Citation
(2014), "Executive summary of “Designers’ wooden furniture ecodesign implementation in Scandinavian country-of-origin (COO) branding”", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 23 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-04-2014-0569
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Executive summary of “Designers’ wooden furniture ecodesign implementation in Scandinavian country-of-origin (COO) branding”
Article Type: Executive summary and implications for managers and executives From: Journal of Product & Brand Management, Volume 23, Issue 3
This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives a rapid appreciation of the content of this article. Those with a particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in toto to take advantage of the more comprehensive description of the research undertaken and its results to get the full benefits of the material present.
Providing benefits for companies and their consumers is a key driving force behind the design and creation of products and services. A strong emphasis on appearance, performance and value can enable successful accomplishment of these aims. Both tangible and abstract dimensions are therefore critical to the design process. By addressing technical and visual product features, it is more likely that the effect on consumers will be positive. Manufacturer and business goals are thus likelier to be achieved.
It is vital that companies are inventive where design is concerned. This can help improve operations and strategic focus and will typically result in a greater share of the market being secured. Sustaining success over the longer term is another realistic achievement for organizations whose offerings create added value for their customers.
Firms face the extra challenge of satisfying the growing band of consumers who express concern about environmental welfare. Product design thus has to meet such demands while remaining commercially viable and enabling new growth opportunities. Studies have also pointed out the potential significance of the culture and lifestyle of the individual consumer. It is argued that product design possesses the capacity to provide some enhancement in these respects.
Where the production of furniture is concerned, substantial importance is attributed to industrial design. A consideration of consumer tastes and brand preferences is regarded as a viable means for manufacturers to liaise with customers as part of the value-creation process. One recommendation in the literature is for designs to consider the cultural and environmental ideals held by various consumer segments. It is purported that a product will have greater appeal if a customer is able to mentally relate to the brand.
These factors are evidently incorporated into the design of furniture in Scandinavia. A simple style remains popular as this indicates harmony between products and the natural environment while at the same time reflecting the “democratic values” which prevail. Selecting appropriate “materials, processes and ergonomics” to achieve equilibrium of practical and aesthetical expectations is therefore essential. The likelihood that consumer trends and tastes will evolve also needs consideration when new furniture is proposed.
Choice of raw materials requires serious consideration. Researchers claim that wood has many redeeming qualities, such as its safety and ecological friendliness. In addition, it boasts visual appeal and is flexible with regard to production techniques. Being customizable further heightens its attractiveness, along with the scope to apply treatments which produce various finishes. Evidence suggests that some consumers are attracted to the qualities inherent in wooden furniture to the degree that they are willing to pay a price premium to obtain it.
Using wood in production raises the issue of the growing clamor for development to become more sustainable. Wood has the advantage of being renewable, while supporting livelihoods near to forest areas where the raw material is obtained also promotes sustainability. Design efficiency is acknowledged as also positively impacting on other sustainability concerns including pollution and resource utilization. However, what is termed “ecodesign” is only likely to succeed if all participants in the industrial production processes incorporate a significant ecological orientation into their strategies. The advantages inherent in adopting this approach are readily understood in many firms. But others are less proactive in environmental terms, and the prevailing mindset is one that equates ecodesign with compliance to unwelcome rules.
Ecodesign is essentially a holistic process, with a core aim to minimize any negative consequences. By sourcing and utilizing materials in a responsible manner, the effect on health and the environment can be positive. These sentiments are echoed with integral attributes of ecodesign such as using recycled materials where possible and limiting the consumption of energy and water. Such a philosophy ensures that the environmental impact during the life cycle of wooden furniture products is minimal at worst.
Organizations able to secure a reputation for being environmentally friendly can increase their attractiveness to consumer segments where green issues matter. Some skeptics do claim though that evidence of consumer willingness to pay (WTP) higher prices is confined to niche markets. The green qualities of wood are increasingly being seen by manufacturers as helping to secure a competitive edge. However, that consumer perceptions about the environmental benefits offered by wooden furniture may vary across different nations is also pointed out.
Country-of-origin (COO) is a widely researched concept that influences consumer beliefs about product quality and reliability. Changes to products, markets and consumer tastes can result in perceptions being altered. Scholars note that “Scandinavian design” functions as a regional COO and reflects Nordic traits based on established social and environmental ideals. This description indicates the cultural traditions common across Nordic nations and emerged first during the 1950s.
Maintaining the value of their COO brands requires manufacturers to constantly evaluate their marketing strategies. The danger is posed by the fact that cheaper offerings also carry the Scandinavian brand name. It will become difficult to sustain the brand position among affluent and green consumers if this connection to low-cost mass production gathers further momentum.
Lähtinen et al. investigate the role of ecological factors in Scandinavian furniture design by consulting designers in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland. Participants reported varying degrees of experience of working with wooden furniture. An online questionnaire was created from relevant literature and generated 60 usable responses.
Analysis revealed that:
COO brand labeling was utilized to some extent for wooden furniture products by 54 respondents.
Aspects most associated with Scandinavian design style (SDS) and ecodesign orientations (EDO) were identified. SDS factors were defined as “elegance and timelessness”, “mass production”, “efficient” and “simple design for durable products”. Factors for EDO were “material and process optimization”, “environmentally friendly long-term furniture use” and “furniture second life”.
Each EDO factor confirmed that participants occasionally or always incorporate ecodesign both strategically and in practice. However, no SDS factor impacted on wooden furniture’s environmental orientation.
Communication with different segments should prove more effective if marketers tailor the information provided to the respective environmental aspects deemed most relevant in each case. Lähtinen et al. illustrate this point by pointing out contrasting situations where affordability or impact on the environment might be the main concern.
Additional study can enhance understanding of how consumers vary in their “ecological expectations” and how this should influence design styles. Another possibility is to explore how particular ecodesign strategies can be fused with Scandinavian COO branding. Work to produce more accurate identification of synergies between SDS and EDO is also worthwhile.
To read the full article, enter 10.1108/JPBM-07-2013-0354 into your search engine.
(A précis of the article “Designers’ wooden furniture ecodesign implementation in Scandinavian country-of-origin (COO) branding”. Supplied by Marketing Consultants for Emerald.)