Brand news

Summary
• A key conclusion of an industry survey was that timber lacks brands.
• It is marketing shorthand for values and performance is crucial to sales.
• More and more companies are mounting branding campaigns.
• Branding could make the difference in a sale in a tough market.

For some, timber will always be timber; a fine material, perhaps, but anonymous – a commodity even. Others, however, see it very differently. Last year TRADA and wood for good undertook a survey among construction sector professionals on the specification of timber and wood products, and a key conclusion was that timber lacked the well-known brands that feature in other building and manufacturing materials.

The survey didn’t go into why respondents thought this might be a deficiency, but it’s not difficult to guess. A brand, after all, is marketing shorthand. Effectively explained and promoted, it encapsulates the performance of a product or products, plus the service and business ethos of the supplier. It can also act as a quality assurance – and all in one hit. In short, it makes the customer feel they can make a safe and informed choice.

“The brand ultimately represents a set of values that support and reflect the company’s position in the market,” said Finnforest head of UK marketing Warren Dudding.

According to Peter Travis of +travis, brand consultant to Medite, the appeal of branding to both supplier and customer is also that it sets a product apart from a mass of me-too competitors “It’s one of the most potent differentiators and can add real value,” he said.

The timber industry is not without its well-known brands, notably in the panel products sector where Medite, Sterlingboard and Contiboard, for instance, have been staples for years. But with specifiers simultaneously becoming more discerning and having an ever-greater choice of products and materials, some feel more branding is necessary. And a number of companies are doing something about it.

A major branding exercise is being undertaken by Howarth (Timber Importers) Ltd. The company has launched a separate marque for its decking and flooring business, Arborforest, which will be used in a brand-focused sales and marketing strategy.

Managing director Andrew Howarth said the move will primarily attract attention to the product, but added that it would also give customers the assurance of continuity and quality that can be achieved by a recognised brand.

He believes the timber industry generally has been slow to catch on to branding and there are growing opportunities to use it, particularly as key markets may have less timber expertise and confidence in specifying wood than in the past and want the assurance that a brand can provide.

Last year Timbmet also undertook a major corporate rebranding; in its case to more accurately convey what the business as a whole offers the market. “Timbmet is one of Europe’s largest timber importers and distributors, with a number of market differentiators, but our [old] brand didn’t reflect this,” said group business improvement director Gill Pagett. ”The new brand is integrated at every level and makes clear to customers the breadth of services and products available.”

Branding is seen as especially valuable for the growing number of engineered wood products and the new generation of modified timber as a brand can effectively summarise a sometimes complex technical story. So for acetylised, super heat-treated and cellulose impregnated timber and laminated veneer lumber read respectively, Accoya, ThermoWood, Indurite and Kerto.

According to Bryan Crennell, of BSW Timber, which is marketing Accoya in the UK, successful branding in this market was down to more than just devising an eye-catching logo. He said: “Key messaging is as important as the name. Often there is a lot of science behind [engineered and modified wood] products and straplines help to achieve balance between this and delivering an explanation in simple terms.”

Ms Pagett said that Timbmet also planned to raise the profile of its TEC engineered timber components brand to ensure differentiation from what she described as other engineered products “criticised for poor craftsmanship”.

Brand support

Mr Dudding stressed that brands needed significant support in terms of strong PR and overall communication of a product’s uniqueness in the marketplace. But he underlined the benefits of a well mounted branding campaign, citing the success of the company’s Kerto and ThermoWood, which are approaching the status of generics. “We now receive calls for Kerto rather than LVL,” he said.

Another advocate of branding is Glenalmond Timber, which has developed a themed corporate identity around its dimensionally stable, super-dried Ultrajoist range. Managing director Fraser Steele said: “The product’s unique blue colour and branding extends to vehicle livery, packaging and how we present ourselves at exhibitions.”

According to Mr Travis, a potentially tougher marketplace in 2008 could give the sector impetus to go down the branding route. “By building a brand, companies reduce their reliance on market fluctuations and the actions of competitors to determine pricing and demand,” he said.