customers on a journey of European living styles to the flooring of their dreams.
A COLLECTION FILLED WITH INNOVATIONS
Emotion 2011 features new and further developments in all areas. EGGER has enhanced the distributor collection with visual highlights and technical refinements.
EGGER LAMINATE FLOORING WITH THE BLUE ANGEL
EGGER laminate flooring meets the highest standards in terms of environmental compatibility and sustainability.
EGGER WITHSTANDS MARKET WEAKNESS
The economic downturn had a severe impact on the laminate flooring market – but EGGER faced the crisis comparatively well. The year 2010 is looking favourable so far.
For inquiries:
EGGER Retail Products GmbHMichaela Huber
Weiberndorf 20
6380 St. Johann in Tirol
Österreich
T +43 5 0600-10319
F +43 5 0600-90319
www.egger.com / PLEON Publico
Dr. Wolfgang Immerschitt
Paracelsusstraße 4
5020 Salzburg
Österreich
T +43 662 620 242-0
F +43 662 620 242-20
DISCOVER A NEW RESIDENTIAL AMBIANCE WITH EMOTION 2011
With Emotion 2011, EGGER is turning the spotlight on the expertise of the fabricator. Newly developed tools like the inspirational brochure and the collection case take customers on a journey of European living styles to the flooring of their dreams.
“A journey of discovery into the new world of living” – is the motto of the new Emotion laminate flooring collection by EGGER. Not only is the wood-based material manufacturer offering numerous trend-conforming decors with the new edition of its successful distributor collection, EGGER also invested considerable time and effort to determine how and where to offer even better support for fabricators. “We got our distributor and fabricator partners intensively involved in the further development of the Emotion collection in the course of this project, so as to meet their needs and requirements even better than before," explains Michael Gerbl, Director Marketing & Productmanagement EGGER Retail Products.
Emotion 2011 further enhances the focus on the consulting and sales approach of the fabricators. “In addition to professional installation, the key service offered by interior decorators and flooring installers is expert advice, which harbours tremendous advantages for the customer," Gerbl says. When it comes to topics such as style, the effect of a room and flooring care, customers highly value the many years of experience offered by the professionals. Not only has EGGER fundamentally revised the selection of decors, but especially also redesigned the consulting tools for fabricators.
“We are focusing on two essential elements: A brochure which simultaneously serves as a handbook for a successful sales consultation, and a compact collection case that, for the very first time, simultaneously presents product information and original decor samples as well as an actual room situation for each individual decor,” advises Michael Gerbl. EGGER has also pursued the further development of digital solutions for the visualisation of its flooring. Now fabricators and customers can also upload their own room images for the first time, allowing them to test the authentic effect of the new Emotion collection.
Journey of discovery with the inspirational Brochure
“The goal is for the salesperson to be intimately familiar with the wishes and ideas of the customer at the end of this journey, allowing him or her to make precise recommendations for the right products to suit the customer’s residential style,” Michael Gerbl from EGGER explains. The inspirational brochure also offers additional functions. Valuable advisory elements are part of the consultation - and so emotional aspects such as room images alternate with technical information such as tips and tricks for the optimum implementation of the product. “Information on the effect of a room, product structure, the environment or the guarantee is essential. “With our 'journey of discovery' approach to the Emotion laminate flooring collection, salespersons are now in a position to address these points in a structured manner that is easy for the customer to understand," Gerbl says. As the final component of the brochure, the decor overview is a key factor in reaching a final decision or at least narrowing down the options favoured by the customer.
ORIGINAL SAMPLES OF ALL DECORS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE NEW COLLECTION CASE
In the second stage of the consultation, the newly designed collection case from EGGER serves as a supporting tool for the salesperson. The structure of this sales tool was designed so that all required information is available during the consultation. “It forms a foundation that allows end customers to reach a well-informed purchase decision early on,” explains Michaela Huber, Head of Marketing EGGER Flooring. Original decor samples are the major new feature of the collection case. An original sample of every decor – 58 of them in total – has been integrated whilst keeping the dimensions comparatively compact and the weight low. “With our collection case, we are offering a significant advantage to fabricators during the consultation with the customer,” so Michaela Huber.
