Initials Marketing Builds ‘Outspiration' App

Initials has designed and built an iPhone app for Dutch coatings and chemicals group Akzo Nobel, designed to inspire customers to make the most of their outdoor space. It will be the first app of its type in the Exterior category.

The app, called ‘Outspiration’, has been developed to raise awareness of the heavy weight exterior decorating brands within the Akzo Nobel group, such as Cuprinol, Dulux Weathershield and Hammerite. It also aims to bring the brands to life to inspire customers to make the most of their outdoor spaces.

Targeted at both experienced and novice DIYers, the Outspiration app includes preview software which enables customers to digitally trial products and colours within the app before they buy. Users can take a photo of their chosen task using a visualisation tool and transform it into the finished look, by selecting from the vast array of colours available from the brands.

Once customers have previewed their finished project and picked a colour, the Outspiration app will direct users to explore the latest offers in selected retailers and also give them the opportunity to visit the relevant brands website.

The app also features a local weather forecast, in association with the Met Office, to help consumers plan their garden DIY around weather conditions. App users will receive alerts when the weather conditions change, letting them know when it is the perfect time to begin prepping or painting.

Outspiration is socially integrated enabling customers to share projects on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to gather feedback from friends or visit the message board to get hints and tips posted by other users.

The app will be updated each month with new content ranging from the newest trends to inspirational how-to tips.

Louise Newman, senior digital activation manager of Consumer Brands at Akzo Nobel, said: “People face a number of barriers when it comes to outdoor decorating – the main issue being whether they are making the right design choice and secondly, choosing the right time to decorate.

“The aim of the new Outspiration app is to help tackle these challenges and encourage customers to make more of their gardens. Initials has done a fantastic job in delivering a tool which is both easy to use and which makes the process of exterior decorating a much more engaging and enjoyable task.”

Nathan Palmer, communication director at Initials, added: “This was a hugely interesting task for us – creating an app that is completely unique to the category and which has the potential to transform how people approach outdoor decorating.

“Outspiration is all about alerting people to the potential of their outside spaces and helping users knock down the barriers associated with decorating outdoors such as the weather. By giving users inspiration, factual know-how and promotional incentives, the Outspiration app aims to motivate DIYers to enjoy the great outdoors and ‘outspire’ them to make the most of their outdoor space.”