New Industry Group Touts Wood's Story.

WOOD HAS BEEN able to successfully market itself in the past. However, in recent years, competitive industries, such as steel and concrete, have influenced product and environmental misconceptions in attempt to gain market share.

In June 2000, the Wood Promotion Network was founded to promote wood and educate builders, retailers and consumers about the superiority of wood as a building product and its benefits as a natural and renewable resource.

WPN, along with Chicago-based Bozell Advertising and BSMG Worldwide, has created a marketing program to promote wood. Bozell and BSMG are well known for the creation of the "Got Milk?" and "Pork. The Other White Meat" advertising campaigns. While WPN originally had a working title of "Wood is Good," it has since then decided to go with the theme "Be Constructive. Wood," which will be used in its campaign advertisements and logos.

$45 Million Goal

According to WPN, the campaign will cost $45 million for a three-year period, but with support from suppliers and other partners, the effort will look larger. Dale Simpson, WPN vice president of coalition development, says the WPN has secured funding commitments for approximately $36 million of its three-year goal.

WPN members and supporters include wood companies, suppliers, distributors and customers, as well as associations and other allies. By March, more than 120 companies and wood products associations had pledged support for the effort.

Simpson says that WPN is working with various industry associations to reach the widest possible support from companies. The network presents to as many industry meetings as possible, while also utilizing direct mail and telemarketing solicitations.

"Over 90 percent of the funds raised are being directed toward getting two important but parallel messages into the market place: that wood is a superior building material and that forests are growing and abundant," says Susan Rogers, WPN vice president of advertising and public relations. "Our primary audience is the trade, our customers, who use the product every day, and so dollars and effort are being spent to provide them with information they need on wood attributes and performance."

The network is working to develop relationships with builders, dealers and retailers to help them solve wood issues and improve their businesses, says Rogers. "Part of our effort is to celebrate the product builders' use of wood in the majority of their homes and to make consumers feel comfortable in the choice their builder has made," she says.

Hardwood Groups Ante Up

Although at first, WPN targeted mainly softwood lumber and building suppliers, the program does include the furniture and cabinet industries. According to Simpson, four hardwood associations are involved in the endeavor, including Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc., Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Assn., Wood Products Manufacturers Assn. and Virginia Forest Products Assn.

"Professionals have run programs before, and many times they sputter and conk-out. A program like this needs to be ongoing," says Albert Bibeau, director of WPMA. "We feel that (WPN) is the only well-organized program so far. It is effective, well funded and includes the best promotional agency out there. We need to educate anyone and everyone on the benefits of wood."

Since the promotional program focuses on wood as a building material, not as many hardwood furniture and cabinet industries are involved. However, Bill Altman, president of HPVA, believes that the capabilities of wood benefit the whole industry. The HPVA has pledged $5,000 to the WPN, and it is also trying to get its member companies to contribute as well.

"We feel wood hasn't had much of a chance to tell its story. Steel has been very effective in promoting its product, but it has [negative] byproducts," says Altman. "Wood is biodegradable and we can always grow more trees." According to Altman, wood takes a significantly less amount of energy to use for building than other products, such as aluminum and concrete.

Bibeau says that trees are a crop that need to be well harvested and must be replanted. "Billions of trees a year are planted. Both the federal and the state governments have specific laws on harvesting. You must clean up and replant. I hope in time Mr. and Mrs. America and the school children of the country will see that we are dealing with the only renewable resource. We want to have trees for many generations."

Rogers said WPN launched its presence in front of the trades at the International Builders Show in Atlanta in February. It has also created teaser ads and purchased truck sides, taxi tops, outdoor bulletin boards and sports stadium signage across Canada and the United States. In May, it will introduce the consumer phase of the advertising campaign featuring two 30-second television commercial spots in 10 metropolitan areas.

"We can't do this alone. This is the first time that North American companies and associations have come together around a united message, and it is important," says Rogers. "In our past silence, others filled the void with misconceptions about wood and its resources that have created perceptions that are fundamentally inaccurate but well entrenched. With alternative products and adversaries competing for a voice in the marketplace, we need to have the strongest, most impactful coalition possible. Our dollars are the minimum required to have presence, but we will only be successful if others pick up our message and share it."