Keys to Success in Marketing in Today’s Landscape Market
Transcript of Keys to Success in Marketing in Today’s Landscape Market
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Shake the Eight BallA candid look at the state of the landscape and lawn care industry.
Chuck BowenEditor and Associate PublisherLawn & Landscape
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What we’ll cover today• The ‘average’ landscaper
• The state of the lawn and landscape industry nationwide
• Mobile and social trends
• Specific segment trends for the rest of 2015 and beyond
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The ‘average’ landscaper• (Caveat: This person doesn’t exist.)
• But, in 2014 the average landscaper:• Employs 15 people (seasonal and year-round) • Pays himself $68,414• Pulls in net profit of 11 percent
• Does full service landscaping for mostly residential accounts
• The owner is the primary salesman, especially in a design/build business
• He’s also still working in a production capacity during the day and doing back-office work in the evenings and weekends
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Impact of the Great Recession• Leaner (and meaner)
landscapers
• High profits and high stress
• More focus on the business
• Consolidation of the market
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Landscapers go mobile• 8 out of 10 contractors use a smartphone for
work.
• About 60% of landscapers are on Facebook. The next biggest platform is Linkedin, and then Twitter.
• They’re using these devices to take photos and text with their employees and customers, as well as to access urgent information like the weather reports on the go.
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6 key trends for 2015 and beyond1. Water, water, water
2. Labor challenges (H-2B vs. domestic)
3. Stress
4. Business systems/technology
5. M&A/private equity investment
6. Fuel (alternatives, ethanol and cost)
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Trend #1 – water• Rates are going up
• It’s only getting drier
• Infrastructure is crumbling
• This is an opportunity
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Source: 2015 Circle of Blue research
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Trend #2 – labor
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Trend #2 – labor• You need a recruiting and
retention program
• This requires investment of money and time for training
• What’s going on with H-2B? That’s a great question. Let me know if you have the answer.
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Trend #3 – stress• Not new, but more openness to discuss it
• “My truck feels more like a prison every day.”
• Aging owners stuck with no place to turn
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Trend #4 – technology• Software systems
• Taylor Milliken
• Cub Cadet and Bluetooth
• Exmark and Red technology
• Mowz/Plowz/Pros.com
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Trend #5 – M&A• KKR is not LandCare by a long shot
• John Deere Landscapes on the move
• Opportunity for regionals to grow
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Segment trends• Lawn Care
• Continued impact of Imprelis on branded product purchases
• Regulations (Clean Water Act, pollinators)• Adoption of other services/move away from pure
chemical apps• Contractors’ top concern: Price of inputs
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Segment trends• Irrigation
• Drought challenges and opportunities• Smarter and smarter technology in the field• Influx of capital to renovate and update systems• Contractors’ top concern: Communication of value
of water management
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Segment trends• Maintenance
• Propane/alternative fuels• Turf conversions in west • Commercial market coming back • Contractors’ top concern: productivity and uptime
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Segment trends• Hardscapes
• Outdoor living spending growth• Patios, walls, pathways, fire pits • Great backlog numbers • Contractors’ top concern: Keeping up with demand
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Marketing trends• Integration & Multiplatform approach
• Use print for branding and credibility• Use web display ads for branding and site traffic
(call to action)• Use digital direct (eblasts and enewsletters) for
specific messaging, data-gathering, targeting and measurability
• Use social to “echo” your program
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Marketing trends• Brand alignment
• Align your display/messaging with content that creates awareness of your category
• Print alignment = adjacency or sponsorship• Digital alignment = sponsorship or content
marketing• Social alignment = collaborative programs
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Marketing trends• Brand alignment
• Align your display/messaging with content that creates awareness of your category
• Print alignment = adjacency or sponsorship• Digital alignment = sponsorship or content
marketing• Social alignment = collaborative programs
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Marketing trends• Examples
• Partnering to develop a campaign around a particular topic
• Category e-newsletters• Sponsored content series• Sponsored research programs• Cooperative social media initiatives• EOP programs
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2016 Planning Tips• Multiplatform
• Mobile
• Print for branding, digital for messaging
• Collaborate
• Measure
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Questions, comments, concerns? • Chuck Bowen
• 216-393-0227
• Pat Jones
• 216-393-0293