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Cedar Group Takes On Synthetics

The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association has launched a $2 million marketing campaign aimed at curbing the inroads that composite and vinyl have made into the western red cedar decking and siding markets.

The association, whose members produce 65Vo of the world's western red cedar, will emphasize its tradition- al place as building product for decks and siding.

By featuring spoofs of plastic and synthetic building products in print ads, the association hopes to highlight what they say is "natural beauty and durability of western red cedar."

The campaign will target home builders, building material dealers and homeowners.

"Western red cedar is what every plastic and composite substitute dreams of being," said the association's Peter Lang. "This is their wakeup call."

Lang added that cedar has to be thrust back into the public eye as a building product with proven durability.

"Substitutes may come with guarantees," he said. "But only cedar provides the time-tested assurance of centuries of real performance."

In addition to the ad campaign, the association is introducing a new visual image with the words, "Real Cedar," to appear on all western red cedar products from WRCLA members.

The association hopes that the campaign can protect western red cedar's market share, which has slipped in recent years because of stiff competition for composites. Western red cedar now holds 4Vo of the siding market and TOVo of the decking market.

The campaign will emphasize that western red cedar, among other attributes, contains natural compounds that act as preservatives, lays flat and straight for decking, and has excellent noise reduction qualities.