For example, in a recent review of the websites of FSC certificate holders covered for furniture we could not find any reference to FSC in over 40% of cases.
Amy Buckler, Marketing Manager at Interface NRM, FSC-accredited certification body, says: “During my time working for Interface the number of companies obtaining FSC certification has increased significantly. Surprisingly however, I do not see this same increased amount of companies promoting their certification to the wider world. This is something I would like to get a better understanding of, and would also like to drive forwards with our current customers.
Responsible sourcing is becoming more and more prevalent in every aspect of our lives, and is one of the reasons certificate holders should use the tools available to them, to promote their certification. Playing your part as a company by responsibly sourcing your forest based products, is something to be very proud of.”
The FSC trademarks have been designed not only to promote the work of FSC and to inspire a love for forests, but also to enhance your brand and show your customers you care.
It may be that some companies are concerned about using the FSC trademarks correctly, but we encourage certificate holders to consider the potential benefits of promoting their FSC status and products. The requirements for the promotional use of the trademarks by certificate holders are covered in FSC-STD-50-001 V2 and there is also a webpage and quick guide. Certificate holders should contact their certification body for approval.
The FSC Marketing Toolkit is also available to certificate holders and promotional licence holders, where you can create campaign materials for communicating about FSC across a wide range of channels including social media, print, pack, and point of sale.
Through creating your own unique and compelling promotional campaigns and materials, you can communicate your commitment to responsible forest management to your customers – all backed by our influential FSC trademarks. If you don’t wish to run a whole promotional campaign, at least think about mentioning your FSC certification on your website!
¹ FSC Global Market Survey 2018. Online survey of FSC certificate and trademark licence holders (31/10/18 – 03/12/18) conducted by UZBonn on behalf of FSC International In the analysis of the results, “I don’t know” responses were treated as empty answers
² FSC UK Consumer Survey 2018. Face-to-face survey of 1102 UK adults (16 - 65+) conducted by Kantar TNS (Fieldwork 31/01/18 - 04/02/18)