Wood campaign to support growth

Identifying consumer attitudes to timber and wood products will be the first step in a new promotional campaign being developed by Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA).

FWPA managing director Dr Glen Kile said work has already begun on the campaign with the Sydney-based marketing firm Sherbon and Osborn appointed to lead the project.

“One of the priorities for FWPA when it was established last year was to develop a generic wood promotion program. The change from the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation to Forest and Wood Products Australia allows us to take a more active role in the promotion of wood products,” Kile said.

“We will be working with our stakeholders across the forest industry value chain in developing and implementing this campaign. Our aim is to help dispel some of the myths about wood products, and to promote their environmental benefits. Qualitative market research to find out what customers actually think about wood products will be the first step.”

FWPA consulted with peak associations to establish an industry reference group to assist with the development of the promotion campaign. Group members met with the consultants in Sydney for the first time on 15 February.

The development phase of the campaign is expected to take around six months.

Australia’s forest-based industries have a combined turnover of $18 billion a year and employ 83,000 people. Dr Kile said a positive campaign would promote the environmental credentials of wood, and support the growth of the industry and the sustainable use of wood products in Australia.

Industry reference group members for the project include Kathryn Adams, David Angus, Christine Briggs, Andrew Dunn, Neil Fisher, Ron Green, John Halkett, Douglas Head, Ken Jeffreys and Catherine Murphy.