The wood. for good programme continued apace throughout 2005, with its activities reaching more than 4 million homeowners, 50,000 architects and engineers and tens of thousands more construction professionals.
Activities included a new advertising campaign, new publications, participation in the last Ground Force TV programme and a stand at the Royal Horticultural Society Show at Tatton Park. A record number of CPD seminars were delivered – and it is anticipated that the bar will be raised even further in 2006.
Increasingly, too, successful partnering within the industry is resulting in a forceful, single voice being heard by the government and decision makers, establishing key messages and helping achieve recognition that wood is now the most sustainable building material. Part of the strategy for 2006 will be to further reinforce these key messages in conjunction with wood. for good members, through targeted PR and advertising, using more vertical media.
The overall effectiveness of the 2005 campaign was evaluated by Jaakko Pöyry Consulting, which surveyed members, specifiers and the trade. This showed that 67% of responding wood. for good members believe the promotional activity has contributed to growing sales, with 33% of members wishing to see their participation in and funding of the campaign increase. Underpinning this is the fact that demand for sawn softwood has risen by over 6% in the past five years – up from 9.6 million m3 to 10.2 million m3. Timber frame’s market share has increased from 10% to 16% since the campaign started, with wood. for good investing over £100,000 in advertising the benefits of timber frame. The campaign continues to enjoy a close working relationship with the UK Timber Frame Association.
Fighting the competition
Wood’s sustainability is at the heart of the campaign but it is competing with efforts from the much better funded steel, concrete and plastics industries.
“These industries are also claiming sustainability credentials for their materials and we must be aware of the need to maintain our momentum and compete with them on their own ground,” said wood. for good managing director Charles Trevor.
“The 2012 Olympics will undoubtedly offer the industry the opportunity to promote itself vigorously, but I believe there is a greater prize at stake here, namely the chance to embed a wood culture at all levels in the UK. This means, for example, helping the government with its agenda to build more homes by promoting the sustainable and economic benefits of timber frame construction, driving down building costs, reducing CO2 emissions and showing architects and engineers that wood really is a material for the 21st century.
“We will be continuing to promote wood’s sustainable credentials in 2006 with an added emphasis on wood’s contribution to a low carbon economy. We will also be explaining the changes which will be introduced to Part L of the Building Regulations, dealing with thermal insulation, as well as the launch of the Code for Sustainable Housing and what it means for the industry and its clients.”
Following positive research on the Changing Attitudes campaign on wood’s contribution to reducing climate change, the campaign was rerun and a new ad on carbon sequestration was developed. A series of new advertisements focusing on timber frame’s contribution to achieving EcoPoints under BRE‘s EcoHome scheme, wood windows, engineered wood products and the importance of using plywood that complies with BS 5268 for structural use were also introduced. The two campaigns appeared in over 30 publications with 100 insertions.
Media support
The media – from trade and consumer through to national press – have been extremely supportive of wood. for good, carrying a host of press releases, case studies, trade stories, press visits and supplements.
A new module on “building sustainably with timber” was developed which features as a CPD topic in conjunction with TRADA. The CPD programme attracted a record number of bookings during the year and easily exceeded the target of 1,500 seminars. In addition, there were opportunities to attend other conferences and forums at various venues, including the Building Centre, where three seminars were held on different aspects of building sustainably with timber.
An impressive collection of high quality material has been published, ranging from a series of 16 fact sheets, four 28-page builders’ guides, and a variety of DIY books through to the Building with wood brochures. The year saw several new additions, including a second in the Wood Cookbooks series which demonstrates the practical use of wood outdoors. A brochure entitled Building sustainably with timber is now available, produced in conjunction with the BRE.
Our exhibit at the RHS Garden Show was an enormous success and the latest in the Wood Cookbooks series was launched there, featuring in a series of radio interviews with TV gardening personality David Domoney, heard by almost two million BBC listeners. In July, wood. for good and Timbmet Silverman received national BBC TV coverage when the last Ground Force garden programme, introduced by Tommy Walsh and Charlie Dimmock, featured the African Garden at the British Museum – using certified wood from Africa.
