Reports – turf maintenance

A Successful Turf Photo Shoot is Worth its Weight in Gold — A collection of suggestions and guidelines to help make a turf photo shoot a success. The report discusses the importance of building the right team, pre-planning, shot preparation and execution. These tips and suggestions were gathered from the top photographers and art directors in the country who have worked extensively with leaders in the turf and grounds maintenance industries.

How Turf Companies can Develop an Effective Database Marketing Program Targeted to Dealers — This report explains the basics of database marketing from a Turf Industry standpoint and shows how it may be used by manufacturers in communicating with dealers. This report describes the typical steps in the database marketing process and the benefits of a program. It covers how to obtain data for the database, what data to gather, how to obtain cooperation from distributors, communicating with current dealers and using database marketing to recruit new dealers. Lastly, the report discusses the role the internet and other forms of interactive marketing play in database marketing.

How to use Direct Mail Advertising to Reach Turf Audiences — This report provides a comprehensive look at the basics of direct mail advertising, but it is tailored to the needs of turf marketers. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of direct mail as an advertising medium. There is a thorough analysis of the three key elements that determine the success of turf mailings: (a) the list, (b) the offer and
(c) the creative. In addition, the report contains hundreds of suggestions regarding how turf marketers can make their direct mail advertising more effective.

How Turf Marketers can Bond with Customers to Maximize Loyalty and Profits — Customer bonding helps companies solidify relationships with customers. The report explains the five levels of customer bonding and how to reach the top levels through database marketing. It discusses eight benefits of customer bonding for turf marketers including maximizing customer loyalty, increasing income from customers, reducing marketing costs and getting current customers to recruit new customers. The report contains examples of successful customer bonding programs in a variety of industries and presents ideas on how turf companies can bond with their customers.

How to Publish an Effective Company Publication for Turf Audiences — This is an excellent resource for turf companies who are considering developing a new company magazine or newsletter. Also, it has good ideas for companies wanting to improve an existing publication. The report discusses the advantages of company publications and how they can help achieve various company communications objectives. Another portion of the report takes you through the steps from initial concept to distributing the publication to your audience.

How to Evaluate Trade Magazines in the Turf Industry — This report shows how to use a variety of quantitative and qualitative tools and techniques in analyzing turf magazines as potential advertising vehicles. It discusses how to use syndicated readership data and circulation audit statements. The report contains guidelines for examining a magazine’s cover, table of contents, editorial content, advertising content and other qualitative factors.

How to Establish a Great Inquiry Fulfillment System in the Turf Industry — If your company generates turf inquiries from its advertising, you will be interested in this report. It is divided into three main sections. The first section provides an analysis of the 14 components of a great inquiry fulfillment system and what turf companies can do to make their systems more successful. Another section provides a checklist for evaluating a current inquiry fulfillment system or establishing a new one. The third section is what really makes this report unique. Swanson Russell’s researchers responded, as prospective customers, to the magazine advertisements of more than 150 turf companies in a variety of product categories. After responding to the advertisements by mail or telephone, we tracked and analyzed the fulfillment of each inquiry. The results are reported in this third section.

Exhibit & Trade Show Marketing for the Turf Care Market — Your company’s effectiveness at industry trade shows is dependent upon many factors. There are proven ways to bolster performance. From strategic planning to cost analysis to evaluation methods, this report covers a wide variety of exhibit techniques aimed at maximizing results.

Using Product Profiles in Marketing Communications to the Golf Course Market — This report provides a step-by-step approach to analyzing your company products’ benefits and the benefits of competitors products. In working with our turf clients, we typically analyze their marketing situation in terms of the product profile process described in the report. You will see why we have found it useful to think in terms of three categories of benefits when practicing our market-driven approach to communications.

Understanding the Golf Course Superintendent can Increase the Effectiveness of your Marketing Communications — This report profiles today’s golf course superintentent, including buying habits, demographics and the adoption of new products and practices. It includes data gathered from telephone surveys, focus group interviews, in-person interviews, and industry sources such as the GCSAA and National Golf Foundation. More importantly, the report analyzes the data in terms of what it means to companies in the Turf Industry.

GCSAA Promotional Mailers: An Analysis of Mailings Received by Eleven Superintendents Prior to the 2000 GCSAA Show — For many Turf Industry marketers, the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America annual conference and trade show is one of the largest expenditures as well as a focal point of the marketing year. In 2000, at least 122 mailers were sent to superintendents prior to the show to generate interest and draw them to exhibitor booths. This report analyzes the mailer tactics and offers and the superintendents’ reactions. Was the mailer opened? Did it stand out? Did they even receive it in time for the show? These are a few of the questions you’ll find answered.

How to Ensure your Media Buys are on the Money — Based on years of experience in placing tens of millions of dollars on media in the Green Industry, this report offers 21 tips that can help you minimize your costs and maximize your returns from paid media placements. It examines both the quantitative factors as well as the qualitative, and offers suggestions as to how creative and media can work better to produce an optimum media plan.

