Gase history of a successful redwood deck contest

l\ OING it differentlY can attract Lf attention. So, Ganahl Lumber Co., Anaheim, Ca., shifted their focus to spotlight the customer. They recognized that their do-it-yourselfer patrons deserved credit and decided to pat them on the back. Ganahl's claim was "we cater to winners."

Their game plan was a deck building contest.

And their aim was consumer awareness. "We wanted to reward the do-it-yourselfer, to credit that he can do a good job," saYs Jim Nash' special projects coordinator. "In doing so, we were also announcing that we are involved in the deck building business and that we can helP in the building of quality structures people can be proud of."

The special projects dePartment had to begin months in advance. They devised a basic set of rules, grading criteria and an application form to be sent in with Photographs of the competing decks. A Panel of seven judges would grade entries with marks from I to l0 in four categories: originality, use of materials, craftsmanship and aesthetics. Prizes were $500, $300 and $100 gift certihcates. A September 30, 1986, deadline was set for submission of applications and pictures.

Next. it had to be ensured that sufficient numbers of patio kits and deck literature were available and that sales people were up to speed on deck planning.

Just before the summer Prime deck building season, the contest was ready and the advertising people became involved. They kicked it off with a sale on related items. "We publicized the contest continually," says Judy Scarpello, advertising director. "Through our monthly tabloids and in-store advertising, such as store posters and banners, we kept reminding customers about it all summer long."

"We kept changing the disPlaYs, so they would look new and keeP catching customers' attention each time they came into the store. We also had our sales people talk it up," she says.

But due to the inherent time consuming nature of deck building, the company never had any indication how their contest was going. "All through the contest I kept thinking, 'This thing's not going to fly.' We weren't getting any responses. Then when the deadline came around,

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Story at a Glance

How one retaller organlzed rules for a deck contest, etocked up on materlals, advertlsed and promoted the Prolect to obtaln a record number of partlclpants.