inegol furniture publicity group

INEGOL FURNITURE
PUBLICITY GROUP
2013 WORLD CHAMBERS COMPETITION
Best Unconventional Project
İNEGÖL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Executive Summary
Furniture industry has always been one of the key sectors in İnegöl’s economy, which offers
its citizens occupation for over a century. Growing gradually, İnegöl furniture industry became the
leading power in its sector countrywide considering its unique style, innovative design and dynamic
structure that is empowering its potential of development.
In 2009, furniture industry reserved more than 3.000 manufacturers in İnegöl, and had $ 114
million of export – 21% of total export in İnegöl and approximately 10% of Turkey’s export in
furniture sector. Though development and high potential of furniture sector in İnegöl, it had certain
threats that need to be overcome. According to SWOT Analysis carried out by İnegöl Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, it was stated that İnegöl furniture sector had these threats:
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Insufficiency of publicity activities
Fierce competition
High costs of export to European countries
Similarity in design
High energy costs
Low production costs in China and Far Eastern countries
From this point of view, İnegöl Chamber of Commerce and Industry aimed to begin a
“publicity movement” in corporation with municipality, fair organization company, other chambers,
associations and representatives of furniture manufacturers and tradesmen. On 2nd of October 2009,
“İnegöl Furniture Publicity Group Project” began in order to provide branding of “İnegöl Furniture” so
that local furniture sector would grow and contribute to local economy more.
“İnegöl Furniture Publicity Group Project” has a wide range of publicity activities including
advertisement on national TV channels, creating a web site, announcements on local and national
newspapers and magazines, organizing International İnegöl Furniture Congress, covering articulated
lorries in furniture transportation, setting up publicity booth in furniture fairs, distributing posters,
souvenirs, T-shirts, caps and stickers with logo on it. For all these publicity activities, The Publicity
Group set aside about $ 560.000, which was funded by 15% İnegöl Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, 15% İnegöl Municipality, 35% furniture supplier companies, 25% furniture manufacturer
companies and 10% companies outside the furniture sector.
The project has contributed to many developments in furniture sector. In 2009, İnegöl made
$114 million of furniture export and this amount increased to $176 million in 2011. Export share of
furniture sector raised from 21% to 26% in two-year period. Brand equity of “İnegöl Furniture”
increased and İnegöl Furniture has been more well-known both in national and international market.
As a result, an organized industrial zone for furniture manufacturers was founded in 2012. MODEF
Expo Furniture and Decoration Fair, which is the major publicity of İnegöl Furniture and held twice a
year, has become more popular, and 25.000 square meter fairground cannot meet the exhibitors’
demand, so a 150.000 square meter new fairground is at issue now. Depending upon these
developments, the need of qualified labor force gradually increased and to satisfy this need UMEM
Project organized vocational training courses for furniture sector.
Origin of the Project
İnegöl is an important city, which gives direction to furniture sector in Turkey with its
knowledge and experience of a hundred years. With its intensive labor force, furniture sector offers
job opportunity for a major part of the population in any educational level. Like all the other cities or
countries in the world, İnegöl has some certain shortness. In furniture sector these deficiencies can
be summed up in a few titles. These deficiencies are:
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Insufficiency of publicity activities
Fierce competition
High costs of export to European countries
Similarity in design
High energy costs
Low production costs in China and Far Eastern countries
Despite these deficiencies, furniture sector also has some advantages and strengths:
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There are a great number of furniture manufacturers in the city.
Furniture sector has a historical background up to a hundred years; city has a culture
and great experience in furniture.
Most of the manufacturers are willing to export
Innovative character of the manufacturers
Within this scope, the needs brought about inventions and “İnegöl Furniture Publicity Group
Project” was founded in a sectoral meeting among the project participants; İnegöl Chamber of
Commerce
and
Industry,
İnegöl
Municipality, İnegöl Chamber of Carpenters
and Furniture Manufacturers, Association
of Bursa Young Businessmen, İnegöl
Association of Muslim Businessmen, İFOR
Fair
Organization
Company
and
representatives of young businessmen and
furniture manufacturers and tradesmen. So
the most efficient people in furniture sector
came together to initialize the most
effective publicity activities. The primary
objective of this project is to have “İnegöl
Furniture” well-known in the country and in
international market. Though İnegöl
furniture sector has a trend-making role in
Participants of İnegöl Furniture Publicity Group
Turkey, it is still not in the right place that it
deserves considering its share in national market and share in country’s export. This project is
primarily serving to branding of “İnegöl Furniture”. In this way, furniture sector is still raising its
production quantity and its export volume year by year.
In order to provide growth in furniture sector, İnegöl CCI took advertising activities serious
and in this perspective a wide range of advertising activities were planned and put into practice with a
$ 560.000 of budget. The budget of the project was funded by İnegöl CCI with 15%, İnegöl Municipality
with 15%, furniture supplier companies 35%, furniture manufacturing companies with 25% and
companies outside the sector with 10%. This funding strategy not only eased economical resources but
also provided the project to be adopted by all the concerning elements in the sector.