According to the Head of Marketing for EGGER Flooring, the value of an original sample should not be underestimated. Customers want to touch and feel their new flooring before they place an order with the fabricator. In many planning consultations, only the original sample offers the required certainty to seal the deal. Even the most detailed visualisation cannot replace the tactile experience. “The collection case is a treasure trove of samples and a planning tool all rolled into one," Huber says. In addition to the original samples, the collection case also contains detailed product information and visualisations. All decors are shown in actual room situations, which are presented in large illustrations on the individual decor cards. Details and perspectives are also included in order to impart a comprehensive impression.
EGGER placed great emphasis on the collection case in the further development of the Emotion collection. The objective was to develop a helpful, mobile system that combines all essential collection elements for the presentation to the customer in one compact unit. As Michaela Huber explains: “It was very important for us to not only provide optimised content, but to also offer an appealing visual design in addition to ensuring ease of use.” After all, the collection case is the tool used by the fabricator in order to reach a well-informed decision in conjunction with the customer.
INDIVIDUAL VISUALISATION MADE EASY
In addition to the consultation at the customer’s home with the inspirational brochure and collection case, EGGER also offers another service. The well-known Flooring Studio internet application has been enhanced and is now called the Virtual Design Studio online (VDS online). In addition to the comprehensive room library with proposed room situations, users will be able to upload and process their own room photographs for the first time starting in September 2010. This means customers will be able to see their own room with the new laminate flooring even before it is installed. Interior decorators and flooring installers take photos of the customer’s rooms during the consultation. VDS allows the choice of Emotion laminate flooring to be integrated into the photos. This allows the fabricator to present the customer with virtual results even before implementation. “Visualisations are very important in order to give the customer an idea of how the room is going to look. With our platform, we are offering rapid, straightforward and accurate room simulations with the new flooring,” says Head of Marketing Michaela Huber.
With VDS online, EGGER also allows fabricators to send an image of the virtually redesigned room to the customer, either during or right after the consultation. Fabricators have identified this rapid turnaround as being relevant to customer satisfaction and buying decisions. “It is important to us that the system is easy to use and provides authentic results quickly,” Huber says. Printing the adapted room situations is straightforward, making them an effective tool to convince the customer during the next visit. It is also possible to send the visualisation directly to the customer from VDS online via e-mail. “This allows the fabricator to offer the customer additional confidence in reaching a purchase decision,” Huber says.
EGGER intends to further enhance the advisory capacity of the fabricator with this additional service. Not only shall the customer receive exclusive decors with the Emotion collection, but also exclusive services. The viewing of room settings using VDS online requires little effort on the part of flooring installers and interior decorators. It is self-explanatory and offers highly effective results. “Even a small operation can use this tool giving an extremely good impression to the customer,” Michaela Huber says. The Virtual Design Studio for the Emotion collection is another component in the continuous further development of the EGGER digital solutions.
FACT BOX EMOTION 2011 JOURNEY OF DISCOVERYn Emotion 2011 focuses on providing effective tools in order to support fabricators during consultations with customers
n With the new inspirational brochure, the fabricator takes the customer on a tour of various styles and residential ambiances / n The new collection case contains all original decors for the first time; authentic room situations and decor visualisations have also been integrated
n The new EGGER Virtual Design Studio now offers the option to process individual photos for the first time
A COLLECTION FILLED WITH INNOVATIONS
Emotion 2011 features new and further developments in all areas. EGGER has enhanced the distributor collection with visual highlights and technical refinements.
25 brand new decors, new trends, new surface textures, a new product category, last but not least, the innovative Pro Clic! installation system: EGGER has accomplished the further development of the Emotion distributor collection in all key aspects. Five regional collection adaptations are also offered for the first time.
