The agency was given the uphill task to raise awareness for the Lixil INAX tiles, increase purchase intent and initiate consideration through showcasing the product benefits. Moreover, the agency was to facilitate in creating the first impression with the professionals and maintain the awareness of the tile after the initial meeting. Upon deeper research, Mashwire gained these insights: • Material selection is one of the last stages within the design process • Professionals tend to use the brands they are familiar with • Professionals tend to concentrate more on design inspiration vs material sourcing • It is the relationship with the salesperson that gets the deal signed despite TA recognising that the need for a more functional product/material which is ranked as the main reason to switch brands among professionals. Thus, it was important to hijack the decision process earlier in the design process. Furthermore, being a new entrant in the market, Lixil needed to have multiple touchpoints with the designer alongside his design journey to build awareness of the products. Shareability was an important factor to align the stakeholders in their choices. Instead of the usual sample kit, a demo kit is developed.

The demo kit was developed to be compact, lightweight and presentable. It serves as a conversation starter not only on the variety of designs the range carries but also on the functional benefit of the product which TA recognises as one of the factors to switch out of their current brand of use. This demo kit allows TA to be part of the experience, incorporating sensorial elements of touch & smell to enhance the brand experience. The execution took a two-pronged approach - Direct Mailer and Digital Videos. The direct mailer has the actual tiles embedded so not only is it assisting the visualisation process but also the 3D and texture specialities of the product. The corner ring binder also allows TA to keep it around the work station and allows for the sales team to customise the embedded tile pages. Digital Videos were developed to reach out to designers during 2 different stages: during design inspiration stage and during the material selection stage. The design inspirations video showcases the tiles in actual room sets and the different varieties to inspire the designers. The material selection stage video showcases the functional benefits and highlights the importance of the most neglected part of space design, the interior and exterior wall. With the tile demo kit, Lixil broke the norm for manufacturers by introducing a multi-sensorial tile kit using a multi-touchpoint strategy.