Join the hardwood promotion parade

1' HERE'S a lot of hardwood for I sale in a home center from tool handles, salad bowls, butcher blocks, towel racks, furniture and cabinets to flooring and paneling.

There's also a lot of hardwood promotion being done by the Hardwood Manufacturers Association. A $600,000 consumer awareness program is promoting the value of solid hardwood products from the U.S.A.

"The potential for HMA's sales tools in home centers is tremendous," says Susan Regan, HMA marketing communications director. "By making these materials available, we're supporting the sales staff with credible, third party product information.

Hang tags, brochures and video programs designed to help consumers recognize quality solid hardwood have been extended from hardwood furniture to cabinets with solid hardwood doors, drawer fronts and face frames. Two booklets, "The Solid Guide to Hardwood Furniture" and -"The Heart of The Home: A Guide to Solid Hardwoods In Kitchen Cabinets," educate the public in the selection and use of solid hardwoods.

"If people have the knowledge found in the guides, it makes selling quality hardwood products easier," is the comment of a home center salesperson who read both pieces of literature.

Solid hardwoods are a strategic part of the current Better Homes and Gardens National Touring Mall Show. "Come Home to Hardwoods" themes the HMA display emphasizing the benefits of solid hardwood with colorful graphics in free standing displays built of solid cherry, oak, maple and poplar panels.

Those visiting the exhibit can view a solid hardwood video which runs continuously, pick up copies of the two consumer brochures. watch an informative hardwood presentation and have an opportunity to participate in a "Solid Hardwood Crossword" contest which oflers prizes made of solid oak. Because entrants must provide their name and mailing address, the contest is the source for developing a mailing list of consumers for future promotions.

HMA is coordinating flooring, millwork, furniture, cabinets and other applications of solid hardwood in a $750,000 home being built in Boca Raton, Fl., as part of the cable tv series "State of the Architect." Solid hardwood products are to be featured in at least six of the show's thirteen segments. At present, these are scheduled for late fall showing.

The completed Hardwood House in Pittsburgh, Pa., a showplace of design ideas utilizing hardwoods, has attracted favorable press. It is estimated that one article which appeared in 142 different newspapers reached 6.4 million readers.

Home centers can build on the "hardwood is better" perception of this promotion to sell more solid hardwood products from the U.S.A. They can emphasize the theme in their advertising, using the trademarks, brochures, videos and hang tags as sales aids.

"The campaign is funded by the U.S. lumber industry," Regan emphasizes. " we can offer these sales tools to home centers at minimal cost."

Story at a Glance

Both dealers and wholesalers should be aware of the promotional possibilities in the Hardwood Manufacturers Association's new consumer awareness program.