B&Q launches lifestyle magazine
B&Q is launching a monthly lifestyle magazine as part of its ongoing strategy to change perceptions of the chain and raise awareness of its design-led home furnishings and decorating ranges.
The lifestyle magazine, called B&Q Home, will feature home and garden focused editorial content, including ideas for making DIY easier, new products and advice on how to approach home and garden projects.
It will feature advice from its celebrity brand ambassadors Alan Titchmarsh, George Clarke and Kirsty Allsop who recently signed up to front a campaign for B&Q.
The DIY chain has also coined a new meaning for the term DIY – relabelling it “Design it Yourself”.
The print title will also include QR codes which will give smartphone users access to additional digital content.
B&Q says it has created its Home magazine to appeal to homeowners on a budget who are looking for DIY and home improvement advice that they can do on their own at low cost.
Lorraine White-Read, head of advertising at B&Q says: “B&Q Home is dedicated to providing readers with simple, easy ways to personalise their homes. We’re very focused on making it easier for customers and this is the ideal vehicle to get this message across.”
It is being produced by WPP-owned publishing group Forward and will be delivered to 5 million homes around B&Q stores.
The DIY chain recently appointed former Asda marketer Katherine Paterson as marketing director and reinstated the position to its executive board for the first tine in five years.
It is also on the hunt for a brand director.
Separately, B&Q is also planning to create a “dance flash mob” as a one off experiential campaign across its 330 stores. it aims to get all its staff and customers involved in learning a dance routine in-store to demonstrate that it’s “easy it is to learn a new skill; whether it’s dancing or DIY”.
