Ames True Temper SnoBoss

As East Coast residents, particularly those living in Pennsylvania, Maryland and DC, dig themselves out from one of the biggest snow storms in recent history, the winter weather is making national headlines and inspiring debate about global warming and climate change.

While our green experts are keeping up with the climate conversation, many of us have been wondering how the recent blizzard has affected the home industry. With Ames True Temper and John Deere being two of IMRE’s clients, we did not have to look far for insight into how two huge brands are being impacted by the snow.

Ames True Temper, the largest and oldest snow shovel manufacturer in the country, normally stops making snow shovels by the end of December, but this year the company ramped production up to service the late demand from its customers. As a result of what the Weather Service is calling a 100-year series of snowstorms in the mid-Atlantic region, Ames will make scoops and square point shovels to fill emergency orders. In fact, the company, which typically manufactures six million shovels a year, has found additional resources to produce 1,000 extra units available for its customers today.

Like Ames True Temper, John Deere dealers are finding themselves quite busy. Outdoor power equipment dealers are selling, renting and servicing many pieces of the snow removal equipment on the roads and sidewalks in the region. Specifically, John Deere dealers are focused  on getting and keeping commercial and residential customers up and running. To better serve their customers, dealers are doing a number of things, including:

• Extending business hours that revolve around customers’ needs
• Targeting to turnaround all service in 24 hours
• Personal, at-home deliveries of equipment
• Utilizing John Deere Mobile Service, a national, at-home equipment maintenance service
• Selling larger pieces of equipment to homeowners looking for snow moving solution

We can imagine that many homeowners will be pleased to hear that these two companies are moving quickly to help them dig themselves out of the Blizzard of 2010. So long cabin fever!

John Deere 3E Series

• Industry Insider: 2010 Gardening Innovations and Trends
• Industry Insider: Ames True Temper Talks Gardening Trends

Marketers and homeowners alike can take advantage of the fall season

It would stand to reason that with the onset of fall weather and activities, gardening and yard care – save for leaf removal – falls lower on the priority list. Grass goes more dormant and the summer annuals begin to decline. One can argue that homeowners aren’t the only ones who feel the loss of the gardening season.

Outdoor power and tool manufacturers would keep it warm all year-round if they could (and sure, they have some pockets of the country where this is true), but as the cooler weather approaches, sales tend to decrease.

Several savvy outdoor product manufacturers have figured out how to capitalize on the cold-weather season to the benefit of the homeowner AND their bottom lines. John Deere, an IMRE client, has made a long-time practice of keeping folks engaged in their yards year-round by delivering not just tips on fall maintenance and yard care, but the products that they need to get the jobs done.

For example, John Deere promotes attachments that turn riding lawn mowers into garden powerhouses, allowing for aeration, seeding, tilling, hauling and a whole host of fall-related activities. All of s sudden, it’s more than a mower – it’s a solution.

The Scotts Miracle-Gro company also has a smart approach to connecting with the yard-owner and then customizing a year-long approach that is made for their climate and grass type. Their website is engaging, interactive and in a few short minutes you feel like it’s dedicated to YOUR yard care, not just lawn care in general. It’s these personalized and solutions-oriented approaches that keep the “off-season” relevant.

A trend that’s not new for most outdoor tool and power companies, but is drawing a much larger audience in recent months and years, is the shift toward responsible yard care. Besides the trend toward reduced emissions, which is a whole (excuse the cliché) ball of wax that we will avoid in this article, responsible yard care could include things like composting, recycling grass clippings and watering effectively and efficiently.

OPEI, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, the leading international trade association representing manufacturers and their suppliers of consumer and commercial power equipment, takes great pride in the research, information, advocacy and resources they provide to not only their members, but to all who visit their website. High on their list is responsible lawn care, with videos available on earth-wise lawn care as well as resources on water, air, climate and fuels.

Marketers in this arena see this trend becoming more and more relevant every day, with each new law and each new piece of equipment impacting the next step.

For those of you reading out there who like the marketing take on this article, but are still wishing we listed some tips on how YOU can take care of your fall lawn, well here you go:

• Leaf Removal: Leaves need to be removed in the fall because they block the sun – an essential ingredient to maintaining growth and development of the lawn’s root system.
• Aerate: This is one of the two times a year that you should relieve ground compaction by aerating. This also provides nutrients and oxygen to the grass root system. Follow up with a fertilizing treatment.
• Fertilizing Your Lawn: Late fall is one of the best times to fertilize a lawn. One final dose of fertilizer before the cold weather comes is good for strengthening roots and increasing the nitrogen stored for an earlier spring green.
• Perform Seasonal Maintenance on your Lawn Tractor: Tighten the nuts and bolts. Check all belts, filters and safety shields. If you’re adding a snow removal equipment to riding lawn equipment, double check your attachment. If you’re not using your equipment over the winter, drain the fuel for the Winter, and add fresh fuel in the sprint.

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Take a look and enjoy!

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The line between city-slicker and land-lover is getting blurrier by the day.  As city professionals close up shop for the weekend, some are headed for greener pastures – literally. 

Bo Siever, president and CEO of a manufacturing company with 700 employees, heads home to 135 acres in North Carolina every day.  “We have 30 acres of green timber, two ponds, ten acres of lawn and 89 acres of open land, along with 7,000 linear feet of wooden fence,” said Bo.  “I take pleasure in maintaining the property to a first class condition.”

This emerging group of city-folk-gone-country is called the “Ruralpolitan,” a trend that is increasingly gaining attention.  Defined as a city- or suburban-dwelling family that recently bought a large piece of property outside of town (typically within 40 miles), these people are using their free time to reconnect with nature through the land. 

As Ruralpolitans define themselves and invest more in their land, products and services to support this lifestyle will continue to emerge. For examples, magazines like “Living the Country Life” and member groups like The Country Living Association have recently cropped up to help enhance the lifestyle and educate Ruralpolitans on the products and services made for them.

Marketing to this group may seem like a needle in a haystack, but many companies are catching on.  Jon Chase, strategic marketing manager for John Deere Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division, thinks the best way to market to the Ruralpolitan is to look at this group in terms of hobby instead of location, acreage or product. (Disclosure; John Deere is an IMRE client) 

“Instead of asking, ‘What do you do?’ we ask, ‘What’s your passion?’.  From there, we can help each homeowner find products and equipment that suit their personal lifestyles.”

As this trend develops in the face of baby boomer retirements, the current economy, housing and mortgage situation and the green movement, Home Intel will continue to provide tips for reaching Ruralpolitans through targeted marketing efforts. 

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