“İnegöl Furniture Publicity Group Project” has carried out many key advertising activities
since 2009. One of the major publicity activities was to prepare an introductory film to be on air in
national TV channels. In this purpose, the project
group compromised with an advertising agency
and scheduled the commercial film on TV
channels program. In the commercial film,
without mentioning any furniture trademark,
only “İnegöl Furniture” introduced with its
innovative design, quality and sectoral
background. Before the TV commercials, a great
launch meeting, in the spokesman of a famous
writer Professor Dr. Mehmet ALTAN, was
organized and took place in any written and
Launch Meeting of İnegöl Furniture Publicity Group
visual media around the country - headlines in
numerous local and national newspapers. So the
efficiency in media was procured in the highest degree.
Another part of the publicity activities was visibility in public. For this purpose, in MODEF
Expo 2009 between 4-8 November, a publicity booth was set up and promotional activities were
carried out such as brochures and İnegöl Furniture Booklet. Also posters and billboard advertisements
took place in all sectoral activities.
Another innovative publicity activity was
to cover the articulated lorries with body posters of
İnegöl Furniture in all national and international
transportations of furniture. Also 1.000 T-shirts and
caps with İnegöl Furniture logo were prepared and
distributed to lorry drivers. On the other side,
souvenirs, stickers and plastic tapes were provided
for furniture suppliers.
Body Covering of Lorries “İnegöl Furniture”
Publicity activities on the internet certainly were not ignored. A website containing all
introductory elements was published www.inegolmobilyasi.com.tr. In order to show the activities and
their effects, İnegöl International Furniture Congress was held with the participation of Uludağ
University, Chied of Department of Furniture and Decoration.
Results and Influences of the Project
After two years of the project launch, there have been significant results and influences not
only in furniture sector but also in city’s economic and social situation. The project contributed much
to branding of İnegöl Furniture, and as a result of branding many companies invested on technology
in production so the quality and production amount increased. Publicity activities also have influence
in furniture export of İnegöl. In 2009, the year project launched, furniture export of İnegöl was $114
million and in 2011 furniture export became $176 million.
FURNITURE EXPORT OF İNEGÖL
Year
Total
Export
Furniture
Export of
İnegöl
2009
Export
$521 million
$114 million
2010
Share in
Total
Export
21%
Export
$555 million
$143 million
2011
Share in
Total
Export
25%
Export
$676 million
$176 million
Share in
Total
Export
26%
İnegöl Furniture Sector's Share
in Furniture Export of Turkey
12,00%
10,07%
10,67%
11,15%
10,00%
8,06%
7,92%
2007
2008
8,00%
6,00%
4,00%
2,00%
0,00%
2009
2010
2011
With the support of our project, demand of manufacturers in MODEF Furniture and
Decoration Fair, which is held in 25.000 square meter fairground twice a year, gradually increased
and in 2012 the fairground can only meet the half of the demand. Over 3.000 manufacturers ask for
more exhibition area, but only half of the demanding companies can rent exhibition area in the fair.
Now building a 150.000 square meter new fairground is at issue and is necessary.
Paralleled to publicity activities, the growth and development of the sector in the recent
years have led to construction of Furniture Specialized Organized Industrial Zone, accelerating the
clustering of furniture manufacturers.
MODEF Furniture and Decoration Fair
Construction of Furniture Specialized Organized Industrial Zone
Increasing the branding value of “İnegöl Furniture”, quality in post production processes
gained much importance, and with another project of İnegöl CCI “Furniture Test Laboratory Field
Research” TUV Rheinland Furniture Test Laboratory was founded in İnegöl in October 2011. This
furniture test laboratory is the ninth in the world and the first one founded in Turkey.
Another target of the project was to support the standardization on sectoral employment by
supporting the development of vocational competence. With growth of the furniture sector in the
last two years, the demand of qualified labor force raised and as a result vocational training courses
have been held under the umbrella of another project UMEM, which is carried out whole the country
in corporation with İS-KUR, Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Ministry of National Education.
In social area, growth and development of the furniture sector in İnegöl also provided more
employment in the city.
Adopting the Project in Other Parts of the World
It is necessary to mention that our project subjected a specific need of the sector “Publicity”.
Undoubtedly, publicity and advertisement have great impact on any sector or even on any
trademark. So, not only in the other parts of the world but also in any commercial or industrial field
publicity activities can be organized within the scope of a project and may have similar results
according to their own circumstances like furniture sector in İnegöl. We attained publicity as a
specific and urgent need in our circumstances. If our project will be executed all the same as a
publicity project, then a question has to be answered: “Is there a deep need for publicity?” Our
answer was “Yes, there is”. With a wider point of view, this project is to turning a weakness into
strength, indeed.
As a conclusion, “İnegöl Furniture Publicity Group Project” has wide range of outcomes and
influences. Executing this project was a healing touch to furniture sector.
Project Partners
Project Logo
Reports from Newspapers