What's happening with hardwood

IJARDWOOD is an unknown to IImany of today's young homeowners, products of the plastic '70s. Accustomedto cold, hardmanmade stuff, they find it hard to believe that a material as beautiful and luxurious as hardwood can be both durable and affordable.

To this end, the Hardwood Institute, a division of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, conducts through the media an education program selling the virtues of hardwood flooring, paneling, kitchen cabinets, and furniture. In the past year more than one million lines of copy appeared in over 2,500 newspapers and magazines promoting the benefits of hardwood in the home.

The nation's largest dailies as well as the small town weeklies printed stories filled with information on the buying and care of hardwood. Colored or black and white photographs accompanied much of the editorial material.

"Decorating Tips," a hardwood oriented column distributed monthly, was printed as a regular feature in many publications. Other stories, often carrying an endorsement bythe designer or celebrity whose home or apartment was featured, received wide coverage. In addition, a number of syndicated stories on hardwood appeared in print across the country.

For exposure outside the print

Story at a Glance

Consumer education programs keep hardwood message belore public print, radio, tv extol beauty, Yalue, durability . . . retailers profit from promotions.

media, HI originated the material used in 3,075 spot radio broadcasts for a total air time of 153 hours. Radio stations utilized three minute features by Linda Forrest filled with helpful hints on decorating, buying, and caring for hardwood paneling, floors, and furniture. Stations are generous in praising the spots for both content and style. One program manager wrote HI to say that he had collected all the spots and would use them as a special feature during Decorating Week. Although the spot broadcasts are repeated many times, HI counts only the first usage at each station in its tabulation.

Films produced by the Hardwood Institute are popular with tv stations and audiences alike because they meet the needs of those looking for solid consumer information.

"Furniture for a Lifetime," a new film made in 198 I , has been shown by 28 stations. "The Real McCoy," a film on furniture reproductions, has been requested by 33 stations for showings this year. More than 25 requests have been received this year for three other films which HI produced earlier. Slide shows developed on flooring and different species of hardwood also have been aired. In addition to being used on television, the four-minute films have been shown to other audiences by National Hardwood Lumber Association speakers.

Each year since its formation, the Hardwood Institute has set communications goals for its promotional programs in print, radio, and tv. Each year the goals have been reached or surpassed with the exception of 1978 when the radio broadcasts fell short of the expected mark. These promotions have done much to educate homeowners and sharpen their desire for using hardwood in their homes.

Public exposure in magazines, newspapers, radio, and tv is responsible in part for much of the growing popularity of hardwood and the continued demand for it in the marketplace. The retailer is benefiting from the fallout of this promotion program. The impact of it can be increased by individual stores promoting radio broadcasts and telecasts as they occur in their areas and arranging merchandising tie-ins with magazine and newspaper stories.

Tables Pace Furniture Upturn

Table sales volume will make an upturn before case goods and upholstered items according to buyers and manufacturers at the Western Furniture Market just concluded in San Francisco, Ca.

More than 1000 different table groups were surveyed by the Northwest Hardwoods, Inc. staff from Portland, Or., in their 20th successive market study. Contemporary styles made gains from last summer but traditional concepts still lead by a few percentage points in the wood and wood base categories according to Dave McCullam, v.p.

Styles following the traditional road had two specific branches. There were the authentically designed English, French, Italian, Spanish, Early American and Colonial as well as the modified and simplified country interpretations in each maior style category.

In the traditional furniture category, English styles exceeded French for the first time with 13.590 of the showroom spaces compared to 12.4s/0. The French classification included provincial, French court and the popular French country styles many of which showed the scrubbed look in pine, alder and oak.

Early American and colonial tables were featured in 9.390 of the spaces while the country and ranch styles added 3.390 to the American adaptations. Oriental styles were important at 8,2v/o of the market.

Italian and Spanish concepts were tabulated at 2.7slo and 2.0v/o respectively.

Oak, the leading traditional wood, showed a drop from a year ago. The entire open pore and bold character wood group dropped to 40.990 ofthe spaces compared to 43.2s/0 last July and 42.3t/o a year ago.

Burls were a positive style statement in tables at 9.490 of the market compared to 8.lqo a year ago. Designers relied upon the intricate grain and character of burls for visual contrast to solid lumber frames and borders of maple, alder, pecan, hackberry and birch. As the primary wood surface, pecan and alder each accounted for 4.390 ofthe table presentations. Maple could claim only 2.60/0.

Walnut was strong in contemporary treatments as well as traditional introductions at 7 .2s/o follow-

The Merchant Magazine ed by mahogany at 5.590 and cherry at 4.6s/0. All other woods, paced by teak, were noted in 6.190 of the exhibits.

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Building Supply, has used the film to train new sales and counter personnel. It teaches them step-by-step deck construction as well as major redwood sales points. The projector is kept in a conference room. When customers are planning a redwood deck or wondering if they can do-itthemselves, sales people invite them into the conference room to watch the film. Then they help them plan their decks using ideas from the Redwood Design-A-Deck Plans Kit and other CRA literature. Gary Long is confident this personalized style of selling and the film play a big part in their ability to sell redwood and the idea of doing-it-yourself.

These are only a few of the ways CRA's films have been used to help dealers capitalize on redwood's profitability. Redwood Decks To Build & Enjoy andChoose& Use Redwood Like a Pro! are both available from the California Redwood Association for $30 each.