The main sponsors of wood for good are reviewing the marketing campaign to come up with a “robust offer” that widens its support base and secures its future.
Last week the main shareholders, the Swedish Forest Industries Federation, the Forestry Commission and the Confederation of Forest Industries (ConFor), announced that, in the light of the campaign’s falling income, managing director Charles Trevor was standing down. They will now take some time assessing how it should move forward.
“With campaign’s income down last year due to the slowdown in market activity, we recognised we needed to look again at what it is trying to achieve against the funds available,” said ConFor chief executive Stuart Goodall. “We want to keep the momentum going, but we’ll take the next few months to look at our strategy and how it can be refreshed. We can then share our plans with potential contributors. With advertising and promotional budgets under great pressure, we have to come up with an attractive, robust offering so other funders are tempted.”
With wood for good’s income lower than in earlier years, he acknowledged, it had lost some of its earlier market visibility. Deteriorating economic conditions had also made it difficult to get a clear picture of what funding from other supporters was assured.
“This will take a little time to pin down,” said Mr Goodall.
The review, he added, would also look at the relationship of wood for good and the Wood for Gold 2012 Olympics lobbying campaign, which it has backed.
“With a limited promotional funding available overall, we need to ensure it has the greatest impact possible.”
Last week wood for good chairman Jan Söderlind said its three core themes in the future would be timber and climate change, “wood solutions” and information and training.
