Congratulations to Allan Andrés Cid Olivares on his successful PhD defence!

Congratulations to Allan Andrés Cid Olivares for brilliantly defending his doctoral thesis in wood science on July 16, 2024, under the supervision of Pierre Blanchet (Faculty of Forestry, Geography and Geomatics, Université Laval) and François Robichaud (Forest Economic Advisors). His thesis, entitled « Deployment of the Industrialized Construction Sector Through Export Market Expansion and Branding » proposes a branding strategy for Quebec’s prefabricated wood construction industry destined  for the Northeastern U.S. market.

Congratulations, Allan, on this remarkable milestone in your academic career! We wish you a bright future filled with professional success, and numerous achievements.

The jury members were: Mr. André Desrochers (President, FFGG), Mr. Pierre Blanchet (Research Director, FFGG), Mr. François Robichaud (Co-Research Director, Forest Economic Advisors), Mr. Yan Cimon (Examiner, FSA), Mrs.  Nancy Gélinas (Examiner, FFGG), and Mr. Régis Pommier (External Examiner, University of Bordeaux).

From left to right: Régis Pommier, Yan Cimon, François Robichaud, Allan Andrés Cid Olivares, André Desrochers, Pierre Blanchet et Nancy Gélinas.

Thesis title: Deployment of the Industrialized Construction Sector Through Export Market Expansion and Branding

Abstract: Numerous studies have demonstrated the great interest of prefabricated wood construction for, among other things, (1) reducing erection times, (2) reducing construction costs, and (3) increasing building quality. Yet Quebec, which encompasses both the resources and several players in the sector, has not yet been able to position itself as a leader in its export markets, notably the Northeastern United States. On the one hand, it appears that the Quebec industry is not taking advantage of its experience and tradition in the field, and on the other, that this industry has a difficult penetration all over the world. The goal is to define a branding strategy that will enhance the qualities offered by Quebec’s prefabricated wood construction industry.

This research aimed to find a branding strategy for the Quebec prefabricated wood construction industry in the Northeastern U.S. market. This project was carried out in four stages: (1) estimate the export potential to the Northeastern U.S. market, (2) develop a conceptual framework to propose a branding strategy adapted to the current business scenario, (3) validate this conceptual framework for the sector in question, and (4) propose a guide for the development of a customized branding strategy.

The results show that the potential for exporting prefabricated wood buildings from Quebec to the Northeastern U.S. is high in terms of market share. The results also show that the brand strategy to be built should aim to create a close, loyal, individual, and consistent relationship with the customer. The results also show that the inclusion of unexplored business scenarios in the branding strategy, such as ingredient branding, country of origin, and an alliance, could help increase awareness and recognition of the members of such an alliance.

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