DALTON—Patricia Flavin, senior vice president of marketing for Beaulieu of America, has accepted the position of vice chairman for the marketing issues committee of the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). The position will be in addition to her present duties with Beaulieu.
Flavin is the first woman to hold a chairmanship in the history of the non-profit trade association started in the mid-1970s. CRI represents 95% of all carpet made in the U.S.
“I have had some involvement over the past year with the CRI’s marketing steering committee and have enjoyed it immensely,” Flavin said. “When [CRI president] Werner Braun called to ask me if I would consider the vice chair of the marketing issues committee, I was very honored. He mentioned it was time the CRI bridged the gender gap.”
Flavin believes giving a woman’s perspective to the CRI will help the organization’s efforts because women make 85% of household purchases. “I am excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with chairman Mike Zoellner [of Mohawk Industries] and the rest of our marketing issues team.”
In her role as senior vice president of marketing since 2007, Flavin was part of the team that introduced the highly successful Bliss brand in 2008. She is a strong proponent of marketing to women, which is the basis for Bliss.
Regarding goals she’d like to achieve in her new role, Flavin believes those in the industry need to place more emphasis on fashion. “First and foremost, carpet is a fashion item for the home and we are all working in a fashion industry. Actually, this is not the floor covering business, this is the floor fashion industry. A women’s ability to put her home together is important to her. However, we tend to talk about carpet in industry language and make it mundane and technical instead of exciting and beautiful.
“I also want to help support the CRI with one of their most important issues: dispelling the myth about the relationship between carpet and allergies by reaching the moms with blogs and in women’s magazines, and in schools to educate them with the facts. We need to address cleaning and maintenance issues and questions.”
For more on CRI, call 706.428.2116.
Flavin is the first woman to hold a chairmanship in the history of the non-profit trade association started in the mid-1970s. CRI represents 95% of all carpet made in the U.S.
“I have had some involvement over the past year with the CRI’s marketing steering committee and have enjoyed it immensely,” Flavin said. “When [CRI president] Werner Braun called to ask me if I would consider the vice chair of the marketing issues committee, I was very honored. He mentioned it was time the CRI bridged the gender gap.”
Flavin believes giving a woman’s perspective to the CRI will help the organization’s efforts because women make 85% of household purchases. “I am excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with chairman Mike Zoellner [of Mohawk Industries] and the rest of our marketing issues team.”
In her role as senior vice president of marketing since 2007, Flavin was part of the team that introduced the highly successful Bliss brand in 2008. She is a strong proponent of marketing to women, which is the basis for Bliss.
Regarding goals she’d like to achieve in her new role, Flavin believes those in the industry need to place more emphasis on fashion. “First and foremost, carpet is a fashion item for the home and we are all working in a fashion industry. Actually, this is not the floor covering business, this is the floor fashion industry. A women’s ability to put her home together is important to her. However, we tend to talk about carpet in industry language and make it mundane and technical instead of exciting and beautiful.
“I also want to help support the CRI with one of their most important issues: dispelling the myth about the relationship between carpet and allergies by reaching the moms with blogs and in women’s magazines, and in schools to educate them with the facts. We need to address cleaning and maintenance issues and questions.”
For more on CRI, call 706.428.2116.
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