Presentation Outline

PART 1: Introduction o Client overview o Industry o Product o Goals / Objectives o Methodology

PART 2: Themes

PART 3: Concepts o Concept descriptions o Responses to concepts

PART 4: o Conclusions/Recomme

ndations

PART 1: Introduction

Client Overview

o Founded in 1867 o Location: Based in Illinois Worldwide sales, 62% in US

and Canada o 3 Divisions Agriculture & Turf Construction & Forestry Financial Services

o 2012 Earnings • $ 33.5 billion total sales

“Nothing runs like a Deere”

(Deere & Company, 2013a; Deere & Company, 2013d; Hoovers Inc., 2013a; “John Deere eyes,” 2013)

Consumer Lawn and Garden Equipment Industry

o Expected $18 billion in 2013

o Sales dependent on housing market

o Sales dropped during 2008 recession

o Recovery in 2012

(Danes, 2012a; “The Gale Group,” 2013)

Industry Trends

1) Faster mowing Higher cruising speeds, mowing decks

2) Zero-turn mowers Market doubled since 2003

3) Recreational vehicles • Utility Terrain Vehicles

(Danes, 2012a; First Industry Research, 2012; Fordyce, 2013)

Product

Features/Specs: • Motorcycle front-end • Lawnmower back-end • 54-inch mower deck • 15 mph max cruising

speed

Target Profile

Male Homeowners o 30 – 65 years old

o White non-Hispanic

o Annual income ~ $80k

o Married w/ children

o Owns property with grass lawn

o Motorcycle/car enthusiasts

(“Furnishings and equipment,” 2011)

Research Problem

What strategies will make the John Deere Motorcycle Lawnmower

appealing to target audience?

Goals / Objectives

① Assess consumer behavior and attitudes about lawn maintenance

②Identify consumers’ product needs and benefits

③Evaluate perceptions of the John Deere brand

④Measure reactions toward message strategies/concepts

⑤Identify pros and cons of each message strategy/concept

⑥Draw conclusions/recommendations for ad development

Methodology

Personal Interviews: o 2 participants o ~ 53 min o Moderated

discussion o Message testing o Qualitative analysis

Sampling

Sample Frame: Albright College staff directory

Sampling Method: Purposive / Convenience

Screener o Male o 30 – 65 years-old o Homeowners o Owns property with grass lawn

SAMPLE SIZE:

2 participants

PART 2: Themes

Theme 1: Importance of the Lawn

Lawns associated with positive memories “…looking back I think the thing that makes it so memorable, was I was

spending the time during these things and having the lawn made that

happen.”

A place for children, family, friends “The most important feature of my yard... Is its status as a playground for

my children. My girls can play in the back yard, and in the front yard.”

Lawn appearance and neighbors “I think though a lawn says a lot about a person…”

Theme 2: Current mowing habits and attitudes

Mowing is a dreaded chore “I don't like to mow the lawn. It's a deadly chore. It's been a deadly chore for me since I was a

kid. I just don't like to do it.”

Dissatisfied with lawns “…it's been tough to keep the yard, um, in as good of shape as I'd like.”

Busy schedules = No time to mow “…I just haven't had the time or inclination to, kind of really dive-in and fix it because it just

seems like a massive project.”

Theme 3: Mower attributes and features

Cutting Ability

“I'd be looking at cutting ability. Does it leave a nicely cut lawn behind it?”

Speed

“As long as it looks good when I'm done, I prefer to get it done faster.”

Unnecessary

“I’m just working with a little over than a 1/10 of an acre, so it’s really nothing at all.”

Theme 4: Price vs. Value

Disposable Income: long-term value over price

“I’m a duration guy. I will make the initial investment and pay more.”

“…If I have the financial viability to make that happen, I will do the long term investment, over and over, every time.”

Restricted budgets: Forced to buy cheaper options “…We didn’t have a lot of money, a lot of extra money to spend, because we were already at the kind of tipping point of our budget…”

Theme 5: Perceptions about John Deere

High-quality products

“American made. Solid reliability. Solid performance.”

