Retail Promotion Opportunities

It is a fact—confirmed by global research and quantified on the bottom line—that motivated consumers worldwide value cotton products over synthetics and, most importantly, they value products labeled with the COTTON USA Mark. Specifically, growing majorities of consumers—especially women—are more willing to buy Mark-labeled products because they perceive U.S. cotton-containing finished goods to be more durable, comfortable and stylish. They also believe that more reputable manufacturers make these higher quality products.

 

Licensees may use the COTTON USA Mark to identify quality 100 percent cotton products (with a tolerance of up to 7 percent non-cotton content by weight for decorative or structural purposes) made from 50 percent or more U.S.-grown cotton. The Mark reinforces the quality of the products to which it is attached and enhances the value of those goods to the consumer. This increased consumer preference encourages manufacturers and retailers to satisfy consumers’ demand for products containing U.S. cotton and, thus, “pulls” more U.S. cotton into the marketing system.

 

CCI can issue a no-cost license to a manufacturer, retailer or brand that meets the following criteria:

 

COTTON USA is an internationally licensed trademark for quality U.S. cotton-rich products. It inspires trust and embodies quality in all products made using U.S. grown cotton. The COTTON USA Mark is a sign of purity, strength, comfort and softness to consumers around the world. Look for the COTTON USA Mark as a sign of quality.

 

CCI created a vehicle for identifying products made from U.S. cotton and “ingredient branding” those products through all stages of processing and marketing. This vehicle, the COTTON USA Mark, identifies and distinguishes superior cotton products made with a majority of cotton grown in the USA, the world’s largest supplier of high quality cotton and the leading innovator in enhancing the performance of cotton products.

 

The Mark was launched in 1989 with a multi-million dollar advertising campaign aimed at creating cotton quality awareness in key global markets and increasing demand for U.S. cotton and cotton products at both trade and consumer levels. Our goal from the beginning has been to promote the health of the U.S. cotton industry by continually building upon win/win relationships with manufacturers and marketers of cotton brands around the globe. Our vision has been a world in which ever-increasing numbers of people regard the COTTON USA Mark as a trustworthy brand and consider products containing U.S.-grown cotton central to their daily lives.

 

Consumer Communication activities, such as advertising, retail sales promotions and public relations, are designed to establish a high level of consumer recognition of the COTTON USA Mark, strengthen consumers’ positive attitudes toward products identified with the Mark and increase consumer preference for products labeled with the Mark.

 

Accomplishing these objectives will lead to increased consumer demand for products labeled with the Mark and help labeled products sell more quickly and at greater volumes and values.

 

Events hosted by CCI are great opportunities to get more involved with COTTON USA. Contact your local CCI representative for more information on promoting your products or expanding your network of contacts during local events. Ask about the Sourcing USA Summit, Buyer Tours, Trade Shows, and more.

 

Program Activities:

 

Trade Services: CCI provides information on U.S. cotton and cotton products and the U.S. cotton and cotton textile industries to overseas textile executives and encourages increased consumption of U.S. cotton and cotton products through a variety of activities. These include COTTON USA Summits, Conferences, and Executive Delegations which update textile executives on U.S. cotton industry developments and offer U.S. exporters the opportunity to learn more about customer needs; COTTON USA Tours, which provide textile decision makers from overseas markets the opportunity to get a first-hand look at U.S. cotton products and to meet U.S. textile companies in the U.S.; COTTON USA Special Trade Missions, which offer high-level U.S. textile executives the opportunity to visit a specific country or region and meet potential overseas customers; marketing and promotional information and materials; and the most complete and extensive U.S. cotton and cotton products Internet homepages: cottonusa.org and cottonusasourcing.com. The COTTON USA Sourcing Program is part of CCI’s Trade Servicing Activities.

 

Advertising and Promotion: CCI conducts a wide range of consumer and trade-oriented promotional activities to expand consumption of products made from U.S. grown cotton. The foundation of this program is CCI’s trademark, the COTTON USA Mark, which is available at no cost to manufacturers of quality 100% cotton products containing at least 50% U.S. cotton. To build consumer awareness of the Mark and increase consumer preference for U.S. cotton-rich products at retail, CCI conducts multi-media COTTON USA branded image advertising in key markets worldwide.

 

Since 1989, COTTON USA campaigns have reached consumers through television, print, and other mass media channels in Europe, Asia, and South America. The COTTON USA Mark can also be used on products in the United States on products manufactured any where in the world that contain 100% U.S. cotton.