Metal Roofing FAQ February 2009:
MRA Offers New Kit To Assist Contractors

The Metal Roofing Alliance routinely studies trends and analyzes the market's potential. Based on the latest data collected, MRA has created a new 2009 Contractor Segmentation Kit that can make an immediate, local impact for roofing contractors. Gold level MRA contractor members receive the kit as part of their membership fee.  Bronze and Silver level MRA contractors can purchase the kit for only $500. Each kit includes a contractors' immediate market location and includes addresses for up to 50,000 prospective residential metal roofing customers.

This data has the potential to be enormously valuable for contractors who want to enhance their local marketing efforts by enabling them to pinpoint neighborhoods where they are most likely to find metal roofing prospects. With this program, you can do exactly that. We believe that contractors can dramatically grow their sales with the MRA Contractor Segmentation Kit.

The MRA Contractor Segmentation Kit consists of five elements; the introduction; maps and tables; demographic profile; direct mail list purchasing and direct mail post card templates.

The first component of the kit is a complete overview of the program, including demographic and lifestyle descriptions of key purchaser groups. With this information in hand, contractors will have a much clearer picture of the audience they are trying to reach. This information is available for both Vertical Seam Panel audiences and Modular product (shake, shingle, tile and slate) audiences - and there are significant differences between the two types of buyers.

Second, the kit includes localized maps and tables that show the actual number and percentage of households likely to favor metal roofs, broken down by census block group in a radius around a specific business location. Every block group is ranked and labeled for easy access to back up data.  MRA Contractors who purchase the kit receive a complete list for their market area.

Third, a detailed demographic profile of the MRA contractors' market area is provided. Tables in the package include information for the current year along with projections for the next five years. With this information in hand, contractors can begin to target likely households immediately and also forecast important changes in their market for the upcoming five years.

Fourth, the MRA Kit provides information on how to purchase direct mail address lists for use in the chosen census block groups.

The fifth component of the Kit includes a direct mail postcard template. MRA contractors can take the template, add their own address and send the postcard out quickly and easily. The result is a highly professional direct mail effort with minimum effort. Contractors are not required to use this template, but it is a great time-saver.

The Contractor Segmentation Kit is a very valuable addition to the successful MRA program that will provide contractors with world-class strategic marketing information for little to no additional fee.  For more information on the kit, visit http://www.metalroofing.com/

Tom Black, Executive Director of the Metal Roofing Alliance answers frequently asked questions about the use of metal roofing in residential applications.