Furniture Makers Group Working On Marketing Campai
High Point, NC, June 18--The American Furniture Manufacturers Association board of directors Monday announced its intention to explore an advertising campaign to increase demand for home furnishings products.
The AFMA will take a leadership role in executing the national campaign which is an industrywide effort with planned support from AFMA members and home-related, non-AFMA member manufacturers and retailers.
A consensus by the AFMA board approved development of marketing concepts and exploration of funding the projected three to five year campaign with an estimated budget of $60 million to $100 million.
It has been suggested that AFMA member companies commit to contributing one-tenth of 1 percent of shipments for a minimum of three years as well as other industry-related nonmember suppliers and retailers who benefit from home decorating. This category includes furniture importers, plus carpeting, flooring, wallpaper and bedding manufacturers and retailers.
The campaign proposal stemmed from a recent blue ribbon committee meeting, chaired by Farooq Kathwari, chairman and chief executive officer of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. Kathwari is also the current AFMA chairman.
Other members of the blue ribbon subcommittee are Alex Bernhardt, chairman and CEO of Bernhardt Furniture; Mickey Holliman, chairman, president and CEO of Furniture Brands International; and Pat Norton, chairman of La-Z-Boy.
In addition, the subcommittee invited AFMA executive committee members Steve Kincaid, president of Kincaid Furniture; Rob Spilman, president and CEO of Bassett Furniture; and Rob Sligh, chairman and CEO of Sligh Furniture, to join in the deliberations.
The subcommittee plans to solicit marketing proposals from several top communications agencies and expects to select an agency of record. The AFMA board has also approved spending up to $100,000 to support any testing and refining of the media messaging recommended by that agency.
