The industry’s spend on generic promotion for wood still looks pathetic compared to the marketing budgets of the steel and concrete industry, according to Timber Trade Federation president Kevin Hayes.
Speaking at the annual dinner of the North East Timber Trade Association in Hull, Mr Hayes was urging timber companies to put more cash into the industry’s recently relaunched Wood for Good marketing campaign.
“My main message is that we should be sticking together and sticking up for our industry,” he said.
In response to a small show of hands when he asked who had spotted recent wood for good adverts, he said it was due to there not being enough.
“There should be many more adverts out there singing the praises of wood and wood products, but it all costs money, and, in financial terms, we seriously lag behind competitors, such as steel and concrete, whose industry spends make ours look pathetic,” he said.
He added that companies should not just see investment in the campaign on the basis of return for their own business.
“Most of us will quite naturally think ‘what does it do for me in terms of timber or boards going out of my door or margins?’,” he said. “But sometimes simply raising the profile of our industry can do positive things.”
Recently Mr Hayes and TTF chief executive John White had a meeting with Conservative shadow energy minister Greg Clarke. It finished with Mr Clarke saying it was “great to know there was now a point of contact with the timber industry”. Mr Hayes saw this as a further indictment of timber’s low promotional profile.
“It’s scary to think up to that point, did we even exist in the mind of a guy who could very soon be a government minister?” he said.
The Wood for Good campaign, he maintained, could stand the timber industry in “good stead for generations”.
“It gets the message out there that wood should be seen as a true carbon positive and raises our profile,” he said. “It may not immediately show results in terms of cubic metres sold , but long term will ensure we have a healthy, thriving industry.”
He urged companies to sign up and help fund the campaign.
“Normally I’m asking what the TTF can do for you,” he said. “Now I’m asking you to see what you can do for us as an industry. Let’s work together to ensure our message is heard.”
