Redwood marketing: a profitable approach

By Xeith Lanning Executive Vice President & General Manager California Redwood Association

lN 1916, the redwood lumber manulfacturers joined together for the first time to promote redwood products at the Panama-Pacific Exposition which celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal and introduced products from the western United States to the rest of the world.

This event marked the beginning of the California Redwood Association as well as the beginning of a cohesive redwood marketing plan. At the time of the exposition redwood sold for

Story at a Glance

lmage building helps dealer develop reputation as redwood merchant. . .California Redwood Association ready to help with print, radio and tv advertising. . .literature available for both consumer education and employee training.

about $12 per thousand board feet while pine and fir were selling for $34 per thousand.

Since then, redwood's unique properties have been identified, graded, advertised, publicized and promoted. As a result, terms like "redwood decks," "redwood custom homes," and "redwood interiors" are familiar to all segments of the house building/homebuying markets. Redwood is a favorite material of architects. Builders love it for the curb appeal it gives their houses; and lumber retailers realize a heftier profit from a redwood sale than they do from a sale of other materials.

All this is the result of successful marketing. Dealers can capitalize from it by identifying themselves as redwood sales centers.

We occasionally get calls from architects, builders and homeowners who are looking for redwood in their area. These are customers without a merchant. They know redwood is the right product for their deck or fence or siding or paneling because they have seen CRA ads or publicity in magazines and newspapers or on television. But there is no one in their area saying, "This is where you buy redwood."

If CRA does one thing this year, we are going to help more lumber dealers identify themselves as redwood dealers. There are three things a redwood dealer needs to do:

ADVERTISEMENTS like this help a dealer to establish a reoutation as a redwood sales center. Architects, builders and homeowners are olten sold on redwood in the media, but don't know where to lind it.

(l) Advertise-Dealers should tell customers they are the redwood suppliers in the area.

CRA will help. We will provide ad art for newspapers and magazines. We will supply radio scripts for ads. We will supply slides for television advertising. We can offer ideas for promotions like deck contests and clinics. Call or write Chris Grover of our office and we will help you with your advertising campaign.

(2) Sell projects not boardslumber isn't very glamorous, except to those of us in the industry.

Dealers have to sell customers on the idea of a luxurious outdoor living environment, or the exciting transformation that occurs when a home is remodeled with redwood. It is important to sell projects in advertising, promotions and on the sales floorprojects that customers can relate to. CRA literature can help. We print 48

WHAT D0 these board ends tell you? lf you don't get a special messsge from them, you need to read the accompanying article which tells you what you need to know about recommending the right redwood lor the right job.

Are you ready to sell redwood?

R:,?Y3:l#.'3tr"#'"T:ffi :

cations from luxury interior paneling to fence boards. Applications can be as modest as bender board edging for gardens or as dramatic as siding for low-rise commercial buildings. Any product with this range of applications requires sales expertise.

For merchants, redwood represents a high profit margin. Redwood's durability, stability and versatility are qualities that help clinch big ticket sales. Employee awareness of redwood's properties and advantages will increase sales and boost profits. Of course, it's great if every employee has had hands on experience building houses, fences and decks, but that isn't necessary to sell redwood siding or recommend the proper grade of redwood for deck joists.

Redwood meets the needs of many different building projects because there are several redwood grades and products. Basically, there are three questions the sales person should ask to help a customer choose the right grade of redwood for a project:

(1) Do you want luxury redwood that is free of knots or would you like the rustic look of knotty redwood?

Redwood architectural grades are clear and well suited to fine paneling or siding. Garden grades of redwood have a rugged knotty look that works well for decks, rustic siding and garden applications. Often the answer to this question is a matter of design and taste.

(2) Do you need the durability of redwood heartwood or can you use a

Story at a Glance

Information you need to sell redwood. . .how to recommend the dght grade specialty Product . . . special knowledge for the job...ways to back up customer in doing proiect, give him confidence.

grade with streaks of lighter colored sapwood?

The dark cinnamon-colored heartwood has a natural resistance to decay and insects. Customers can find all heartwood lumber in either the archi tectural or garden gpades. Redwood with streaks of sapwood can be more economical in uses where heartwood is not required.

(3) What degree of stability does your project need? Redwood is available either certified kiln dried, air-seasoned, or unseasoned.

Redwood is naturally more stable than other softwoods. Certified kilndried redwood is virtually pre-shrunk

-suitable for the finest applications and demanding detail work. Where shrinkage isn't a problem you can save money by using unseasoned redwood.

By asking these questions, a salesperson can help the customer choose the proper grade of redwood to do the job right. For more employee training materials, write: Chris Grover, California Redwood Association, 591 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, Ca. 9494t.