Research Brief #7

A Computer Based Promotional Tool for the Louisiana Secondary Wood Products Industry
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA

Research Objectives

• To build an electronic catalog of products and services offered by Louisiana secondary wood products manufacturers.
• Use the electronic catalog as a mechanism to disseminate product information to potential purchasers of Louisiana secondary wood products, locally, nationally and internationally.

Synopsis of Results

The first phase of this project yielded a working version of an electronic catalog of twenty Louisiana furniture manufacturers.

Conclusions

This project could have a profound impact on this industry sector by creating an opportunity for small, rural and capital constrained companies (in terms of marketing promotion) to conduct promotional activities across a wide geographic scope.

In the pilot project, participating companies would not incur any costs or be required develop marketing expertise. The ability for these firms to engage in promotional activities can stimulate demand for Louisiana secondary wood products. Increased demand often translates into company expansion and concurrent employment expansion. Community and regional economic growth can ultimately be stimulated, an attractive proposition for the rural communities in which most of these companies reside.

Researchers

Richard P. Vlosky, Assistant Professor, Forest Products Marketing
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Rado Gazo, Post Doctoral Researcher
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Target Group

Methodology

Using high compression software, product catalogs will be put on electronic media. Photographs of products, product descriptions, prices, schematics, and instructions for assembly are examples of information that can be contained in the catalog.

Individual catalogs for each participating company can be copied and distributed royalty-free.

A master catalog of all participating companies will be built using CD-ROM technology and reside on a World Wide Web Internet server at the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center.