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16 September, 2019

Research Shows Advertising Is Changing Public Opinions On Forestry And Wood

Around 25 per cent of Australians have seen The Ultimate Renewable™ campaign run by Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), which research shows is positively changing public opinions on forestry and wood.

A stand-out result from the campaign was that two in three people who had seen the ads agreed with the statement “I think it is okay to harvest and replant Australian native forests”, which is more than 10 per cent higher than those who had not seen the ads.

The initial $1.8-million campaign has recently wrapped up after commencing in July. It covered all major and regional Australian cities across multiple channels through television, catch-up TV, social media, online articles, billboards, outdoor displays and several print magazines.

The new brand builds upon the previous Wood.Naturally Better™ program that successfully improved the public’s understanding about using wood to help tackle climate change.

By continuing the partnership with Planet Ark and its Make It Wood website, including featuring Peter Maddison from Grand Designs Australia, the new advertising extends the existing message and introduces renewability.

FWPA managing director, Ric Sinclair, explained the effectiveness of the campaign has been demonstrated by a tracking survey of 1,000 Australian adults.

“About 25 per cent of the public has seen either the TV or outdoor advertising,” he said.

“More importantly, those that have seen the advertising are much more likely to have a positive view of the sector across a wide range of metrics.”

The research indicates outstanding success in terms of cut-through and message uptake. Around two-thirds of people claimed that seeing the campaign has made them more supportive of forestry.

In comparing those who saw the campaign with those who didn’t, the following results were observed:

“Most trees that are harvested in Australia are replanted” – 78 per cent of those who had seen the campaign agreed, versus 67 per cent of those who had not
“Wood is the only renewable building material” – 65 per cent of those who had seen the campaign agreed, versus 51 percent of those who had not
“Australian forests are sustainably harvested and replanted according to a long-term plan” – 71 per cent of those who had seen the campaign agreed, versus 59 per cent of those who had not
“I think it is okay to harvest and replant Australian native forests” – 67 per cent of those who had seen the campaign agreed, versus 56 per cent of those who had not

In addition, almost half of those who saw the campaign took action as a result, such as Google searching The Ultimate Renewable, looking for further information on wood, speaking about the advertisement with others or visiting the Make It Wood website.

“The Ultimate Renewable™ message is all about reinforcing the association between wood and the word ‘renewable’. We need to communicate the forestry and wood sector is much more than harvesting trees.

“The brand is helping to educate the community that through replanting and natural regeneration, we are a renewable and sustainable industry,” Mr Sinclair said.

“We have also received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the industry, with more than 100 companies downloading The Ultimate Renewable™ logo, banner ads and TV commercial for their own use so far. These logos and videos will be used on their company collateral including letterheads, invoices, business cards, websites, signage, truck curtains, packaging and other areas.”

FWPA’s National Marketing and Communications Manager, Eileen Newbury, said the success of the campaign has been a collaborative effort.

“FWPA along with research consultancy Pollinate, as well other suppliers and industry stakeholders, has worked incredibly hard to deliver the successful new brand and consumer campaign,” she said.

“We are excited to continue spreading the positive messages with both the public and within the industry to help increase the community’s acceptance of our sector.”

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