When customers see a dealer as a source of information, the perceived value of the dealer increases. Customers want a great price on equipment, but they also want the knowledge to support and stand behind that equipment.

“We’re starting to go a different direction with our marketing,” says Birkey’s Farm Store’s Marketing Manager Quint Campbell. “We don’t want to be totally price- or promo-focused.”

Cambell says the Birkey’s marketing committee wants to concentrate on the long-term value in its outgoing messages and materials. The price message doesn’t appear to have the bang-for-its-buck that is use to have.

“We have the experience and the longevity,” he says. “It seems like everybody’s doing 10% off these days. Anywhere you go, you can expect a 10% discount. So we’re moving away from that, and selling on value, not just price point.”

Campbell says this will make Birkey’s less vulnerable to anticipated and unanticipated changes.

“If, say we lost the Case IH contract tomorrow and went to some other color, we’d want our customers to stay loyal to us, not to the color,” says Campbell. “Our marketing committees are discussing this. We have brainstorm sessions just to talk about it. How can we not only get customers to buy in, but get our employees to buy in to this whole mindset? It’s not all about price; it’s about our services and the other value we offer.”