PRESS RELEASE
28 January 2009
Today BSI Product Services has launched a new consumer focused website dedicated to its famous Kitemark® quality symbol - www.kitemark.com
The site will make it easier to check which products and services have met rigorous quality processes and production criteria showing that the product does what it claims and is safe. Through the site, consumers, specifiers and businesses will be able to check which products and services carry a Kitemark®. There is also a directory so that people can find out who manufactures or provides Kitemark®-registered goods and services.
Many, mainly safety related, products and services are licensed to use this important mark of quality and there is a now a wide range of Kitemark® products from locks, window fitters and electricians to car repair garages, crash repair, condoms and cattle tags. Now kitemark.com makes this information much more accessible to consumers, so they can make more informed decisions about what they buy, and where from.
Broadcaster Quentin Willson, who works with BSI Product Services to promote quality and safety, says: “To have a Kitemark® is no mean achievement and consumers know that. While it is a well-known and trusted symbol around the home, it now appears on a wider range of products and services - from fire extinguishers and glass to window installers or car body repair shops.”
Kitemark for your business…
Kitemark licence holders will have access to the search function so that their company details and other information such as where their products are retailed can be made available to consumers or specifiers. All this can significantly help increase sales for these companies and it is anticipated that Kitemark.com will become a favourite reference for sourcing Kitemark products by both consumers and specifiers.
Kitemark for the consumer…
To ensure that they spend their money wisely, British consumers turn to a number of sources to research the quality of products and services before they buy. Over two-thirds of respondents (67%) use the internet, press or TV to check reports, almost half take recommendations from friends (49%) while even more check specifications on the product (54%) – such as labels saying “100% wool”.
Half of people questioned (49%) look for the BSI’s own Kitemark® – which indicates that products and services have met relevant safety and quality specifications.
With Kitemark.com consumers now have access to authoritative, up-to-date information about what’s safe, what’s been tested, and what is of high quality. It’s a hugely beneficial resource that could help make British consumers safer.
Visit www.kitemark.com and find out more about how Kitemark certification can help you, your family, your community and your business stay safe.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
For media information
Claire Lynam
Head of Global Marketing Communications
BSI Product Services
Tel: +44 (0)8450 765600 x5308
Email: claire.lynam@bsigroup.com
About BSI Product Services
With its Global HQ in Hemel Hempstead, UK, BSI Product Services is the testing and certification arm of the world-renowned BSI Group. BSI’s testing and certification capabilities are amongst the most highly-rated in the world. BSI provides product/service testing and certification to UK, European and International standards and is the UKAS accredited Notified Body for 17 of the New Approach EU Directives. For further information please visit www.bsigroup.com/productservices.
About the Kitemark®
The Kitemark is one of the most respected product quality marks in the world, demonstrating that a wide range of products from lighting to fire extinguishers conform to standards, ensuring that vital safety and performance requirements are met.
The word Kitemark and the Kitemark logo are registered trade marks of BSI. A combination of a quality based system, such as BS EN ISO 9001 or a similar quality system, with advanced product/service testing provide the basis for a Kitemark scheme offering trust, integrity and quality. For further information please visit www.bsigroup.com/kitemark.
About BSI Group
BSI Product Services is part of BSI Group, a global independent business services organization that inspires confidence and delivers assurance to customers with standards-based solutions. Originating as the world’s first national standards body, the Group has over 2,300 staff operating in over 120 countries through more than 50 global offices. The Group’s key offerings are:
- The development and sale of private, national and international standards and supporting information
- Second and third-party management systems assessment and certification
- Product testing and certification of services and products
- Performance management software solutions
- Training services in support of standards implementation and business best practice.
For further information please visit www.bsigroup.com.
