EDITORIAL

Magnolias, mint juleps and money

Southern companies and associations have done an admirable job promoting southern yellow pine. They have rightly concentrated on its features, benefits, renewability and other positive features.

Yet, there is another aspect we think could be promoted that would add a new dimension to the facts and figures.

We're talking about promoting the South along with southern yellow pine. The myriad favorable aspects of the South could be presented as a backdrop, collateral feature or as a bright, shiny ribbon to tie together mundane product features.

Across America the perception of the South and Southerners is very positive. The only possible exception being the myopic media in that most provincial of U.S. cities: New York. That aside, the South possesses a powerful presence and reputation. We think that power could be harnessed to carry and enhance sales of southern yellow pine producs.

SYP is often the backdrop, literally, to some of the most positive and likeable images of the

South. From the golf links of the Masters' Tournament in Augusta, Ga., to the recreational areas of Arkansas and East Texas, to the resorts of the Gulf Coast and the Southeast, southern pine is there. Favorable images quickly spring to mind when the conversation turns to southern hospitality, the Miss America beauties of Mississippi, the lilting speech that falls so gently on the ear, the graciousness that marks much of the conduct of southern life. Orlando, Florida, is the number one tourist destination in the country, in part, because people from all over the country enjoy the local hospitality, courtesy and civility.

We can hear the doubters now: "Don't kid yourself, southern pine sells on price alone, buyers aren't interested in that sort of stuff." That may be true in some cases, but marketing studies indicate that most products are finally sold for more reasons than price alone.

Any favorable aspect that can sell more southern pine should not be overlooked. Our gut feeling tells us that given the right slant, these southern intangibles could help move extra product.

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