Ads for Zip Sheathing
NICK KEENAN
| Posted in General Questions on
This is really just ranting/marveling at lumber prices. But I noticed that ads for Zip System keep popping up. I had the opportunity to price some the other day, and it’s over $50 a sheet. And at that price they’re limiting it to 90 sheets per customer!
From what I can tell the lumber supply chain is all tangled up right now and they can’t produce nearly enough to meet demand. And yet the ads continue?
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Replies
Business 101--ramp up marketing when business is good. They must be awash in cash right now and spreading it around to the publications who need it.
The other Business 101, slash marketing when the economy turns and selling anything gets harder. Marketing is always “soft money” when future sales look problematic.
Advertising Contracts 101--They might also have prebooked those ad buys before the pandemic hit.
I picked up a sheet of Zip at my local Lowes last week for $42. Nice to see it more widely available than a couple years ago when I had to special order it and answer everyone's question about the "green stuff".
They also don't want their brand to fade from people's memory. Part of brand building is keeping it in people's minds, so they don't want to lose the recognition they've built up over the years.
Bill
I should collect a royalty then, since the Zip R on my house was exposed for a solid year, for reasons...
:-D
That’s very funny 😆
The 7/16" sheets are $25 a piece at Lowes. Seems pretty reasonably priced to me.
Prices were much higher a few years ago when this thread first started. Pressure treated lumber was maybe triple normal prices, and OSB was way up to, so much so that plywood was usually cheaper than OSB (that's dogs and cats living together territory! :-D)
In the past year or so, prices have come back down to more normal-ish levels, although still higher than they were pre-pandemic. I doub't we'll ever return to pre-pandemic pricing, but at least we're down from the high of a few years ago.
Now if copper would just come down some I'd be much happier...
Bill
Hey everyone! As a marketer, I wanted to chime in on the topic of Zip System advertising and the current state of the lumber market. It's interesting to see Zip System ads still popping up despite the soaring lumber prices and limited availability. It's a mix of frustration and curiosity, right?
From what I understand, the lumber supply chain is facing significant challenges, leading to a shortage in meeting the soaring demand.
Now, regarding the ongoing advertising, it could be a strategic move on the part of Zip System. They might be aiming to maintain visibility and brand awareness during this challenging time. Additionally, they could be using the ads to communicate their commitment to customers and provide updates on the situation.
It's a complex situation, and the advertising approach might be a calculated decision to navigate through these uncertain times.
Some really good points here.
Still a strange strategy as likely to damage brand and lead to frustration when customers click ads and can't buy products.
You see it a lot though. Mostly with automated ads, where something sells out but the ads keep coming. Could be companies that base campaign success on CTR rather than linking it to actual sales.