“Larger Than Light” branding and social media initiative
Client: Littman Brands is a family of companies that provides a full range of premium lighting solutions, from outdoor lighting to handmade decorative centerpieces. Littman Brands is divided into four subsidiary brands: Troy Lighting, Corbett Lighting, Creative Systems Lighting and Hudson Valley Lighting — each with its own distinct personality and characteristics, and some with very specific tasks and functional requirements. The “Littman Brands” name is not promoted or recognized by consumers.
Challenge: Creating a singular identity and social media platform for this privately held lighting powerhouse that owns multiple brands, without diluting the potential of an “engaged online fan base” that fits each brand’s profile. Operating multiple Facebook accounts for the separate brands would not only be impractical but could split the audience as well. DRS (headed up by Natalie Schlocker) decided on a more encompassing strategy to let each company retain its uniqueness while drawing from each brand’s audience in order to create a bigger audience for Littman Brands overall.
Solution: In 2010, DRS launched the “Larger Than Light” Facebook page, a major cornerstone to the brand. While ultimately a space for Littman Brands’ family of lighting, the Larger Than Light community is kept active and engaged with products through direct and indirect methods. Far-reaching creative content that encourages interactions has helped establish a large, loyal and engaged Facebook fan base for Littman Brands. Here are some examples of the most successful content created by DRS (Natalie Schlocker) in the inspiration, lifestyle and practical tips categories:
1. Inspiration
A simple environmental shot of an impressive room can be enough to attract a large number of lighting lovers. Providing beautiful photography offers meaningful inspiration for designers while also directly showcasing products.
2. Lifestyle
For those who appreciate the art of lighting, this graphic showcasing a cool lighting installation proved to be extremely popular. While this post does not directly mention any of the Littman Brands, it garnered a high number of engagements, attracting a wider audience to the page. New fans to the site arrive and have the option to click on individual tabs to learn more about each brand and get better acquainted.
3. Practical tips
For those who enjoy learning more about the technical side of lighting, infographics provide practical lighting tips. These graphics appeal to people interested in learning more about lighting at home while indirectly showing off products.
Other Examples:
As the Larger Than Light Facebook community continued to expand, Natalie Schlocker took a unique twist on current marketing trends by taking online content back to print. Larger Than Light magazine, a natural print publication (also available in a digital format) designed for retail showrooms and consumers as a supplement to the Facebook page, goes beyond the lighting brochure. This lifestyle magazine is filled with inspirational lighting content, installation ideas, design content, in-depth articles and interviews with top designers and experts to further expand the brands — illustrated through visual imagery and captivating articles.
An important part of Larger Than Light magazine is hearing from the designers themselves. In addition to continuing to expand online reach by reaching out to the design blogging community, Under the direction of Natalie Schlocker, DRS conducts journalistic interviews with top designers to discover their perspectives and inspirations behind their latest creations. Anything from grand showcase houses to smaller scale projects are featured in the magazine and then shared with the online community.
Another Larger Than Light feature includes the “Let It Shine” contest, where designers enter projects incorporating lighting designs from Corbett Lighting, Troy Lighting and Hudson Valley Lighting for a chance to win a cash prize and publication in the magazine.
Through Larger Than Light, DRS has built more than just a community for lighting enthusiasts and design-inspired consumers. With creative content ranging from lighting concepts that push the imagination to lifestyle features, practical tips and more, fans engage with the individual brands and products through direct and indirect methods. Attracting fans who may not know the brands but who love outstanding decorative lighting creates a bigger fan base than separate pages for each brand could alone. And for dealers and distributors who use and interact with the Littman family of brands on a daily basis, the social media platform easily lets them share their genuine enthusiasm. Larger Than Light magazine utilizes outside of the box thinking to supplement the Facebook page and further expand the client’s brands. Through a well-developed strategy, DRS has created more than an engaged audience, but a viable community that sets a new precedent for the future of marketing and branding.
