Warrenton, Va. – Twenty-one companies and organizations, including the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), have joined to launch a marketing initiative to raise consumer, homebuilder, architect and interior-designer awareness of lighting-control systems.
Membership in the Home Lighting Control Alliance (HLCA) will consist of lighting control companies, systems integrators, retailers, distributors, and industry support organizations. Their
primary focus will be promoting residential lighting applications for new construction, renovations and retrofit installations. Core product areas to be stressed include dimming system types (hard wired, wireless), control keypads and interfaces, as well as lighting-control system integration for a room or the whole house.
“We see tremendous potential to increase penetration, not only in the luxury custom home market, but also in moderately priced new home construction where lighting control is often overlooked,” said Lighlier Control’s Gary Meshberg, the group’s acting chairman.
Their campaign will be modeled after those developed by groups promoting multiroom audio and structured wiring. The markets for both categories have been growing at double-digit percentage rates since their respective promotional campaigns, the alliance said.
Interested parties should contact Peter Hoagland at (540) 349-9648 [email protected] or Gary Meshberg at (214) 647-7927 [email protected].
“Whether we are talking to builders or consumers, the Home Lighting Control Alliance has one fundamental goal: to help create an environment where the people, who decide whether to purchase and install our products, place a greater value on lighting control in the home,” explained Meshberg. He called today’s lighting control products “affordable, reliable, simple to install and easy to use, so it is no surprise that this category is considered the next big thing.”
For builders, the alliance’s first activity will include a “consumer value story built around current family lifestyle trends, helping the builder understand how to use home lighting control systems in their marketing programs and promoting a professional image of companies leading the industry as well as the network of dealers and installers across North America.”
For consumers, the message will focus on the lifestyle value of home lighting control to increase comfort, convenience, security, and resale value.
For distributors and the allied professional installation trades, the HLCA “will provide straightforward, educational messaging about the category’s exceptional value and benefits,” the group said.
The HLCA will also position itself as an online resource to obtain clear and accurate information on home lighting control. A Web site will feature various lighting control products and solutions, provide easy access to alliance members, showcase interesting applications and installations and provide information on how to access builders and installers.
“Committed partners” in the alliance include: CEA, CentraLite Systems, Control 4, Crestron, Echelon, EH Publishing, ETC, Exceptional Innovation, FulTech Solutions, HAI, Home Logic, Leviton, Lightolier Controls, LiteTouch, Pass & Seymour, S&S Electric, Somfy Systems, Square D, Vantage Controls, WattStopper and Worthington Distribution.