Average customers: Farmers, upper-class

“…Most of the times, it’s the people who farm and have farms, it’s the people who are wealthier, but do have the money to spend on a good quality mower.”

Not personally relevant “…They just don't seem to have a lot penetration in the kinds of homes that my neighbors and friends and I have.”

PART 3: Message Concepts

Strategy 1: “Mower meets motorcycle”

Emphasize mower/motorcycle hybrid

Appeal to motorcycle enthusiasts

Use of words/themes related to motorcycles

(Credit: Dulio/http://mrg.bz/vf1nzp)

Headline:

RIDES LIKE A CHOPPER, RUNS LIKE A DEERE

Tagline:

Feel alive on the all-new Motorcycle Lawnmower from John Deere.

Copy:

The Motorcycle Lawnmower is the ultimate combination of bike and mower. Take your passion from the road to the backyard. Leather jacket not included.

Reactions to Concept 1:

o Ridiculous:

“Someone must have been on drugs when they came up with it”

“I'm cutting the grass I want to cut the damn grass. If I'm on a motorcycle, I want to ride and not worry about if I got the row six yards over.”

o Non-relevant:

“Not to me. Maybe to some guys who like to be cool.”

“I know financially that this is out of my price range.”

o Negative brand perceptions:

“I would start questioning maybe how well their business is doing if they have to come up with something like that to promote business.”

Headline:

LAWN CHOPPER

Tagline:

John Deere presents a mower as mean as you are.

Copy:

Motorcycle riders are passionate about their bikes. John Deere is passionate about mowing. The John Deere Motorcycle Lawnmower pairs your passion with the world’s most dependable lawn tractor.

Reactions to Concept 2:

o Weaker than Concept 1:

“Not as strong. Um, the message isn't as ‘HUUH.’ It's not as beefy.”

o Non-relevant:

“I don't have a passion for motorcycles, so that doesn't reach me at all”

“If it's as 'bad as I am,' I'm not a 'bad dude.”

o Unbelievable:

“I don't know if I'd really see John Deere putting a product like that.”

Headline:

MOWER MEETS MUSCLE

Tagline:

Is it a motorcycle or lawnmower? John Deere lets you decide.

Copy:

The Motorcycle Lawnmower is the ultimate combination of bike and mower. Whether you’re touching up the yard or taking a ride, this machine can handle it. Leather jacket not included.

Reactions to Concept 3: o Ridiculous:

“I don't see anyone taking that for a spin around the neighborhood and thinking they're on a motorcycle.”

“It's trying to be something that it's not.”

o Non-relevant:

“I really don't know that there's really anything they could do to make that more relevant to me.”

o Negative brand perceptions:

“It's more negative. It makes me wonder whether they're a lawnmower company or a motorcycle company.”

“I mean, again I would have to question their business.”

Strategy 2: “Mow Faster, Save Time

Draw attention to mower speed and cutting precision (Industry trend)

Highlight time-saving

Associate with John Deere brand

(Fordyce, 2013)

Headline: PRECISION MOWING AT CRUISING SPEED

Tagline:

Mow the lawn twice as fast with the new Motorcycle Lawnmower by John Deere.

Copy:

The Motorcycle Lawnmower combines the unmatched quality of a John Deere lawn tractor with the speed and comfort of a motorcycle. With a top speed of 15 mph, the Motorcycle lawnmower cruises past the competition. Put away the slow, tiring push-mower and hop on a John Deere Motorcycle Lawnmower!

Reactions to Concept 4: o Positive initial reactions:

“When I think of John Deere I think of quality. And you know, after hearing this message I think that the other messages didn't play on their quality at all.”

“That comes the closest to hitting my sweet-spot.”

o Personally relevant:

“I think this message of the four I've heard so far does the most to speak to the lawn mowing habits of me and my peers. We just want to get it done.”

o Connected with brand:

“…sticking to quality, trying to provide new features. That's what I know about John Deere. So, that's what I see. Quality. New features.”

