Smarter Marketing for Home & Bathroom Brands: 5 Lessons from Our BMA Insights Webinar
Leopard Co’s Chief Marketing Officer, Anthony Tattum, recently led a live Insights Bites webinar hosted by the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) - offering marketers and brand leaders in the home and bathroom sector a fresh, practical approach to marketing that cuts through complexity and delivers results.
Titled Smarter Marketing for Home & Bathroom Brands: Stand Out. Be Found. Get Chosen., the session explored how brands can respond to shifting consumer behaviour by applying the principles of R.E.D. Marketing - Relevance, Ease and Distinctiveness - combined with behavioural science and modern AI tools.
Here’s a summary of what was covered, along with key insights and an invitation to pre-register for Leopard Co’s Home & Property Marketing Insight Report 2025, launching at the Installer Show on 24th June.
Framework: R.E.D. + Behavioural Insight + AI Tools
The session explored the intersection of three powerful forces shaping effective marketing today:
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R.E.D. Marketing (developed by Greg Creed and Ken Muench), which identifies Relevance, Ease and Distinctiveness as the three essential levers that drive brand growth
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Behavioural science principles including social proof, anchoring, choice architecture, and reciprocity - insights into how people really make decisions
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The growing impact of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and predictive search - which are reshaping how people discover, compare and choose brands
Key Audience Trends from the H&P Sector
Drawing on Leopard Co’s upcoming Home & Property Marketing Insight Report, the session highlighted five big shifts in consumer behaviour affecting the category:
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DIY and self-installation are on the rise
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Sustainability matters - but only when it saves money
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Design choices are more cautious and long-term
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Buyers expect digital discovery and brand research to be seamless
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Experiences are outcompeting possessions - unless purchases feel emotionally valuable
5 Key Takeaways for Smarter Marketing
1. Relevance Has Three Layers - and You Need All of Them
Truly effective marketing isn’t just about solving a problem. It’s about being relevant in three distinct ways:
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Functional relevance - How does your product make life easier, cleaner, cheaper, or more efficient?
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Social relevance - Is your brand something people want to talk about, tag, or recommend?
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Cultural relevance - Does your messaging and design reflect what’s going on in people’s lives - from sustainability to hybrid working to family wellbeing?
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For bathroom and home brands, this means moving beyond features and framing benefits in ways that align with the consumer’s lifestyle, values and everyday reality.
2. Ease Isn’t Optional - It’s Expected
From discovery to installation, consumers follow the path of least resistance. Applying the “Make it Easy” principle from the EAST behavioural model means reducing friction at every touchpoint.
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Help consumers find answers quickly - through AIO (AI-powered search optimisation), structured content and FAQs
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Make your product easy to compare, buy, and install - especially for the rising DIY segment
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Offer post-purchase reassurance through clear support, how-to guides and intuitive packaging
The easier you make the journey, the more confident and committed your customers will feel.
3. AIO Is the New SEO - Be Visible to Humans and Algorithms
AI is changing how consumers search for products & services. Instead of typing “best bathroom taps 2025” into Google, they’re asking ChatGPT for recommendations or turning to TikTok for tutorials.
That means your brand needs to show up in AI-generated summaries, top-performing content, and influencer-driven channels - not just traditional search rankings.
To do this:
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Structure content around real customer questions
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Invest in Digital PR and high-authority backlinks
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Use consistent, clear language that reinforces your expertise and brand distinctiveness
Search optimisation is no longer just technical - it’s about relevance, credibility and visibility across platforms.
4. Brand Fame Isn’t a Luxury - It’s a Multiplier
In today’s scroll-first world, fame fuels performance. If people have already seen, heard or talked about your brand, they’re more likely to engage with your ads, content and CTAs.
Brands like Dulux, IKEA, and Bristan continue to lead not just because of quality, but because of familiarity, boldness, and cultural presence.
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Creating fame isn’t just about spending big - it’s about:
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Emotional storytelling
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Consistent creative
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Shareable, socially relevant campaigns
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Influencer and PR partnerships that spark conversation
Fame builds mental availability, which is key to long-term brand growth.
5. Distinctiveness Cuts Through the Clutter
In a sector where many brands look, sound and feel the same, distinctive brand assets are essential. These include:
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Consistent colours, fonts, product styling and tone of voice
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Visual assets that are recognisable even without the logo
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Memorable taglines, icons or packaging details that aid recall
Distinctiveness isn’t about being flashy - it’s about being consistently and unmistakably you.
Coming Soon: Home & Property Marketing Insight Report 2025
The full Home & Property Marketing Insight Report from Leopard Co launches on 24th June at the Installer Show. It features:
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Consumer insight and spending data
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Brand behaviour and campaign examples
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Strategic recommendations for home and bathroom brands
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Sector-specific trends in design, sustainability, content and digital performance
👉 Pre-register here to receive the report first.
Final Thought
The smartest marketing strategies are rooted in human behaviour, powered by modern tools, and led by brands that know who they are and how they help.
By combining strategic clarity with bold creativity, brands in the home and bathroom space can not only show up - but stand out, get found, and get chosen.