Builders’ merchant staff across the UK recently swotted up on Norbord’s product range as part of an awareness-raising exercise.

Norbord sent a product pack to each one of its merchant customers’ branches. Along with the brochures and leaflets, each mail-out included a mug decorated with a letter in the style of a Scrabble tile. The mugs were clues in a competition to identify and spell the name of a specific Norbord product. The first three branches to assemble the word using their mugs sent a photo into Norbord’s head office to win an Apple iPad.

The three lucky winners included Brian Smith from MGM Timber in Perth, Richard Blackmore from Jewson in Honiton and Gwen Lees from Cowal Building & Plumbing Supplies in Dunoon.

“The merchants sell through thousands of branches all over the UK, and although we’d like to visit all of them, that’s just not possible in such a short space of time,” explained Norbord brand manager David Connacher. “By establishing a series of regular communications we can start a conversation and get people thinking about Norbord. It’s an effective way of communicating product features and benefits and directing people to the website where they can find out more.”

The campaign kicked off with a focus on the Caberwood MDF product range and has continued with a different product mailing each month. Each mailing included literature, POS sales material as well as the cryptic mug.

“All the signs are that this campaign has made a positive impact at branch level” continued Mr Connacher. “The mailings have generated a buzz, we received a lot of positive feedback and we are delighted with the result.”