RAH News – April 2022 Update

RAHC Board Gets Consumer Site Preview

We all know that hardwoods give a home style, class, and an air of affluence. We know they provide enduring beauty and a reflection of the owner’s personal taste. And we know they add warmth. But is that enough to sway a consumer away from substitute products that seek to provide the same look?

That’s the million-dollar question on which the future of hardwood product sales hinges. And when we are talking promotion to a world-wide audience, it literally takes a million-dollar answer.

Fundraising for the RAH campaign is underway, and over two dozen hardwood-related trade associations have exceeded their goals for contributing to the program. The bills have been paid for the research phases, and almost completely paid to the world-class marketing firm, Canvas United, for the development of the all-important consumer-facing website.

This site will be the cornerstone of the Real American Hardwood campaign. It will need to inspire imagination, evoke emotion, provide education, and spark consumers to choose hardwoods for their projects.

To do this, Canvas is looking to reach consumers via two powerful new angles. First, they want to appeal to consumer’s emotional side. They want to touch the hearts and consciousness of all consumers by portraying hardwoods as the healthiest choice. They want consumers to understand that the choices they make MATTER, to those who matter most in their lives.

Secondly, they want to make hardwoods cool, especially to buyers from younger generations with purchasing power and a modern sense of environmental responsibility.

Using powerful visual imagery, peppered with few words, they want to augment the natural look and feel of hardwoods with a message that your family, your children, and even your pets, are better off walking, playing, or resting on a floor made of hardwoods than any other material.

The site will slowly peel back the layers to tell the story, just like the rings of a tree tell the story of its life. The site will be as subtle as the “b” in subtle, in how they promote the environmental advantages of hardwoods, while pointing out the shortcomings of competitive materials. They’ll make the consumers understand that they are choosing the most stylish and healthiest product for their families, while making them feel good about their choices for the planet’s future.

In short, they are going to deliver what we have asked for. Now, the question is whether or not the industry’s businesses, at all levels, will like what they see and step up to give the campaign “staying power.”

The associations who have collaborated to take on the project have pushed all their chips in to get this right. It’s the hardwood version of “Field of Dreams.” They have built it, but will members come? We are committed to making this campaign benefit all sectors of the industry but need continued financial support to keep the effort moving forward. Contribute today and help secure the hardwood industry’s future.