Final Coat: Real American Hardwood Campaign Provides the Keys to the Castle

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Michael Martin (center), president and CEO of NWFA, is pictured with Joanna and Chip Gaines during Magnolia Networkā€™s Silobration 2022. Photo courtesy of NWFA.

The Real American Hardwood Coalition (RAHC) was established by 30 hardwood industry associations, including the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), to inspire a stylish and healthy environment by educating consumers on the many benefits of Real American Hardwoodā„¢ products. In 2022, the coalition launched the website, realamercianhardwood.com, designed to inspire and inform consumers. As we start the new year, hereā€™s a look at the work coming in 2023.

Social Media Campaign

In November 2022, the RAHC started a social media campaign. Weekly posts resonate with what consumers have told us they love about hardwoods ā€“ such as ease of care and maintenance, beauty, and home luxury. Posts are now live across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube.

In December, the coalition kicked off a Black Friday Stocking Stuffer giveaway for cell phone amplifiers made by Handcrafted Customer Furniture, located in Beaver, Pennsylvania, with
wood provided by Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring, located in Emlenton, Pennsylvania, creating gifts for wood ā€“ and music ā€“ lovers.

You can help expand our social media reach by tagging your own promotion of hardwoods with NWFAā€™s ā€œReal Wood. Real Life.ā€ campaign and the RAHC campaign hashtags, #realwoodreallife and #realamericanhardwood.

Leafing Out in 2023

Launched in January 2023, the second stage of the RAHCā€™s promotion plan focuses on content integration with home improvement programming and personalities, amplified with paid social and digital support.

As one of the association executives charged with leading the RAHC Promotion Task Force, I had the unique opportunity to go to Waco, Texas, during Magnolia Networkā€™s Silobration 2022, which brings fans and stars together.

If youā€™ve never been there, todayā€™s Waco is a reflection of the success of Chip and Joanna Gainesā€™ home improvement dynasty, which includes their own Magnolia Network, and their famous Silo area of the city that features Magnoliaā€™s historic twin silos, a shopping district, park, chapel, and entertainment stage.

Studio executives and network clients were on hand during Silobration for a special sneak-peak tour of the Gainesā€™ latest renovation project, The Castle. This project is a true hardwood showcase, with flooring, walls, mouldings, and a front door of several hundred pounds of century-old hardwood, that is featured on the new season of the coupleā€™s popular television show, ā€œFixer Upper.ā€

There couldnā€™t be a better opportunity to showcase hardwoods than with Magnolia. While Chip may not like to stain hardwood flooring and Joanna does, as established in an episode where they argued over natural vs. staining hardwoods, they are both committed to repurposing and using new sustainable wood products. In fact, throughout the tour of all their facilities, I could not find one fake wood product, including Joannaā€™s cooking studio, store floors, products, or even candle lids in their stores.

While our industry should be especially impressed with the commitment and use of our industryā€™s own natural products, the flooring sector of hardwood actually has another reason to be impressed with a special nod to celebrity authenticity. It turns out that Chip grew up in his familyā€™s flooring business, and certainly has a soft spot for hardwood.

Becoming an Influencer

The year closed with the RAHC coming together for a strategic planning meeting to outline efforts in 2023 and beyond. As support continues to grow, the RAHC will implement a public relations campaign to elevate real American hardwood products.

VisitĀ realamericanhardwood.org, to learn more about the RAHC and to donate to the campaign. Together, with our hardwood peers, we can do more together than any of us can do separately to promote the amazing products of nature.

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