An alignment of values was integral to Timber Queensland’s search for a local natural-fibre shirt to include in marketing materials for its Buy Queensland Timber campaign.
“We are promoting the benefits of natural, renewable locally-sourced building products and our message is buy local, from local supply chains,” said the group’s strategic relations and communications manager Clarissa Brandt. “We wanted to echo that and work with other local supply chains to tell our story and walk our talk.”
Jason Ross in local cotton with Clarissa Brandt, in front of local contemporary charred timber cladding.
The Buy Queensland Timber campaign had been simmering on the backburner before COVID-19 refocused consumer attention on sourcing and buying local.
Ms Brandt said earlier t-shirts purchased through a traditional promotional supplier were made overseas from polyester but the group realised this was not a good look when spruiking the health, wellbeing and sustainability benefits of local natural materials.
“These are decisions we need to be making as a society. The promotional products’ industry will always exist because businesses want to promote themselves, but we now look for sustainable ways to deliver messages phasing out the use of polyester shirts, plastic pens or stubby coolers with logos.”
It was surprisingly difficult to find a local cotton shirt but through an industry contact Clarissa found Meriel Chamberlin and Full Circle Fibres products that are ‘’Grown Milled and Made in Australia” using cotton grown at St George.
“It seems unbelievable that she is the only one. There is definitely an opportunity for growth in local sourcing of promotional products that tell a better story and align with our values.”
While price was not necessarily a determining factor, the local cotton shirts were only slightly more expensive at $26 each compared with $21 for the synthetic/plastic ones produced offshore.
“Our message is “We build Queensland”. We were happy to support a local business when promoting buy-local in our own industry to support that sentiment in other industries too. The cotton is grown in Queensland and was custom-dyed to our colour specification.’’
Part of Timber Queensland’s remit is to grow the market for timber as an environmentally friendly building product that helps combat climate change. Currently Queensland produces enough timber to meet only 70 percent of local needs (see more at BuyQldTimber.com.au) and Timber Queensland is encouraging farmers to diversify income by growing trees which also benefits grazing ecosystems.
Softwood timbers are grown in far north and south-east Queensland, hardwoods at Gympie and central Queensland, and cypress pine in western Queensland. Ms Brandt said timber is the ultimate renewable product and there is growing awareness that healthier, happier environments are achieved through biophilic designs which connect us to the natural world.