Emotionalise Wool!
 Interior Textiles – Market and Consumer Study

Brussels, 22/06/2006

The main results of the market research “Future Consumption of Interior Textiles”, executed by the German based GfK Group, have been presented during the IWTO Annual Congress held May 2006 in Cairo (Egypt), followed by a panel discussion. The research, including the interior textiles sectors of carpets, bedding, upholstery and hand knitting, is covering 13 countries in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia.

According to the GfK Study, the product “wool” as a brand must show emotional benefits next to pure rational and functional product characteristics. The research urges the industry to start working on emotional brand values, to emotionalise wool. The GfK Study showed that there is a significant lack of information about the benefits and the properties of natural fibres among retailers and end consumers.
It was also stated that in order to be able to compete in the fibre market, Research & Development is essential, but only when combined with professional and systematic communication and promotion of the innovation.

GFK recommended that “wool” as such must be established as a brand in the sense of a generic expression. The industry needs a worldwide strong communication campaign, promoting the unique selling propositions of wool and the image of wool being a prestigious and exclusive material.

In a panel discussion which followed the GfK presentation at the IWTO Congress, an interesting exchange of views about the results of the study has taken place. The panel included leading industrialists of the interior textile sector, such as Yasmine Khamis (Oriental Weavers, Egypt), Bruce Bell (Bellbridge Carpets, USA) and Marc Bartels (Arte Espina, Netherlands). Common view was that there is a significant lack of communication of the product benefits (rational and emotional) which has led to a negative impact on the image of wool in the interior textiles sector.

Against this background, a ‘relaunch of wool’ is needed focusing on the ‘emotionalisation of wool’ and resulting in a ‘product branding’ To emotionalise wool, a superior marketing strategy must be initiated.

The core principle of the marketing strategy must be:

• a communication offensive

• a close cooperation between the different communities of interest

Core contents of the marketing strategy are the definition of the:

• brand core and thus the personality of wool: high class, high social standing, trendy, fashionable, charismatic, unique, stylish, sophisticated, natural, easy-care.

• target people:

  • B-to-B: Focus on successful companies in this area and invite them to IWTO to exchange ideas and opinions

  • B-to-C: Focus on users of luxury goods

• communication contents

• communication media

The full study results are available through IWTO head office.