BMATWT 352 - Building Materials and Forest Products Marketing

Brand Identity

Binsacca, Rich. 2004. Brand Identity, Pro Sales, Feb, 2004. 57,58,60,62

Creating a Marketing and Public Relations Plan

• If looking outside, find an agency with specific industry experience
• Consider hiring and training someone in-house to manage the marketing plan
• Use Co-op Dollars - What are Co-op Dollars?
• Begin by defining how you want your customers to perceive your business.
• Set a budget and make it "open"
• Involve employees (bottom-up) and make sure there is top-down committment as well

Schneider Lumber

• Brand identity - Local voice and focus
• Customer value - Customized info packets to help Contractors sell to THEIR customer (Marketing Partner Program)
• Media - Radio - 40% market share (near monopoly)
• Leverage co-op dollars

Cape Cod Lumber

• Brand Identity - "A Lumberyard for Contractors", tag line "no carts, no carriages, no birdhouses"
• Customer Value - Contractor "Alliance Program" Sales up by $1million, reward loyalty in purchases, and help contractors sell to their customers. Online access to templates for business cards, fliers etc.
• Help handle some of the other 80% of customers, 80/20 rule

Parr Lumber

• Brand Identity - Excellent service, unhurried and uncrowded stores, and pro-level expertise
• Began with outside agency that failed (didn't know business) succeeded with in-house staff.

 

 

Produced and maintained by David T. Damery
Building Materials and Wood Technology
Department of Natural Resources Conservation
College of Natural Resources and the Environment
University of Massachusetts, Amherst.