MOPERC “Inspiration Home” Showcases Propane’s Whole-Home Benefits

Last spring, members of the Missouri Propane Education & Research Council (MOPERC) began developing an integrated, statewide marketing campaign. Using the theme “Welcome Home,” the goal was to highlight the whole-home benefits that propane provides in a residential setting.

“We wanted Missouri consumers to be aware of all the ways propane can be used in their homes,” said Steve Ahrens, MOPERC president. “We often focus on just the main appliances—the furnace and water heater—but because they operate in the background, the benefits are less visible. We believe that the visual appeal of other important burner tips, from fireplaces to cook stoves, clothes dryers to outdoor living, can create an aspirational appeal for a propane lifestyle.”

A component in that decision was the opportunity to partner with Dave Leathers, owner of Showcase Publishing, a Missouri-based media company with a wide-ranging lineup of shelter magazines. One of Leathers’ publications, Second Home Living (SHL), is targeted at t substantial community of residents and prospective owners of second-home residences in the lake market in central Missouri. To connect with those customers, Leathers has created a unique marketing opportunity by building new homes to highlight the desirability of lake living. His “SHL Inspiration Homes at the Lake” has built more than a dozen quality homes over the years, with sale proceeds directed to area charities.

“Dave’s homes are beautiful, and his magazines do a great job of highlighting all the attributes that home buyers find appealing,” Ahrens said. “We were thrilled to be able to partner with his team to create the 2019 Inspiration Home. It will feature propane throughout, from the high-efficiency furnace and on-demand water heaters, to a Wolf range, Kohler generator, outdoor kitchen and living area, fireplaces, gas lighting at the entrance, and more.”

Complementing the Inspiration Home project has been Welcome Home magazine, MOPERC’s own publication that features the benefits of a propane lifestyle.

“We took a ‘Pinterest’ approach in the layout of the magazine,” Ahrens said. “There is plenty of information on propane appliances throughout, but we’ve also been careful to include other design elements that will appeal to today’s home buyers. We mention pocket offices, pergolas, and paver tiles along with propane—the mix is not overtly to sell our product, but to incorporate it into a relaxing and comfortable place to live.”

The Welcome Home magazine, which includes a feature and floorplan of the Inspiration Home, serves as the central point of contact for consumers and marketers alike. Facebook, radio, print, and digital ads direct consumers to their local propane provider to pick up a copy. Every Missouri retail location received 100 copies of the publication, which allowed them to distribute to current customers or use as a sales piece for prospective accounts. The content within the magazine is repeated in Facebook, Instagram, and digital messaging to reinforce the message. Additionally, MOPERC’s website for consumers (propanemissouri.com) reflects the “Welcome Home” campaign, with Inspiration Home and tie-ins to the MOPERC appliance rebate program.

“We really wanted to get our arms around the challenge of sharing the benefits of our fuel, not through cost comparisons or individual appliances, but by making an emotional connection to the comfort and versatility that propane can provide. We want consumers to aspire to live in the surroundings that we present.”

“To do that credibly, you need a showplace propane home. The Inspiration Home allows us to have that asset.”

MOPERC enlisted Sedalia, Mo.-based Callis Integrated Marketing to guide the $150,000 marketing campaign. The company handles several outdoor- or agriculture-related accounts and was a good fit for the demographics and design challenge.

“We determined who our target audience is and developed strategies and a tactical plan,” said Cliff Callis, president of Callis Integrated Marketing. “We are targeting highly educated rural and suburban men and women, aged 25 to 65, middle and upper middle class, and interested in outdoor living, environment, self-sustaining, survivalist, home construction, and clean energy.” Callis described strategies as:

1. Leverage—Use the propane products in Dave Leathers’ lake home construction project as a vehicle to cross promote. Develop a creative campaign theme to build everything around.
2. Attract—Utilize multimedia marketing and advertising campaign to attract customers through aspiration.
3. Educate—Build content and a content marketing program to educate consumers about product features and benefits and the propane experience.
4. Display—Produce a home-inspired magazine and provide to dealers to distribute to customers in their stores (300 locations).

• A high-efficiency propane furnace for cost-efficient heating with a more comfortable and consistent warmth.
• A propane-powered tankless water heater for faster hot water with up to 50% cost savings compared to electric options.
• A propane kitchen range and convection oven so the new homeowner can enjoy the control of cooking with gas, just like professional chefs do.
• An energy-efficient propane-powered dryer for faster drying and up to 20% reduced energy use.
• A propane fireplace for significantly warmer and more energy-efficient supplemental heat compared to electric or wood fireplace.
• A 1000-gal. underground tank.

The crews have been busy at the building site in the Villages at Shawnee Bend and are on target to have the home completed by June 1. MOPERC is contributing all the propane features to the house, picking up any cost difference between standard or electric appliances. Prior to the Council’s quarterly meeting last October, MOPERC directors visited the building site. With the foundation poured and framing underway, they viewed the building in process and had a chance to discuss the home plan with the architect and builders.

Jonathan Hartenstein of Keller Williams Lake of the Ozarks Realty and the Villages at Shawnee Bend said, “The builder, Doug Ross, of Ross Custom Homes, is a renowned builder of high-end luxury homes. There is nowhere better for a home at the lake. The Villages are the absolute premier luxury home development at the lake.” Hartenstein represents the property to prospective buyers. “Ross is building this home and it will check every box on the feature sheet—two 2-car garages, one for utility and one for fun, a family room, wet bar, wine cellar, and the list goes on and on.

As has been the SHL Inspiration Homes at the Lake tradition, a charity is selected each year to receive profits from the sale of the home. This year, Showcase Publishing will be donating profits from the sale of the home to Share the Harvest Food Pantry, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting hunger at the Lake of the Ozarks and surrounding areas. “We feel strongly that no one should go hungry in America and specifically in our tri-county area,” said Leathers. “Share the Harvest has a large volunteer base and makes a great impact on the Lake of the Ozarks location.”