It appears that Lowe’s is playing “me too” with Home Depot. While Ellison may be making changes behind the scenes, not much has changed for the consumer. While taglines can be useful in creating an image, it won’t translate into business results unless it reflects a meaningful benefit to the consumer and is then backed up by a store experience that actually delivers as proof –- without backing up the promise, taglines are hollow, meaningless words.

Distinction is essential in a highly competitive environment. But distinction driven by price carries its own downside — literally — in margins. “Doing it right” offers better long-term prospects for loyalty. Become the “Genius Bar” for home project solutions. Home Depot will not make it easy.

Seems like the opposite – that Lowe’s is becoming more like its competition and given the (low) quality of its employees — not the most knowledgeable people in the business — that’s not a good strategy. At least here in Atlanta you don’t go to Lowe’s if you need help, you go because they have something you need on sale.

There is nothing wrong with the new tagline, but it does not differentiate Lowe’s in any way – indeed, it’s very much in line with Home Depot. What’s needed is real change on the shop floor – better stock levels, more focus on inspiration and projects, and better seasonal assortments. If Lowe’s gets the basics right it will perform better, it then has a platform on which to build some sustainable points of difference from its larger rival.

Lowe’s has been an innovator in using tech and that will continue in some form or another. The removal of underperformers works. The new slogan hits home with the do-it-yourself customer but also for the customer who needs a bit of handholding. Emphasizing the expertise at Lowe’s with the “do it right” part of its messaging is a powerful push to highlight the workforce’s ability to also help the customer and higher quality outcomes for projects — a different story than its competitors. Unique — maybe not. Properly targeted — definitely.

One of the less “transformative” contributions an ad agency can make on their client’s behalf is to provide a brand new, focus-group tested tag line without an executional plan behind it. While it makes everyone in the C-suite feel good about themselves for a short period of time, unless there are real, tangible elements evident in the stores and online which support the tag line, it’s largely a waste of time and money. My sense with Lowe’s is that they do have an opportunity to emerge out of the shadow of Home Depot, by focusing on in-store expertise and improving their current deplorable e-commerce platform. Having a good compliment of “experts” in each area of the store, readily available for advice and project consultation could provide positive marketshare movement, at least among us amateurs as we walk into a store that showcases a sea of options and complexities. Such a plan would likely involve more training and a new compensation structure. Secondly, they need to spend whatever it takes to become a truly integrated omni-channel… Read more »

It’s not as bad as Got Hardware but just as derivative. Marketing leads the charge in standing out from competitors, it appears these guys just phoned it in.

Lowes, like Home Depot, offers a broad offering of products. Builders and tradespeople fill the parking lots daily. A given. The real action is in home, women, and design. While we can discuss lumber all day, what will drive new, repeat customers to Lowe’s is to focus on the home. Home Depot has stepped up it’s home game in the past couple of years. Offering lighting, carpet, tile, paint, etc., reflective of current modern trends. Prior to Ellison, Lowe’s was on that path. Under Ellison, the path is now watered down. Home remodeling projects are the opportunity for homeowners to express their vision of home on a budget. Home Depot is capturing this market. See the difference, shop lighting in both stores.

A me-too tagline is not going to do much if anything in the competition between Lowe’s and Home Depot. To stand out Lowe’s will need to innovate and find ways to improve the customer experience. It could be enhancing the in-store or online experience. Faster delivery or pick up. Access to home improvement experts to help with projects and so on. Marvin Ellison should be thinking outside the box and coming up with new ideas that have the potential to shake up the home improvement industry, not knocking off existing ideas.

Lowe’s business struggles relative to Home Depot mostly because they lack strong contractor sales that Depot receives. In fact, around the time of recession, when contractor sales fell, Lowe’s was perceived as doing better. As contractor sales came back, Home Depot is now perceived as doing better.

It would be an extraordinary day when a tagline change affected much, anyway. It’s even more concerning that the tagline change is the verbal equivalent of taking a distinctive logo and making it blandly san serif (as we’ve recently seen Burberry and many others do).

I doubt that this will affect their business either way. And it’s sad to see their advertising department (faced with very serious challenges elsewhere) put so much work into a tagline then only come up with something so bland.

Ellison is all about “focusing on the fundamentals” (see his talk at NRF this year) and that’s not all that Lowe’s needs right now. I get it, they were a little off track, but the idea of failing fast and moving to the next thing needs to permeate their culture or Big Orange is going to steam roll them right out of existence.

We always thought that Lowe’s was for the DIYer, and especially female friendly, and Home Depot was for the pro, and that seemed to work for both — and in my mind, still could. But going toe-to-toe on your brand promise with someone that does it better? Sounds good to Boomer board members, but is risky business IMO.

Does this remind anyone else of Staples vs. Office Depot/Max, or what? With the more recognizable, trusted, forward thinking brand slowly but surely squeezing the life out of the copy cats? Seems like a replay to me.

I think Lowe’s has it half right: the “Do it Right” half is the part that offers them an opportunity to differentiate. Of course, that would require them to actually live up to that promise, but first things first — create experiences that actually help people get things right. If they do that, price will become much less important — to customers and their tag line.

We have all experienced the challenges of DIY projects, and expertise in the aisles can be an invaluable asset to every shopper, no matter their expertise level. If Lowe’s can deliver usable, reliable content and build trust that associates in the aisles are knowledgeable and accurate, then “Do it Right” can help them grow.

Just one point: If the slogan is “Do It Right For Less,” does that tell customers the price is better? That’s dangerous. Not the best, and it probably forces the retailer to unnecessarily shave margins on some items to keep the promise?

I worked on this brand for years, both as a consultant and within their ad agency — and this change in tagline makes me so, so sad. “Never Stop Improving” has been one of the most iconic, understandable and plausible “True North” (as BBDO calls it) statements I’ve ever seen. I think this new tagline is 100% about the new leadership’s desire to mark their tree, not the need for a new tagline. It says three things at once and puts their brand into murky waters against the competition.

Ellison is making a mistake with the new tagline and focus. It sounds like “come to Lowe’s because we will undercut Home Depot’s prices, and we will be similar to Home Depot.” There is nothing in the tagline that will distinguish Lowe’s from Home Depot. The tagline should have been focused on why a shopper should go to Lowe’s and not Home Depot. This tagline will not provide the vision for the consumer as to why they should shop at Lowe’s and not Home Depot.