Mohawk's SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona has proven itself to be one of the most demonstrably superior carpets ever made. From rhinos to messy kid challenges, Mohawk has continued to put SmartStrand carpet to the test and 2013 is no exception. This year, Mohawk is hitting the road and taking SmartStrand on a coast-to-coast “License to Spill” carpet showdown tour in partnership with nationally syndicated lifestyle television show, The Better Show.

The tour, which is making at least 12 stops all over the country, is showcasing the cleanability and performance of SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpet at popular festivals and home show events. Attendees are invited to spill everything from Ketchup and Kool-Aid to wine and coffee on SmartStrand Sorona carpet to see if it will come clean with just water or mild detergent. Mohawk is promoting local Floorscapes and ColorCenter retailers at each tour stop and encouraging consumers to visit their nearest Aligned retailer to take advantage of a promotional offer.

HGTV celebrity designers Taniya Nayak and Chip Wade will make guest appearances at a number of tour stops to attract consumer attention and promote SmartStrand. Each event will also feature either JD Roberto or Audra Lowe, the two hosts from The Better Show, and highlights of each tour stop will be shown nationally to over a million viewers on the popular television program.

The campaign is also being actively supported through social media integration, including a variety of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Vine. Mohawk’s innovative social media initiatives are designed to both increase consumer brand awareness and drive aligned retail store traffic. For example, Mohawk’s Pinterest page is incorporating images of local retailers who are participating in their own License to Spill challenges.  These images link back to retailer websites and are being shared on Mohawk’s Facebook page, which provide exposure to more than 33,000 fans.  In addition, prominent bloggers throughout the country are also participating in the License to Spill challenge and sharing the SmartStrand experience with their dedicated consumer audiences. These initiatives have been tremendously successful with an average of over 2.5 million social media impressions per event. 

To complement the tour, Mohawk has created a License to Spill event kit so that Floorscapes and ColorCenter retailers can take advantage of events in their local communities and host their own showdown. Participating retailers will be given a License to Spill point-of-purchase kit, containing everything they need to engage consumers, drive traffic to their store, and ultimately, help boost sales.

The Boston and Hilton Head stops have been wildly successful. Be on the lookout for upcoming spring tour stops near you, including this weekend’s License to Spill challenge at the Dogwood Festival in Atlanta (4/19-4/21). Additional upcoming stops include:

· Chicago’s Chocolate Festival (5/4)

· Philadelphia’s Italian Market Festival (5/18-5/19).

To obtain a License to Spill event kit, visit www.mohawktoday.com or contact your Mohawk sales representative. For more information on the License to Spill tour, visit www.mohawkflooring.com/tour.