Vol. 86: Behr Paint Company: Gamifying DIY 🎨

Like many other niches, social media has significantly influenced the DIY landscape.

On TikTok, DIYtok has over 387 million posts, with videos showing people turning jam jars into soap dispensers, building accent walls, and redoing staircases (all usually on a budget). 

Behr Paint Company set out to connect and help this community with their projects by giving them a front row seat of a creative competition. 

This week, Case Studied explores how Behr Paint Company became the most liked and followed major paint brand on TikTok

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The Brief:

Behr Paint Company has been around for over 75 years. They’ve long appealed to both homeowners and professionals but like many legacy brands, they needed to find a way to connect with their target demographic online. For Behr, that meant DIY millennial homeowners.

Global CMO at Behr Paint Company Jodi Allen said, “Fifty-four percent of millennials own homes, and a lot of the homes they are buying are 40-plus years old. We know that if you buy a home, you are going to paint it at some point. Getting in with millennials [now] is part of a long-term strategy.”

TikTok was the obvious choice for Behr’s goals, given the highly engaged community of millennial DIYers on the platform. According to Allen, the goal was to position Behr as a “coach” to help get younger consumers start and finish DIY projects. And the brand decided to get their attention with some good ol’ fashioned competition.

The Execution:

Behr partnered with TBWA\Chiat\Day LA and M Booth to launch a social media-led DIY campaign called To DIY For. 

They gathered a group of top DIY TikTok creators and influencers like Kayla Simone and Ashley Basnight (aka the eventual winner) to compete for the title of “Behr’s Ultimate DIYer.” Shot in a suspenseful, reality-TV competition style, the DIYers were gathered up and given Behr products, among other resources, to compete in weekly challenges over the course of four weeks. 

It’s worth noting that none of the challenges were far out of reach for the everyday DIYer. The first one was to DIY a coffee table using upcycled accents and Behr spray paint. Other challenges included refurbishing chairs and an entry way. 

Each of the competition videos were followed by step-by-step instructional videos on how to achieve the same end result. With this approach, Behr struck both an entertaining and educational cord. 

“Making the series fun [was] a part of it, but also after the initial series, we showed them how to re-create these projects on their own,” Allen said. 

One of the more unique aspects of this competition was that winners were determined entirely by fan votes in the comments section, a first-of-its-kind for TikTok. 

Behr took the opportunity to adjust its omnichannel strategy as part of the campaign. They launched a Behr Express section on the website to show designer-curated palettes for a smaller selection of colors and provide equipment recommendations for projects. They also bolstered their e-commerce features, making additions that allowed consumers to pick up their paint in-store or have it shipped directly to them. 

The Results:

Behr saw a 66% spike in followers during the campaign period for To DIY For, enough to make the brand the most liked and followed major paint brand on TikTok. 

All in all, the campaign racked up 120 million impressions, 108 video views, 12 million engagements, and over 47,000 likes.

And the campaign continues to be a hit, with To DIY For having already wrapped up it’s 3rd season in 2024.

@behr

Week 1 is in the history books! Now it’s time to vote! Who made your favorite DIY chair? 🤔Tag the contestant in the comments below! #BEHRToDIYFor

Key Takeaways:

1) Take a fresh look at your touchpoints.

In addition to creating social content, Behr built out a new section on their website and modified their omnichannel strategy. Knowing they were targeting a tech savvy audience, they made sure to adopt new offerings or upgrade existing ones to align with the potential needs of this audience. 

As you’re gearing up for your next marketing push, think beyond campaign assets and look at your full brand ecosystem. If you’re targeting a new audience, are your other touchpoints aligned with what they’ll be looking for? Getting their attention is one thing but make sure they have every reason to stick around, too.  

2) Let your audience lead, fully.

A key part of the campaign was a competition turning the voting decisions over to the comment section. Sure, there were still judges who added entertainment to the videos but users had full influence over the outcome of the competition.

It’s one thing to ask for participation, it’s another to hand over real decision-making power. Consider the ways you can do this in your community engagement. It offers the opportunity to build deeper trust, generate content, and spark enthusiasm in an interesting way. 

3) Actually meet consumers where they are.

Behr’s campaign didn’t show people taking on massive reno projects. Instead, it focused on small, achievable transformations, and paired each challenge with follow-up videos showing how easy it could be. This approach lowered the barrier to entry while boosting relatability. 

There’s a lot of talk about meeting customers where they are but look at the numbers to see if your marketing is actually doing it. Are there opportunities for you to show and tell with your next project? Try adjusting your strategy, see how your customers respond and, discover new learnings.

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