The new Emotion collection consists of 58 decors in total, with almost half of them representing new developments. EGGER is therefore covering current trends as well as new developments in the room and living styles of the coming years. Different Oak versions represent the largest proportion, for example the intensive Garrison Oak tabac or the modern Northland Oak light. Grey hues are considered the second-most important trend. Montana Pine silver appears rustic and striking while Larch grey presents a modern look with very straight lines and few knots. Customers can also select their perfect decor for any decorating style from the palette ranging from the dark Mokolo Wenge to the bright Grivola Maple. The appearance ranges from classic and elegant to lively and rustic.
The demand for oak decors and hues such as grey or anthracite remains high. As a result, they represent the focal points of the Emotion 2011 collection,” says Eva Kernmaier, Decor Management Flooring at EGGER. In addition to rustic 3-strip versions, Siberian Larch with its natural grey shimmer and Montana Pine silver with a powerful hue are especially striking. “Our country-home floorboards with endless appearance, which is further emphasised by our Woodvision bevel on two sides, are also truly eye-catching,” explains Eva Kernmaier. The new Natural Pore synchronous pore surface for country-home floorboards and 3-strip flooring represents a major innovation, imparting the impression and appearance of a genuine wood floor more than ever before. EGGER recognised the importance of the interplay between decors and surfaces early on, and is always working on further developments in this field. The rough-cut Vintage surface texture was entirely redeveloped.”
SOLID AND ENTIRELY NEW
With Emotion 2011, EGGER is offering laminate flooring with a thickness of 11 mm (0.43") in class of use 33 for the first time. The product range mainly consists of rustic country-home floorboards intended to emphasize the durable, solid nature of the product. This is an important sales argument, especially for commercial and high-end residential applications. “With this new class, we are consciously focusing on robustness, durability and longevity – and this claim is also implemented in terms of appearance,” Kernmaier says. In particular the Riffle Oak, Riffle Oak white and Woodwork Oak decors stand out among the seven rustic country-home floorboards. The decors with perceptible rough-cut crosswise grooves appear authentic, rough, natural and extremely robust. This impression is further enhanced by the newly developed Vintage surface, which is also highly slip-resistant and therefore classified as R10 pursuant to the applicable standard. All decors in this class of application are offered with the Woodvision bevel on four sides.
NEW PRO CLIC! PROFILE HAS PROVEN ITSELF
The patented Pro Clic! installation system is being made widely available for the first time with the new Emotion collection. With this development, EGGER also worked closely with fabricators and implemented their suggestions. “Our experience with the Pro Clic! system, which does not require the use of tools, was highly positive in the Emotion Trends collection," says Michael Gerbl, Director Marketing & Productmanagement EGGER Retail Products. With Pro Clic!, fabricators can install flooring one element at a time. The elements are locked by a snap fastener on the narrow side. The floorboard is angled on the long side and pushed in to the narrow side, whereupon it only needs to be pushed down. Not only does this make installation faster for the fabricator, but also easier since strain on the knees is significantly reduced. The Pro Clic! installation system offers tremendous advantages, especially for diagonal installation which is currently popular. The block and kingsize formats which are installed almost exclusively in the classic manner, continue to be offered with the Just Clic! installation system.
NEW INDEPENDENCE OF LAMINATE
A new independence of laminate flooring is becoming apparent, especially in the kingsize and block formats. Laminate flooring can be far more than a robust imitation of parquet or wood. Creative decors and stone reproductions represent a continuously growing trend. This allows entirely new visual and tactile experiences to be implemented with laminate flooring. Most customers for these products are from the commercial sector. This is due to broad floorboards of the kingsize format with the new material reproductions being hugely effective in large areas. “Our Leatherstone decor is extremely well received in this sector, and the new developments in the area of creative decors and stone reproductions has also exceeded all our expectations,” exults decor specialist Eva Kernmaier. This is why the selection has been expanded with various natural stone and creative decors in this area. The block format which is based on the classic tile format was also favourably received by the market. “With the special surfaces such as Stone, Ceramic and Velvet Matt, the premium stone decors feature an incomparable touch like stone, but much warmer thanks to the laminate,” explains Eva Kernmaier.