6. The use of Denmark as an endorser brand
6.1 Areas of focus among the target audience
As mentioned earlier, the responses in this study did not reveal any notable differences between the two segments of the target audience’s perception of Denmark. However, it did reveal differences in terms of their focus areas within green building and the division of responsibilities between the two segments15. Figure 6.1: Degree of involvement in the selecting building materials
Source: Appendix 18 (CD-rom) – Question 5.
The figure above confirms the architect’s role as described in Chapter 4 as every architect in the questionnaire indicated being either ‘often involved’ or ‘always involved’ in selecting materials while 56 pct.
of the engineers stated that they were either rarely or never involved.
15 As there was only 1 respondent who indicated being a contractor, this response has been disregarded in the following as it does not make sense to conclude a trend based on one respondent.
Never involved Rarely involved Often involved Always involved
Engineer 6% 50% 18% 26%
Architect 0% 0% 24% 76%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
How often are you normally involved in the process of selecting
the materials used in a building project?
68 Figure 6.2: Greatest focus areas within green building
* Respondents were asked to rate each aspect on a scale from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest Source: Appendix 18 (CD-rom) – Question 4.
This division of labor may well also reflect the difference in the two segments’ priority of the five main focus areas of green building determined in the LEED classification system. Worth noting is that ’energy efficiency’ is rated highest among both architects and engineers as this is also one of Denmark’s self-perceived areas of strengths and more importantly, an area where the target audience seems to hold a positive image of Denmark as well. ‘Indoor environmental quality’ is also an important focus area for both segments – and also an area where Denmark is perceived to have a great level of competency as indicated in both the spontaneous associations with the Danish building industry and in the comparison with Germany and the target audience’s own home country.
Country-of-origin’s influence on the target audience’s purchase decision
The determining factors influencing the target audience in their decision-making process are illustrated below. The significance of country-of-origin effect was deliberately asked indirectly and in context of several other factors to avoid respondents attaching unnaturally great importance to this issue. This also allowed me to examine which other factors the target audience attaches importance to in order to see which opportunities or threats this poses for the Danish building industry.
1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5
Site planning Indoor environmental
quality
Water management
Use of sustainable
materials
Energy efficiency
How much do you typically focus on each of the following aspects when designing/building a green building?
Architect Engineer Rating Average
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Figure 6.3: Determining factors when selecting building materials
Source: Appendix 9 (CD-rom) – Question 6.
33 pct. of the respondents say that the ‘made-in-country’ influence their choice of building materials when selecting building materials, while 20 pct. considered it an important factor when assessing new or unknown products as illustrated below.
12%
2%
11%
23%
33%
33%
48%
53%
53%
55%
59%
68%
69%
86%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Other (please specify) Discount agreements offered by supplier Manufacturer's image Supplier's guidance Easy to install
"Made-in country"
Product warranty Energy labelling (e.g. Energy Star) Short payback time on efficiency savings Price Value-for-money Whether or not the product is manufactured locally The product's environmental footprint Product functionality
Which of the following factors most typically influence your choice of building materials?
Factors listed under ‘Other’ include:
‘Durability and lifespan of use/Life cycle value/Low maintenance’, ‘Track record/History of success’, ‘LEED compliance/Duality of its green attributes’, ‘Indigenous/regional/local compatibility and availability’, ‘Trust in product/manufacturer’,
‘Manufacturer's service and technical support capabilities’, ‘Aesthetics’, ‘Recycled content’, and ‘Client preferences’.
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Figure 6.4: Determining factors when assessing new or unknown products
Source: Appendix 9 (CD-rom) – Question 7.
The two tables indicate that country-of-origin is less influential on the target audience’s product evaluation than for example ‘product functionality’, ‘the product’s environmental footprint’, ‘value for money’, ‘price’,
‘short payback time on efficiency standards’, ‘energy labeling’, and ‘warranties’. When assessing new or unknown products, ‘quality’, ‘technical documentation’ and the product’s ‘track record’ are the most influential factors. While this study does not indicate that there is a strong preference for domestic products, the responses did reveal that local production, ‘indigenous availability and compatibility’, and the products environmental or carbon footprint plays a factor in the target audience’s product evaluation.
After examining the target audience’s focus areas within green building, a discussion of the Danish building industry’s ability to use the connection to Denmark as an endorser brand on the U.S. green building market will now be presented.
10%
1%
13%
20%
45%
59%
63%
76%
77%
79%
79%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Other (please specify) Discount agreements Manufacturer's image
"made-in country"
Price Warranties Design Product functionality Proven ability/track record Technical documentation Quality
When assessing new or unknown products, which of the following parameters do you attach most importance to?
Factors listed under ‘Other’ include:
‘Third party certifications’, ‘In-house testing’ ‘Chemical inertness (installed and in manufacture)’, ‘Carbon footprint in the product's extraction, manufacture, delivery & installation’, ‘Life Cycle Analysis/Embodied Energy’, ‘Indigenous availability and compatibility’, ‘Sustainability criteria’, ‘LEED documentation’, ‘Maintenance requirements’, and ‘Industry network’.
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