The variety of propane applications is no secret to those in the propane industry, although studies, such as those conducted by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), continue to show that grills remain one of the most associated uses for our energy source. What if, instead of fighting this perception, we took this as an advantage to create new opportunities in “non-propane country” markets?
In the Houzz 2024 Outdoor Home Design Trend predictions, they cite seeing online search terms, such as “small screened-in porch ideas” increasing 522% versus previous years, as well as “small backyard patio,” up 30% respectively. While having an elevated backyard living space was previously associated with luxury homes, we can infer from this data that any size home or backyard is now being retrofitted for comfortable outdoor living. Propane products, such as fire pits, outdoor lights, patio heaters, pool heaters and, of course, the outdoor kitchen or grill, are integral in the process of turning your outdoor living space into a functioning extension of your home.
For consumers who are only comfortable using propane when firing up the grill, an evening spent with friends around an outdoor fire pit can be the next step in gaining awareness of propane and its many uses. Marketers can ensure contractors are touting the benefits of a propane pool heater to families putting in a pool this summer or installing outdoor lanterns for ambiance on those fall evenings spent in the yard.
All of this is not to exclude the outdoor kitchen. According to realtor.com, outdoor kitchens are here to stay. Not only that, but homeowners are looking for more luxury upgrades to their current grilling setup, including products such as propane-powered outdoor pizza ovens.
Propane marketers can help raise awareness of the propane-powered products that make the yard and patio a continuation of a consumers’ home. Through using social media, marketers can share photos and articles about outdoor living trends with their followers. Summer grilling holidays are a perfect time to share not only products but also grilling safety tips and recipes. By becoming the expert on grills and outdoor living, propane companies can take advantage of these home design trends and reach audiences beyond the current propane customers.
By hurdling the simplest barrier to entry — the outdoor patio — propane has an opportunity to gain favorability with those who may be skeptical of its other uses and the opportunity, as an industry, to educate consumers on propane’s many other positive attributes. For example, an outdoor fire pit is not only beautiful but comes with less of a cost to the environment because of the soot and ash. In fact, on days when there are burn restrictions, you can still use your outdoor propane-powered fire pit in many areas. Adding an outdoor kitchen to your home has also been shown to increase your property value. By embracing outdoor living, propane marketers can gain another burner tip in the home and become another thing homeowners can’t live without.
