How i n it ia ted its Sea tt le home improvement program

fHE real key to building material dealer profits from the imposing May National Home Improvement Time promotion is, in the opinion of Simpson Timber's redwood marketing manager, Doug Loth, directly related to the success of local dealers in identifying tbemselves as the on-thespot specialists who can make realitiee of the beautiful better living imprgvement ideas generated at the national level.

In reflecting on Simpson's interest and participation in Home Improvement Time Loth observed, "As one of the original participants in the now five years old joint association and manufacturer promotion of Home Improvement, we realized early in the game that local rub-off was one of the major values in the impressive umbrella of national attention focused on Home Improvement Time."

Story st s Glance

How a Seattle group translated interest generated by national home improvement publicity into action for local rnerchants, identifying dealers as the source for home f ix-up thru newspaper sections, Home Shows, etc.

Since Seattle is the location of Simpson's corporate headquarters, it was decided that this was the logical place to pioneer a local home improvement time promotion. The resulting effort burgeoned from a series of phone calls extending a luncheon invitation to key leaders from the business community and goverament. All had a common denominator stake in people and their homes.

Included on the initial invitation list were building material dealers; builders; remodeling contractorsl banks; heal light and power utilities; and representatives from the Governorts Task Forrce on Eousing.

As a prop for the luncheon meet- ing, a large golf umbrella was decorated with typical four color end-use pictures of the kind of better living home improvement makes possible. &lgar Hall, exec. director of the National Home Improvement Council' keynoted the luncheon and persuasively filled in the elements of the solid national umbrella of home improvement awareness being generated at the national level.

Then the presentation shifted to the self interest of those in the audience by fastening to the umbrell4 prop a literal ladder of local projects designed to bring the national campaigl down to the Seattle area and tie in the identity of the local businessmen who could make home improvement projects come to life locally. Included in the ladder's promotion rungs were local newspaper sections, direct mail, radio, TV, clinics, seminars, and shopping center promotions,

At the end of the'meeting a show of hands was requested from those who wanted to do something about home improvement locally. The response was unanimously favorable. A steering committee was quickly formed with representation from each of thq major interest groups. Chairmanship has rotated on a yearly basis. This year the dealer representative, Elmer Field of Field Lumber, chairs the steering committee.

Heading the steering committee's priority list was the essential need to communicate in a mass way the names of the firms and people in the Seattle area who can make home improvement projects happen. One of the major dailies, the Seattle Times, heard about the newly formed home improvement task force and volunteered to become a co-sponsor of a special Sunday newspaper supplement devoted to home improvement.

The editorial content of the special section is devoted exclusively to home improvement, With the reader's mind already directed to home improvement, editorially, advertisers have a ready-made climate for their messages.

The strategy for the dealer is to urge the public to keep in tact that beautiful picture conveyed at the national level. In effect the dealers says, "Mr. Homeowner, get a home improvement picture in mind and then come s€€ us to gort out the methods of accomplishins the proiect."

The options are varied. If the home owner wants to do it himseU the dealer has a host of how-to ideas on everything from building a fence to paneling and re-siding.

On the other hand, if the customer's time and talents are such that he prefers to have someone else do the work, the dealer is still the man to name the contractor best suited to perform the job. He has probably been selling him for years.

This year, also at the local level, the Seattle Master Builders Remodelers Council manned a key home improvement information booth at the Seattle Home Show. Members of the Council were on duty to answer questions on remodeling and financing.

The builders group also is developing a portable display citing home improvement benefits for use in bank lobbies. Dealers are tying-in effectively with the visual Information Program which utilizes a self contained in-store viewer and 8 mm. movie film cassettes to show and explain the steps involved in accomplishing popular improvement projects like paneling a room, installing eeiling tile or painting a house.

In evaluating the Seattle program to date, Loth commented that it isn't so much a matter of doing things differently bui one of continually doing a more complete and comprehensive job of identifying local sources which have the talents, experience and expertise to make home improvement time a reality for everyone in the community. "There's a challenging communication gap and grass roots efforts can provide the bridge in accruing maximum value from national efforts to those in local markets providing home improvement products and gervices."