Maximizing your Publicity in the Green Industry — Product publicity can offer one of the highest returns on investment in a marketing communications program. Publicity can also have a significant impact on corporate positioning. This reports outlines key components of an effective approach to media relations as it relates specifically to the habits and characteristics of trade publications serving the Green Industry. You’ll find specific tips on how to maximize the potential of many tools employed to generate positive press.

How to Measure the Effectiveness of Marketing Communications in the Green Industry — Green Industry advertisers are demanding that their marketing communications become more accountable. This report describes the steps in the marketing communications effectiveness measurement process. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the four key approaches to measuring marketing communications effectiveness. The report contains sections that describe special challenges and opportunities associated with measuring the following types of communications used by Green Industry marketers:

• Magazine/Newspaper Advertising
• Special Media Opportunities
• Direct Mail Advertising
• Database Marketing Communications
• Brochures and Other Literature
• Catalogs
• Videos
• Web sites
• Web Banner Advertising
• E-mail Communications
• Trade Show/Exhibit Marketing
• Sales Promotions
• Telemarketing

Taking the Final Strategic Step: Evaluation of Public Relations Programs in the Turf Maintenance Industry — Most companies understand the value of a good public relations program designed to generate favorable editorial coverage. Unfortunately, many companies in the Green Industry fail to evaluate the success of their public relations programs. This report discusses evaluation criteria and techniques along with third-party evaluation tools and services. It provides a step-by-step approach to setting up a publicity results tracking system and offers samples of reports prepared by Swanson Russell.

“He Wouldn’t Know a Good Print Ad if it Jumped Off the Page and Bit Him on the Nose.” — This report combines research data, the thoughts of advertising industry leaders and Swanson Russell’s years of experience creating Green Industry magazine ads. It provides a variety of suggestions and guidelines for creating print advertisements that will appeal to turf maintenance professionals.

An Analysis of Turf Maintenance Magazine Advertisements — A report based upon a review of 478 turf maintenance advertisements appearing in four leading golf and landscape magazines. It shows you the styles, approaches and elements used most often by turf maintenance advertisers. It is a valuable resource if you want to know what percentage of these advertisers feature toll free telephone numbers or fax numbers in their advertisements, or offer catalogs, brochures, dealer names or other information. Also, it is a great reference if you are curious about how many advertisers are using benefit versus curiosity versus other types of headlines, long versus short headlines, photographs versus illustrations, serif versus sans serif typefaces and other features. Results are summarized for the entire collection of 538 advertisements. Also, results are broken out and reported by chemical advertisers.

How to Maximize the Value of Distributors and End Users After the Sale — Green Industry marketers often spend significant dollars promoting their products to end users, but rarely have a formal communication program for their most important customers—distributors. This report discusses the reasons why many marketers fail to devote sufficient attention to current distributors and offers more than 20 ideas for maximizing the value of distributors and end users once they become customers.

Positioning and Building your Brand in the Turf Maintenance Market — Swanson Russell has helped many Green Industry clients develop and enhance brand positions. We compiled some of our thoughts based on the experiences into a report. This report explains what a brand is, describes the benefits brands offer, discusses the importance of brand positioning, talks about brand growth and building a brand franchise. In addition, there is a step-by-step approach to positioning a brand.

An Introduction to Interactive Marketing in the Turf Industry — Not utilizing a Web site as part of your marketing communications efforts is akin to an accountant with an abacus instead of a computer. While its potential is yet to be completely understood or developed, interactive marketing has become a basic component in today's communication tool box. But like any tool, it's all in how you use it. This report offers guidance and ideas that can help you make the most of this ever-changing and multifaceted technology. Like any operating instruction, it includes what you should not do with it as well as what you should.

How to use E-mail Marketing to Reach Green Industry Audiences — E-mail offers marketers an opportunity to deliver an instantaneous, personalized communication at a fraction of the cost of other media. However, SPAM, declining response rates and legal issues are concerns. This report reviews the growth of e-mail, details the steps in developing an effective e-mail marketing campaign and discusses potential problems. You will find advice regarding list selection, structuring offers, message formats, use of graphics, response options, results measurement and much more.

Public Relations Technology: Ways Brand Managers can Protect Their Interests — No doubt you are aware of the value of a great product publicity program. What may not be fully realized is how important technology has become in determining the effectiveness and efficiency of public relations programs beyond the trade press. The effective use of technologies is one of the key factors separating public relations programs that excel from those that underachieve. This report discusses how tools such as online media databases, online media clearing houses, clipping services, video news releases, radio and satellite media tours, web casts, virtual pressrooms and online forums may be used to support.

From Cause-Related Marketing to Corporate Social Responsibility: Adopting Principles that Benefit your Company and Customers — Normally a subject reserved for board rooms and corporate affairs committees, how your company is perceived as a corporate citizen can have a major impact on how you are perceived by your customers as well as your customers’ customers. What can you do to contribute to the cause of corporate responsibility, and what can you do to help your distributors and how they are perceived in the community? This report explores the issue in detail.