Headline:

HIGH PERFORMANCE MOWING IN HALF THE TIME

Tagline:

Mow your lawn faster and better than ever with all-new Motorcycle Lawnmower from John Deere.

Copy:

After 175 years, John Deere’s newest product is designed to save you time—time you can spend doing the things you love. With a top speed of 15 mph, no mower gets the job done faster than the John Deere Motorcycle Lawnmower.

Reactions to Concept 5: o Positive initial reactions:

“I think that the main selling point for me is definitely the efficiency that you get.”

“That is even more direct in hitting what I liked about the last one.”

o Personally relevant:

“I'm in a situation in life where I have a lot of pulls on my time. Work, family, home stuff, and anything in-between.”

“Something that allows me to get a job done effectively but more quickly is something that's relevant to me.”

o Connected with brand:

“My attitude changed in that now I would see them as more interested in my market share as well as in new technologies that increase efficiency.”

PART 4: Recommendations

Recommendation 1: Message Strategy

“Mow Faster, Save Time” Strategy

o Concepts 4 & 5

o Relevant (Time-saving)

o Appeals to largest audience

o Fits brand image

Recommendation 2: Advertising Channels

• Television Commercials

• Newspaper circulars

Recommendation 3: Advertising Creative

Smaller lawns

Suburban neighborhoods

Lawn activities: Family, friends, games

Sources

Danes, L. (2012a). Consumer rider market primed for comeback. Yard & Garden, 35, 20-21. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1021196904?accountid=38422

Deere & Company. (2013a). About John Deere. Retrieved from http://www.deere.com/wps/dcom/en_US/corporate/our_company/about_us/about_us.page

Deere & Company. (2013d). Deere & Company annual report 2012 [Report]. Retrieved from

http://www.deere.com/en_US/docs/Corporate/investor_relations/pdf/financialdata/reports/2013/2012_annual_report.pdf

First Research Industry Profiles. (2013). Farm & garden equipment wholesalers - quarterly update 1/14/2013. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1269498279?accountid=38422

Fordyce, B. (2013). Faster Mowers. LandscapeOnline.com. Retrieved from http://landscapeonline.com/research/article/17071

Furnishings and equipment (2011). In Best Customers: Demographics of Consumer Demand, 8th ed. Ithaca, NY: New Strategist Publications, Inc. Retrieved

from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE|4VZZ&v=2.1&u=albright&it=aboutBook&p=GVRL&sw=w&id=GALE|4VZZ

Hoover’s Inc. (2013a). Deere & Company. Hoover’s Company Records–In–Depth Records. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/230593087?accountid=38422

John Deere eyes $50 billion in 2018. (2013).GreenIndustryPros.com. Retrieved from http://www.greenindustrypros.com/news/10847818/john-deere-eyes-50-

billion-in-2018

The Gale Group, Inc. (2013). Lawn and garden tractors and home lawn and garden equipment. Retrieved from http://business.highbeam.com/industry-

reports/equipment/lawn-garden-tractors-home-lawn-garden-equipment

Photo Credit:

Cost vs. value [Online image]. Retrieved from http://sparkpotential.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Cost-Vs-Value.jpg

Dulio (Photographer). (2013). 2013-03-026 [Online image]. Retrieved from http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/856016

Grand prize-John Deere D110 riding lawn mower [Online Image]. Retrieved from http://www.minnesotafarmguide.com/news/special-section/grand-prize-john-deere-d-riding-lawn-mower/article_ca845e2c-48e7-11e0-833c-001cc4c03286.html?mode=image

John Deere Green Logo Vinyl Sticker Decal [Online Image]. Retrieved from http://www.etsy.com/listing/110546751/6-john-deere-green-logo-vinyl-sticker

[Kubota ZG100-Series]. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.totallandscapecare.com/kubota-releases-kommander-zg100-series/

[Motorcycle lawnmower]. Retrieved from http://www.motofake.net/1956-ford-sunliner-classic-ford-sunliner-convertible-car-photos-1054.html