Cooperative Marketing of Value-Added Wood Products from the Northern Forest: How Do Markets Respond to Place-Based Messages?
During the late 1990s, United States furniture imports began to outpace exports with one third of U.S. furniture made abroad. To help resist this trend, NSRC researchers set out to determine if Northern Forest wood products could be branded for profitability. The study examined how the perceived attributes of Vermont and the broader Northern Forest influence consumers’ purchasing decisions. The success of a Northern Forest brand lies in the ability of the brand name to differentiate the product from its competitors. Therefore, this study focused on how consumers use a brand in purchasing decisions and why they connect with a place-of-origin label.
Researchers set up 13 wood product displays at inns and/or visitor centers in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Visitors filled out reply cards regarding product informational cues, such as product quality and place of origin. Two telephone surveys, targeting two different populations, were conducted to explore the effectiveness of place-based branding of Northern Forest wood products. Finally, interceptive surveys were conducted at trade shows in Vermont and Rhode Island.
Researchers found that preference for furniture with a regional brand is strongest in the northeast compared to the other three regions in the nation, and having visited the Northern Forest region is a significant factor in purchasing decisions. The Vermont brand is stronger than other Northern Forest brands, and Vermont’s natural beauty and traditional values influence purchasing decisions. Product quality is the number one motivator for choosing a Vermont labeled wood product; however, the Vermont brand also tells a story.
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