News of Dal Tile’s efforts to support National Tile Day (23rd February) in the USA have got me thinking.  They have also inspired the DTA posts for the next few days.  Along with National Tile Week in the UK, this American event sounds like an open goal for tile retailers and tile distributors.  We all know that ceramic tile is the world’s greatest surface finish, with unsurpassed aesthetics, technical performance, practicality, architectural flexibility and eco-credentials.  So, I would think, events like this should inspire the whole tile family to get together to champion ceramic tile and trumpet its many virtues as loudly as possible. 

However, Tile Addict’s inbox reveals that this simply hasn’t happened.  Apart from Dal Tile in the USA, and British Ceramic Tile and Tile Giant in the UK, DTA has not been informed of any other events, promotions, PR campaigns or stunts to support these national tile days.  Now, it may be that lots of good marketing has taken place and that DTA missed it.  But, somehow, I fear not.  My guess is that most tile retailers and distributors are so concerned about their relative performance against Retailer X down the street, or Distributor X in the next town, that they have failed to engage.

So, let’s remember, the ‘enemy’ is not your fellow tile manufacturers, tile distributors or tile retailers.  No, if there is an “enemy” out there, it is wood, wallpaper, paint, carpet, vinyl, plastic composites and all the other inferior surface options.  Surely for one day or one week a year, we can put our natural inter-tile competitive instincts to one side and focus on generic promotion of ceramic tile as the world’s greatest surface option.

Here’s hoping.

A new post by Joe Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, March 2018.