A meeting in London on September 16 is intended to open a new chapter in the wood for good generic timber marketing campaign.
The summit is being hosted by long-term wood for good supporter The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) at the Building Centre and up to 80 companies are being invited by the campaign’s three main shareholders; the Swedish forestry industry’s organisation Skogsindustrierna, the UK Confederation of Forest Industries (ConFor) and the Forestry Commission.
“We’re not going to say, ‘this is what wood for good will now look like’, but put forward a change in structure and strategy and ask for input,” said ConFor chief executive Stuart Goodall.
The previous wood for good organisation, which had full and part-time staff, was wound down earlier this year facing rising costs and, due to the economic downturn, declining contributions from the industry.
“It reached the point where 40% of income was going on overheads, which was unsustainable,” said Mr Goodall.
According to TTF chief executive John White, the proposal for the “refreshed, relaunched” campaign is a “more fluid, dynamic organisation”.
“The idea is to use a PR company to devise the marketing, working with a steering committee made up of the main contributors to the campaign,” he said.
“Supporters will want to know their money is being spent on front line marketing work, so we want to keep overheads to an absolute minimum,” said Mr Goodall.
The London meeting will also be presented with a provisional new “execution” for wood for good advertising focused on wood’s capacity to absorb and store C02.
“Again this is very much a proposal for comment,” said Mr Goodall.
Companies will not be asked for specific contribution levels for the campaign and it is not targeting a definitive annual budget. “But we need a minimum six-figure sum to be viable,” said Mr Goodall.
The September 16 meeting is invite only, but companies interested in attending can contact TTJ chief executive John White jwhite@ttf.co.uk; or Mr Goodall stuart.goodall@confor.co.uk.
