Hardwood Floors December 2025/January 2026

By Derrick Daye

This is not a distant concern. It’s happening now, and the industry must respond with bold strategies to protect and grow its place in the market.

UNITED FOR THE FUTURE

This campaign was built so everyone wins: Consumers gain confidence and clarity. Manufacturers earn recognition and pricing power for superior products. 1 2

CONSUMERS ARE CHOOSING SUBSTITUTES BECAUSE WE’VE LOST THE NARRATIVE

Consumers still admire wood floors – 66 percent say they want them in their dream home 1 – but admiration isn’t enough to close the sale. The truth is that competing products are louder in the marketplace. Not better, but louder. Their marketing is relentless, positioning themselves as “just like wood but waterproof, cheaper, easier.” The industry has tried incremental fixes: new engineered cores, improved finishes, and better sustainability messaging. But the decline persists. What’s missing isn’t more features. It’s a movement – one that confronts substitutes directly and gives consumers the reference points they need to make an informed choice. Consumers make decisions through comparison. They need something that defines good versus bad, better versus worse. That’s why a new campaign puts differences front and center, creating the measuring sticks that reveal where wood substitutes fall short. As we know, imitators have an advantage due to years of convincing messaging. But now, they have met their match in an educated consumer and a trusted industry voice. "THE WOODPICKER KNOWS" Backed by consumer research from The Blake Project, “The Woodpicker Knows” is a campaign designed to expose misleading marketing, confront confusion, and restore the value of real wood in the minds of consumers. The campaign does three crucial things: Provides Reference Points. It gives consumers measurable benchmarks: cost of ownership, durability, moisture resistance, maintenance, and environmental impact. It strips away spin and restores hardwood as the gold standard. Creates an Unwavering Ambassador. Inspired by the natural world, the Woodpicker is not just a mascot, it’s an uncompromising authority who refuses to settle for man-made substitutes. Recognizes Leaders. Retailers, distributors, and manufacturers can display “The Woodpicker Knows” badges in-store and online to help consumers make confident choices. HEAD-ON COMPARISON: REAL WOOD VS. THE IMITATORS

Retailers and distributors gain a story that protects margins and elevates value. NWFA members and the industry gain data, credibility, and a rallying cry that can reverse the decline.

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“The Woodpicker Knows campaign is a tool the wood flooring industry can use to provide clarity at the point of sale,” says Stephanie Owen, president and CEO of NWFA. “This campaign confronts confusion head-on and empowers consumers with the facts they need to choose hardwood with confidence.” THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW The Woodpicker is here to take on confusion, misleading marketing, and complacency. If we act together – educating consumers, uniting behind a shared message, and amplifying hardwood’s advantages – we can restore its rightful place as the floor consumers dream of and choose. Learn how your company can get involved at thewoodpickerknows.com. As managing partner of The Blake Project, Derrick Daye has spent decades helping some of the world’s most admired brands increase their value and compete differently. Reach him at ddaye@theblakeproject.com

1 NWFA Consumer survey, 2017

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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