Forest Certification Descriptions As Instruments for Branding: An Exploratory Analysis of U.S. Supply Chain Members‪.‬

Abstract The diversity of forest environmental certification schemes can be confusing to consumers and may weaken the clarity of their message. Certified forest product demand is partly contingent on product information. There is a need to understand how information provided by certifiers is processed by supply chain members. In this study, we develop and test a model that deconstructs certification descriptions into three components: (1) certification drivers, (2) certification principles, and (3) pledge of certified products. Four descriptions of forest certification were evaluated based on the weight placed on each of these three components by U.S. homebuilders and architects. A multivariate regression was used to determine each certification description's influence on respondents to (1) consider procuring certified wood products, (2) deem certification as an effective marketing tool for their company, and (3) perceive that certified products provide advantages over noncertified products. Findings suggest that forest certification descriptions that place a high importance in explaining reasons that justify the use of certified wood products are the most important determinants of supply chain members' perceptions about forest certification. Descriptions with a thorough explanation of the principles that determine how a product is certified also have a significant and positive, but smaller, effect.