The Wood for Good campaign is gaining momentum and creating growing awareness of the benefits of timber among end users and consumers. But, said campaign managing director Charles Trevor, it is not about to start attacking rival materials.
Mr Trevor was speaking at the London Softwood Club‘s October meeting last week.
The aim of the campaign, he said, was to boost UK wood consumption by 800,000m³ a year to keep it in line with increased production.
To achieve this meant communicating wood’s benefits ‘to professionals and consumers in ways which resonate’.
‘We often make the mistake of believing wood’s benefits are self-evident and understood by our target audiences. They are not,’ said Mr Trevor.
In a lively question and answer session, Mr Trevor was asked if Wood for Good should go on the offensive against alternative materials, particularly plastic. He responded that this would be ‘very high risk’.
‘Taking on an industry with the resources of the petrochemicals sector, you have to be very careful,’ he said. ‘We should focus on timber’s positives.’
In response to another question, Mr Trevor said the campaign aimed to target schools next year. He also said the hope was to roll Wood for Good on from its initial three years and to extend the funding base to include suppliers to the industry, such as treatment and finish producers.
Following this year’s successful media advertising, the campaign is now planning to go national with the TV commercial it first aired in the south.
Other Wood for Good initiatives include backing for the Timber Industry Awards and Zethus building project, timber frame CPD seminars, and adverts for timber frame, cladding, engineered wood, flooring and decking.
Mr Trevor invited members to contact him with ‘newsy stories’ about wood, saying he could guarantee valuable publicity for companies through Wood for Good’s PR machine.
