RIBA Product Selector – now many times better

There are over 20,000 reasons why, as a manufacturer or supplier, you should list your products in the 2011 RIBA Product Selector. Nearly 30,000, if you count the other products and services that might otherwise get chosen over yours. So the question really is, do you feel lucky?

The 2011 RIBA Product Selector will soon be closing for new entries. If your products or services are not already listed then perhaps your reasons match one or several of the objections listed below.

If you're still not convinced after reading our responses, fair enough. If you'd like to know more however, please do contact one of our account handlers.

Everyone searches for information online nowadays

No, they don't. Take it from us as the people behind ribaproductselector.com, the hugely popular online product locating resource for specifiers. Some favour online search, some favour directories, but in reality most probably favour a combination of both. Do you think specifiers care more about where they find the information they want, or that they find it quickly?

A survey of 2010 RIBA Product Selector subscribers showed that nearly two in five (38 per cent) used it at least once a month, and that a further third (33 per cent) referred to it once a week. 84 per cent stated that they'd specified a product in the previous twelve months having first identified it in RIBA Product Selector, while 89 per cent – nine out of ten – said that they'd used the directory while working on a live project.

Finding information online is far easier

Really? Easier than taking a book off the shelf, opening it at the appropriate category heading, and reading off a list of relevant products? Easier than finding that it includes answers to questions one might not have thought to ask?

Recent research into the habits of 2010 RIBA Product Selector users found that 90 per cent referred to the illustrated technical pages.

Since 2010 RIBA Product Selector has been published as a two volume set, instead of three, to improve the ease and speed with which users can browse and navigate the directory, and to help further reduce its carbon footprint.

Directories are out of date as soon as they're printed

Putting to one side that not all websites are kept fully up-to-date RIBA Product Selector acknowledges that specifiers frequently use the directory to find products before visiting the relevant website to continue their research. The directory is designed around how specifiers work in the real world, by summarising key information, such as contact details, website addresses and top line product data, which would otherwise take far more time to find by trawling through individual websites. It also ties it in seamlessly with technical information available on ribaproductselector.com.

Printed directories are environmentally unfriendly

Again – no, although the full answer doesn't make quite as good a sound-bite as the objection. A well thought-out directory saves resources by saving time. Since that is not easily measured consider this; RIBA Product Selector is printed on paper that's manufactured in accordance with strict environmental legislation. It complies with ISO 1400: 2004 Accreditation, is Elemental Chlorine Free (ECT), EMAS no 1-000342 and Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.

Since 1998 the directory has featured a section on environmentally friendly products, which for the last two years has also included reference to the BS EN ISO 14001 Environmental Management System scheme. Today the section includes 618 entries, an increase of nearly 20 per cent over the 2009 edition. RIBA Product Selector actively promotes environmental awareness.

Finally, copies are only sent out to those who request it. Both the print run and materials buying policy are tightly controlled to cut down on waste.

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