B&Q, IKEA take advantage of spring to elevate DIY home ads

By Lewis Boulton Communications Manager Newsworks London, United Kingdom Connect Ah, the sounds of spring: The birds are singing, the chicks are chirping, the drills are … drilling?While the long-awaited change in season often evokes the need for the ancient ritual of spring cleaning, it's difficult for many people to stop there. The kitchen's spick and span - but what about a new island? Maybe a matching dining room table? While we're at it, the garden could do with a spruce too …Once the imagination is let off the lead, it's all systems go for the next DIY (do-it-yourself) project. News brands are perfect places to get the creative juices flowing, with their glossy weekend supplements full of ideas and inspiration for the next big home renovation.The stats speak for themselves: Nine in 10 Brits who plan to spend £1,000 or more on home improvements in the next six months also read news brands at least once a month. That's 7 million people, according to the latest PAMCo data. Four million of these home improvers are daily news brand readers.However, even those without ready cash to splash are interested in DIY content. Thirteen million people interested in home ideas and DIY content read news brands each week.How about those readers whose budgets are a little larger? News brands are the perfect place for them to grab some inspiration. TouchPoints data shows those planning to spend £2,000 on home improvements in the next year are 30% more likely than the typical reader to read news brands for ideas of what to buy.The audience is there and they're looking to your brand for great ideas. Here's how some have used news brands to get themselves on DIY readers' mood boards.B&QFor some, spring is merely the gateway to a glorious summer of barbecues and sunbathing.However, while some readers may prefer to put their green fingers to good use in the flowerbeds, B&Q's brand partnership helps those with an eye for furniture make their own (back) garden of Eden.IKEAFor those who prefer kitchen counters to barbecue grills, IKEA's full-page ad has quite the surprise in store (literally!).Mandarin StoneWhile news brands are great advertising environments for big retailers such as B&Q and IKEA, they also lend themselves well to small, more niche brands. This is particularly true of luxury brands, which can engage with readers with bigger budgets around inspiring and trusted content.This sleek ad from Mandarin Stone entices readers with the prospect of a long soak - once they've brought their new tub home from the showroom, of course!NextThen there's the opposite phenomenon: It's not just niche that can do premium.Clothes and homeware retailer Next shows high street is more than a match for luxury when it comes to chic and elegant living, demonstrating its show-stopping modern take on the classic four-poster bed.HabitatYou've painted the room and filled it with furniture, yet still you've got that nagging feeling you've forgotten something. Accessories!Iconic British homeware brand Habitat (now part of supermarket retailer Sainsbury's) has the perfect centrepiece for anyone who wants their vase to be the second-most important topic at the dinner party. 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About Lewis Boulton Lewis Boulton is a communications manager at Newsworks in London, United Kingdom. Lewis can be reached at Lewis.Boulton@newsworks.org.uk or @newsworks_uk. Related Articles Baseline audience reports contextualise current environment, pr... 1 May 2025 Stefan ten Teij... Personal stories, socially driven content attract Gen Z readers... 27 April 2025 Mariia Bohdanov... Interaction rate, engagement velocity are among key social enga... 27 April 2025 Chris Miles What negativity, user needs, and AI mean for headlines 20 March 2025 Xiao Yang Scroll.in offers a lesson in the personalisation of news 11 March 2025 Sonali Verma Financial Times, WSJ share the power of audience insights 5 March 2025 Paula Felps Expressen leverages TikTok strategy to grow younger audience, e... 24 February 2025 Brie Logsdon 3 questions help product teams picture an AI-first user journey 18 February 2025 Jodie Hopperton Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.