The Furnishing Industry Association of Australia (FIAA) has launched a national consumer campaign to counteract the flood of Asian imports into Australia.

The campaign was launched to the industry at the Furnitex Gala Dinner in Melbourne on Friday 20th July by FIAA (Queensland) President Kevin Feldman.

The Australian consumer will see the swing tag when it is launched to the public at the Brisbane Home Show at the Brisbane Entertainment and Convention Centre on October 10.

PDT Architects have designed a cutting edge display for the show which showcases the tag, the principle behind it and fine examples of ‘Australian Made’ furniture.

It will feature classic and modern pieces along with the advantages of buying ‘Australian Made’.

The stand will travel to major shows in Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne as well as Furnitex and Designex in 2008.

‘After years of unsuccessfully lobbying successive governments to assist the Furniture Industry in the face of policy changes with regards to imports, we realized that we needed to run our own positive campaign to encourage consumers to buy the local product’ said Kevin.

‘This Campaign is a pro Australian campaign that focuses on the real plusses of buying local for the consumer’ he said.

The cornerstone of the FIAA project is a new swing tag for furniture which carries a ‘peace of mind’ assurance for the consumer and advises the consumer that the maker of the product is Association endorsed.

The campaign was designed by drawing on industry research, input from members, similar campaigns in the UK and Europe, public relations consultants and an advertising agency.

The FIAA public awareness strategy has linked up with the very successful Australian Made Campaign.

‘We will gain great strength from this partnership’ said Kevin.

The industry will be promoting the security, quality, design, style, environmental and sustainability benefits of its Australian products.

‘The new swing tag will assist the consumer in readily identifying the products made in Australia by industry endorsed companies’ said Kevin ‘It will provide genuine peace of mind for the consumer’.

‘People want to know more about the quality of foams, springs, leather and the timber frames’ said Kevin. ‘We will have information available on what makes up a quality, long lasting item’.

‘How many people would buy a car that was covered by a tarpaulin and “trust” that everything under the cover was acceptable’ said Kevin.

‘None, and yet that is exactly what consumers do with furniture. This Campaign will assist the consumer to make an informed choice’.

The cutting edge designs and selection of timbers and fabrics available from both bespoke and stock ranges will be showcased.

The campaign will also be aimed at the increasing ‘green’ side of consumers with information on environmental practice and social and workplace issues.

Finally the campaign will identify and raise the awareness of the business, economic and employment issues related to an industry that currently employs 80,000 Australians and turns over 8 billion dollars annually.  The FIAA campaign will roll over the next 18 months to be targeted to the key stakeholders for the industry.

‘We are aiming our plan of events and media campaign at the five groups who influence furniture decisions, directly and indirectly’ said Kevin.

Consumers, the business community, architects and designers, educators and trainers and retailers are all catered for in the plan.

This plan includes TV and press promotions, exciting stands at all major home shows, careers expos, Industry shows such as Furnitex and Designex, and will include industry retrospectives, design competitions and a new national website.

Following the Home Show, in November the Australian Furniture of the Year Awards will be presented in Perth.  This year’s event includes a new category that showcases Australia’s best young designers.  The winner will receive have the choice of one of four courses in furniture design in Florence. Milan, Copenhagen or London, valued at up to $10, 000.

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For more media information:

Jayne Keogh
JKPR
07 3210 1473
0418 882 408
jayne@jkpr.com.au