Launch ceremony for the Canadian Hemlock branding campaign
On March 19, 2021, Canada Wood China (CW China) partnered with the China National Furniture Association (CNFA) for the official launch of the Canadian Hemlock branding campaign at the China International Furniture Fair (CIFF). The event was joined by the Vice President of CNFA, Tu Qi, and the Consul General of Canada in Guangzhou, Philippe Rheault, along with over 100 representatives of furniture enterprises and industry media.
The Hemlock branding campaign is designed to create a brand image for a Canadian species of wood to improve the effectiveness of marketing communications and grow consumer interest. Market research showed that Hemlock had the strongest potential as a desirable material for mid to high quality furniture producers, along with the best specifications for softwood to be used in home furniture.
In her opening remarks at the conference, Vice President Tu Qi promoted the MOU signed by Canada Wood and CNFA to promote exchanges in furniture and wood industries between the two countries. A collaboration on the Canadian Hemlock branding campaign is an important part of this partnership, which will extend to all areas of wood furniture in China.
Eric Wong, Managing Director of CW China highlighted that Canada is a major timber exporter, supplying high quality wood materials to global consumers. As a raw material for wood furniture, Canadian hemlock is a sustainable, environment friendly solution. It can fit a variety of design styles and is appropriate for the market of young people looking to buy higher quality furniture at affordable prices.
The Consul General of Canada, Philippe Rheault, said that China is the largest timber importer in the world, and the second largest export market for Canada. Chinese furniture enterprises pay more and more attention to environmental protection and low-carbon concepts, making Canadian hemlock a good solution as it comes from forest areas with strong environmental protection policies and sustainable management.
Following the opening speeches, Alex Wu, Manager of Business Development for Wood in Manufacturing (WiM) at CW China, gave a presentation on the branding campaign. He introduced Canada’s forest management system, to demonstrate how responsible management can avoid deforestation and protect the environment. He also summarized the market research driving the campaign, highlighting the market potential and how the program aligned with consumer interest.
The slogan of this campaign 加拿大百年铁杉，年轻人的实木家具 translates to “Hundreds of years of Canadian hemlock, for solid wood furniture for young people.” The main themes of the campaign focus on health and environmental protection (健康环保), simple and modern fashion (简约时尚) and good quality at competitive prices (高性价比).
As a natural material for furniture, Canadian hemlock offers not only an environmental option that adheres to sustainability practices in Canada, but also a product that aligns with a healthy lifestyle. Furniture made of hemlock has a natural wood texture, which offers a warm and comfortable feeling at home. Processing performance is conducive to the production of a simple modern style appreciated by young consumers, and can fit a variety of designs to follow fashion trends.
After the launch ceremony, guests and media partners were invited to the Canada Wood booth at CIFF, where they could see the furniture products that have been produced with Hemlock by local manufacturers and learn more about resources offered by CW China.
