Here in SoCal, Stihl is running TV commercials for their line of lawn grass maintenance equipment.
At the same time, financial inducements are being offered to rip out high water usage grass and replace the grass with drought resistant native plants.
Think maybe somebody in marketing doesn't stay current with the needs of their market?
BTW, as somebody who spent many hours behind a lawn mower with a clipping bag attached, while growing up and living in NE Ohio, the local grass is nothing more than yellow/green weeds IMHO.
It deserves a large dose of Round Up, not precious water and fertilizer.
---------------------------------------------------------- Ignorance of the conditions that exist in excess of 12% of your market, (Left Coast) conveys another message about your business that is not exactly swift.
Perhaps you shouldn't under estimate the attraction people have for getting a deal on something that they think they need.... or might need in the future. I can think of several people I know who have all kinds of stuff that they got a deal on and that's been collecting dust ever since! ;~)
BTW, I didn't mind the deal on got on the Stihl chainsaw and PPE I got a few weeks ago... and I've used it! I've cut down about 20 dead/near-dead ash trees, 6 dead/near-dead maples and a dead pine tree with it already and have a lot more to go!
------------------------------------------------------- You can tailor a nationwide TV commerical to exclude specific markets based on overnight results, just ask the politicans.
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:557100cd$0$29684 $c3e8da3$ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:
Costs a lot more to do that. Politicians, who have money to burn(*), can do that. Businesses that intend to make a profit have to be wiser with their money. It's a more cost effective for Stihl to advertise everywhere, even tho they know they won't sell much (if anything) in LA.
(* money in politics being a completely seperate problem...)
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Under normal conditions, I'd agree with you, but the drought situation across the entire state of California is far from normal.
The governor has declared a water reduction program that has teeth on the penalty side for failure to comply.
Some people are looking at 36% reduction.
Fines in the $10K area.
SoCal is basically a paved desert. Nothing grows on a sustained basis without watering.
The quickest way to reduce water consumption, is to reduce watering the vegetation, especially grass.
You quit watering grass, it turns brown, a visible sign to your neighbors that you are implementing a water reduction program and also that it is not growing, thus doesn't need to be cut.
If your grass is green, expect a visit from the water police who have probably been tipped off by a neighbor.
All the above is aimed at the city/suburb dweller.
Agriculture is a whole different kettle of fish.
As a result of all the above, lawn care equipment is not a particularly good business in CA for the foreseeable future.
Neither is swimming pool equipment. People are talking about removing back yard pools.
All the above is a mattter of common knowledge, or should be, especially to somebody spend mass marketing advertising $.
It has been proven with solid evidence that Californians can be talked into buying anything. ;~)
I have see that grass, Kentucky Blue, is seems so delicate.
Along the Texas coast we have St. Augustine aka carpet grass. When growing well an average yard's clippings will will easily fill a 45 gal contractors bag with each mowing.
I'm sure Stihl is doing quite well in California. You can blame your local networks for choosing to let Stihl advertize in your market. If they were not selling products to the California population they would not be advertizing there. They are not an ignorant start up company.
But name recognition is. As long as Stihl advertises anything, their name is out there and the farmers will see it, recognize it, feel comfortable buying their product.
Ever notice the ads GE runs? They show airplanes they make engines for, they show trains, they show MRI equipment. Good chance you are not buying any of that this month, but they get the GE name out there as a company making good products.
Don't know about you, but if I buy a train this summer, I'm going to spec a GE engine.
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