Lowe’s is rolling out a campaign via the Vine mobile application. Additionally, the brand has optimized a new Facebook app for mobile devices.

“For Spring 2013, Lowe’s has put together its smartest, most ambitious and highly targeted marketing effort, including its largest digital campaign for our company to date,” said Brad Walters, director of social media at Lowe’s, Mooresville, NC.

“We want to empower, educate and inspire our customers by helping them realize their home improvement goals,” he said. Through social media and digital, Lowe’s provides valuable, relevant and immediate content to our customers on the platforms where they already spend much of their time.

“The intersection of mobile and social is significant and will continue to grow.  We wanted our customers to  interact with our brand on their terms within the social space and not be tethered to their desktops in order to engage with us.”

Hanging on the Vine
Lowe’s has launched a Vine account and campaign that is titled “Fix in Six.”

A series of 12 six-second videos show consumers a variety of different housekeeping tips.

For example, one video shows consumers how to clean cookie sheets with baking soda and peroxide.

Another video highlights how a hair dryer can help remove sticker marks on products.

The campaign is being promoted across Lowe’s Facebook and Twitter accounts with the hashtag #lowesfixinsix.

The videos are fun, short and help consumers quickly view how to complete a project.

Facebook also plays a strong role in how Lowe’s is connecting with its fans this spring.

The company has launched an app called “Now’s the Time,” which lets consumers sign up for weekly tips throughout the season.

The app is promoted on Lowe’s Facebook page and asks consumers to answer a few questions – such as their ZIP code and questions about their house – to sign up for the tips.

The messages are sent via email, Facebook and Twitter and targeted to a consumer’s location.

Based on a consumer’s location, the messages are geo-targeted with weather reports and include products and step-by-step directions on how to create at-home spring home projects.

Build on mobile
Mobile and social have played a big role in how Lowe’s has constructed its marketing over the past few years.

Most recently, an executive at the 2013 Mobile Marketing Association Forum San Francisco said that mobile makes up 20 percent of the company’s Web traffic (see story).

Additionally, the brand rolled out a new Android app last year that lets consumers shop the company’s products via their handsets (see story).

Mobile and social complement each other, and Lowe’s is smart to align its social initiatives with mobile.

“Mobile devices continue to evolve, becoming ever more powerful and integral to our everyday lives,” Mr. Walters said.

“Additionally, customers demand that the brands they trust, engage and shop are adapting to the changing technology landscape,” he said.

“The social and digital strategy fully supports the customer and includes geographically tailored content to finely tune our marketing messages to be more relevant to our target consumer, on his or her terms.”

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York