On slogans and unity: Keep the dialogue going
By Ray Allegrezza, Editor in chief -- Furniture Today, March 10, 2002
Writing a regular column for Furniture/Today is much like stepping up to the plate. There's no conceivable way you can hit a home run every time. I'm happy to get even a little wood on the old apple now and again. At the risk of sounding egotistical, I suspect I made contact with my last column … the one that opened two cans of industry worms.
In that column, I broached two industry issues: the idea of a single, unified industry association and a call for catchy slogans the furniture industry might use to elevate consumer awareness and subsequently boost sales of our products.
Judging by the number of calls and e-mails I've received, these issues also have been on your mind. Let's start with a sampling of suggested industry slogans sent in by our readers:
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Furniture: Art with an attitude
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Beautiful You, Beautiful Furniture
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America's Furnishing Industry – Furnishing Your Life!
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Furniture: It Hits Home
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Celebrate Your Life
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Furnish Your Life
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Furnish your home, Furnish your life
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Furniture – A Reflection of You
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Furniture – A Personal Expression
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Furniture – With you day and night
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Furniture – Comfort you can live with
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Furniture – It's for living
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Furniture – Your personal reflection
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Furniture makes your house your home
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Furniture – Transforming your cave into your cocoon
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Furniture – Style that hits home
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American furniture – Sit on it!
Suffice it to say that a number of suggestions, while very clever, were just a tad too risqué to appear in print. But, if nothing else, it shows that some of you have a highly developed sense of humor.
By comparison, the idea of one industry association is being taken much more seriously, at least judging by your calls and e-mails.
An e-mail from one reader put it this way: "Your editorial about a unified industry voice was right on the mark." The reader went on to say that he has had dealings with "numerous trade associations over the years, and it is my opinion that the best model for the furniture industry would be Cotton Inc."
Other readers wrote to suggest the heart of the issue may not be the number of industry associations, but the number of industry egos. "Will the larger associations give up their power to facilitate moves that could benefit the entire industry?" one reader asked.
Another reader wondered if we can reach a point where we "do what is best for the industry, not just what is best for our individual groups."
These are compelling questions. Let's keep the dialogue on both issues alive. Keep those cards and letters coming!
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