For Delta Faucet Company, Simon/Myers created Pipeline™, a thriving, digital community that connects the brand with designers and architects globally. Activated through an ever-changing website, multiple social channels, weekly webinars, and more, Pipeline has become the go-to for a freeform exchange of kitchen and bath creativity among designers.
Why was Pipeline so quickly accepted? Truth is, a kitchen and bath designer working in isolation is a fish out of water – pun intended. These high-energy, idea-hungry pros long for contact with their peers. They want to know what’s hot, what’s working, and what’s coming next.
For years, DFC had hosted in-person events with designers and architects. But upon review, S/M noticed that the journey was more of an “encounter”... there was little of the pre- and post-event engagement that creates a more enduring relationship. DFC agreed, and tasked us to find a better solution. Pipeline was the answer. Read on to see how it all came together.
RESULTS
+489%
followers on social in '21
697k
social shares from one series
2,541
webinar signups in '21
We studied the tangible, and found an answer in the virtual.
There are many reasons for designers to meet in person, like interior design CEU courses, emerging trends, and the advancement of professional relationships. But our research was clear: Without a platform for ongoing connection, the energy of these events eroded quickly.
These pros needed an online community, rich with podcasts, webinars, a resource library, and more. S/M created an integrated communications strategy featuring key paid, owned, earned and shared tactics, and recommended that this new designer digital experience be treated as a unique property of Delta Faucet Company. “Pipeline” was about to be born.
We studied the tangible, and found an answer in the virtual.
There are many reasons for designers to meet in person, like interior design CEU courses, emerging trends, and the advancement of professional relationships. But our research was clear: Without a platform for ongoing connection, the energy of these events eroded quickly.
These pros needed an online community, rich with podcasts, webinars, a resource library, and more. S/M created an integrated communications strategy featuring key paid, owned, earned and shared tactics, and recommended that this new designer digital experience be treated as a unique property of Delta. “Pipeline” was about to be born.
How to create an all-new, online resource.
The perfect name for an ever-flowing supply of inspiration and knowledge to the kitchen and bath design industry?
Pipeline.
With the name secured, our team turned to the nuts and bolts of making Pipeline durable and consistent across authors. The logo and its usage rules were written. Pipeline’s content pillars, voice, and graphic language were defined. And a thorough style guide was created.
It was time to take Pipeline online.
How do you connect a new community? With the bonds of social media.
Before we crafted the social media presence of Pipeline, S/M conducted digital behavior research on designers. We needed to know where they spent their time, and what content they wanted. Once we were fully informed, we developed unique social content like the highly sought postings of Design Drop.
These inspirational monthly posts on Pipeline’s social media channels are curated by DFC’s own Color, Material and Finish (CMF) Expert, Maris Park, giving designers intimate access to what’s trending at the manufacturer level.
SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook
Through careful UX, we ensured the content nailed the need.
A Simon/Myers' UX session is a little like therapy. Sometimes it brings out more than you expect. When working with designers and architects to divine what they truly wanted, one might think their focus would be on trends and hot products. And it was… but they went far deeper. They wanted to know how to optimize their businesses, what industry thought leaders were saying, and how to get credit for interior design CEU courses.
So we met them where they were. Today, “Pipeliners” look forward to podcasts, interviews, videos, and Webinar Wednesdays – all featuring topics vital to quenching their creative and business thirsts.
More than a website, it’s the town square of an online community.
The Pipeline website serves as the core of the system. Content is aligned to the categories discovered in the S/M UX session, and users can link out to the resources they need.
Of course, good sites are never finished. Our digital experience team works continuously with the client and content teams to make strategic improvements. Most recent are a flexible internal resource page type which allows us to create custom content for the site, share additional resources off-site, and capture more inbound search clicks through the SEO-driven content.
More than a website, it’s the town square of an online community.
The Pipeline website serves as the core of the system. Content is aligned to the categories discovered in the S/M UX session, and users can link out to the resources they need.
Of course, good sites are never finished. Our digital experience team works continuously with the client and content teams to make strategic improvements. Most recent are a flexible internal resource page type which allows us to create custom content for the site, share additional resources off-site, and capture more inbound search clicks through the SEO-driven content.
For a visual audience, a visual launch.
Pipeline, and the promise of its community, was a novel concept. To help its audience ramp up quickly, we created a launch video to bring the idea to life.
