Gen-X, Millennial Media Opps: LL Flooring appoints marketing chief amid spend increases (Score 57)

Sales lead: This hire will affect the company's marketing strategy & agency roster.

• LL Flooring hired Laura Massaro as SVP & CMO in July 2023.
• Massaro most recently served as Delta's integrated marketing director & social media head. 
• She is now responsible for all of LL's marketing initiatives. 

Target demographic: Millennial & Gen-X do-it-yourselfers 

The company will likely:

• Keep ramping up ad spend
• Try new ad channels
• Review the agency roster

Broadcast insights (TV ad creative spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)

• YTD spend: LL spent nearly $8.2m on national TV ads YTD, a 28% increase from $6.4m spent in this channel during the same time period of 2022. 
• 2021-2022 spend: Full-year spend increased by 15% from $12.4m in 2021 to $14.2m in 2022. 
• Ad programming: It placed ads during programming such as House Hunters, My Lottery Dream Home, Maine Cabin Masters, College Football, and Love It or List It. 

Digital and social insights (digital ad spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)

• YTD spend: LL spent about $2.3m on digital display ads YTD, a 77% jump from $1.3m spent in this channel during the same time period of 2022. 
• YTD data: 2256m impressions via Facebook (61%), desktop display (26%), Instagram (10%), YouTube (2%), and mobile display (1%). 
• 2021-2022 spend: Full-year spend fell 33% from $4.3m in 2021 to $2.9m in 2022. 
• Ad location: It placed 100% of these ads directly onto sites such as facebook.com, houzz.com, instagram.com, gardenweb.com, and hgtv.com. 

Additional channel insights  

• Vivvix: LL also utilizes OOH, radio, and local broadcast. 
  • It holds media planning discussions in Q2, and it buys during Q1.
• Top podcasts sponsored: Daily Dad Jokes and Just B with Bethenny Frankel. 

Agency analysis:

• Opportunity: CMO hires are the number one sign of upcoming agency reviews. 
• Current roster:
  • Barkley: creative & media AOR
  • ICR: PR