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Wool Industry Antagonists Strike Again


Wool Industry Antagonists Strike Again

The recent announcement by Wool Partners International, that it does not support “generic” marketing, and will not pay the IWTO royalty on the use of its intellectual property has brought a terse response from industry leaders.

“This highlights that there is a real intent by Wool Partners to destroy any potential to unify the industry and to improve the returns to the all sectors. They seem to be focussed on some strange conceptions that a divided industry will benefit the grower,” National Council of Wool Interests chairman Stephen Fookes said today.

“This is a complete turn around from just a couple of weeks ago. I personally sat in WPI’s offices for two hours and received assurances from them that not only did they support the various projects that the National Council is undertaking but that they were quite happy with the royalty system to meet the cost of these projects.”

Mr Fookes said that In March 2010, the National Council of NZ Wool Interests announced that International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) had proposed a range of projects aimed at re-igniting the global wool industry. These projects resulted from research undertaken by the global industry, including WPI subsidiary Wools of New Zealand, in 2006. The facts produced from that research were:

• Market surveys in Europe and USA indicated that brand identification in floor coverings rated low in importance; and
• Global test marketing programmes (“generic”) rated high in importance.

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The two key projects that IWTO planned are focussed directly at the market pull strategy.

The Architects Project commenced in New Zealand in April. This process involved the selection of 14 of the world’s most prominent and influential architects. This group was inducted to the range of New Zealand developments in the wool textile industry. They then pass the results of their project to 40,000 architects, plus a wider range of 100,000 plus subscribers to the programme. Architects are the decision makers in using textiles in interiors.

The second stage of the Architects Project was presented to the IWTO Congress, held in Paris two weeks ago. This was recognised as one of the most successful programmes held for interior textile for many years.

The Architects Project has been identified by the key marketing strategy companies, and high profile marketing magazines, as applauding the strategic marketing process.

The Prince Charles Wool Campaign is the second “generic” project. The project starts in October 2010. The companies that will participate include:

• Austin Reed
• Burberry
• Jaeger
• Aquascutum
• Hackett
• Marks and Spencer
• John Smedley
• Pringle of Scotland
• Liberty
• Selfridges
• Debenhams
• Harvey Nichols
• John Lewis Partnership
• Tesco
• Betty Jackson
• Topshop
• Jigsaw
• Jasper Conran
• Gieves & Hawkes
• Hardy Amies
• Richard James
• Timothy Everest
• Anderson and Shepherd
• Henry Poole
• Adam Carpets
• Axminster Carpets
• Brintons Carpets
• Causeway Carpets
• Cavalier Carpets
• Cormar Carpets
• Pownall Carpets
• Ryalux Carpets
• Ulster Carpets
• Victoria Carpets
• Woodward Grosvenor
• Carpet Foundation and 1,000 Independent retailers
• Foggerty bedding
• Harrison and Spinks bedding
• Camira upholstery
• Robert Noble upholstery
• Thermafleece insulation
• Society of British Interior Designers

“Could anything be less generic than working with the key market leaders in the textile retail?” Mr Fookes asked.

In February 2010 Wools of NZ stated in the media “Wools of NZ is very supportive of the industry good wool campaign orchestrated by the British Wool Marketing Board”. Is that supporting generic marketing?

The fact that Wool Partners International has chosen to not support the IWTO initiated projects further increases the resolve of the New Zealand wool industry to focus on maximising the global industry resources to benefit the renaissance of wool and bring it back to a viable and profitable industry. The $500,000 cooperatively funded projects, on a fully accountable basis, compares pretty favourably with the millions of dollars poured into the “black hole” by the levy collectors.

ENDS

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