Redwood competition builds deck sales

UMBER dealers and customers

Ihalike are beginning to look forward each year to spring and the annual redwood deck building contests.

As the competition becomes traditional with many dealers, customers anticipate the demonstrations and the opportunity to test their d-i-y skills.

The contests are excellent ways for lumber dealers'to grab homeowners attention. Whether it is to establish an image as a do-it-yourself center or to cash in on word of mouth advertising, a contest can spark redwood lumber sales as few other promotions can.

Redwood is the ideal deckbuilding material for a contest promotion because it appeals to qualityminded homeowners who are serious about improving their outdoor living and the value of their home and where they explained entrants must build their decks out of redwood purchased from them and submit entries by turning in photos of their decks. When the contest ended with 160 entrants, it exceeded their greatest dreams and they had their best August sales ever.

Ten finalists were chosen from the photographs submitted and a panel of judges including two landscape architects, a local radio celebrity and a representative from the California Redwood Association inspected the finalist decks. The judges were impressed with the quality of work and the pride expressed by the builders who were do-it-yourselfers as well as professional architects and builders. Prizes of $500, $250 and $100 gift certificates were awarded.

The other retailer aimed their second annual contest at do-ityourselfers. With a grand prize of a trip to Hawaii, their first contest had successfully attracted a good deal of attention.

Story at a Glance

Deck building contests grab customers . . relailers tailor competition to sales philosophies. report record sales of redwood.

follow through with good design and careful construction techniques.

Two retailers who deal primarily in redwood have reported extraordinary results from their deckbuilding contests. The differences in the way they conducted their contests reflect their sales philosophies, but both had the same end in mind-attract attention and sell redwood.

One held their first deck contest last summer and enjoyed their best summer sales in years. It started with a media blitz advertising campaign

Since then they have concentrated on establishing a reputation as a doit-yourself center where homeowners can receive personalized planning assistance and advice. Their yard and of fices reflect this philosophy. Displays show a variety of deck patterns with different understructure designs and railing. There are also examples of fences, benches, and other outdoor structures. In their offices, there are albums of photographs showing specific elements of decks. For example, one book covers different types of trellises and shade structures. Homeowners can custom design their decks, picking the elements that appeal to them.

The California Redwood Association offers these tips for holding a successful deck-building contest.

(l) Advertise the contest well in advance, preferably in the early Spring while homeowners are making summer plans.

(2) Kick off the contest with a do-it- yourself deck construction clinic or other promotion.

(3) Build demonstration decks in a highly visible spot in your yard.

(4) Contact local media before and after your contest. It's likely they'll consider it a newsworthy human interest story.