Problem:

A leading manufacturer of outdoor power equipment (OPE) sought information that would enable them to strategically convert customers to their brand and products. In order to achieve this objective, their marketing, sales, and channel teams needed to know what messages to deliver, at what times, and to which audiences during their lawn mower purchase process.

Process:

To deliver the right message, to the right prospect, at the right time, the manufacturer engaged the custom market research team at The Farnsworth Group to gather data regarding historical purchase motivations and influential touchpoints that would inform their future marketing and sales efforts.

To gather this data, the team developed both a qualitative and quantitative usage and attitude survey approach to assess the purchase journey among homeowners that recently purchased specific outdoor power equipment to determine key touch points that can impact the buyer’s decision, including:

• Initiation & Research –what prompts the purchase, when do they think about the product, where they do they get info, why?‍
• Purchasing (where) –where do they shop, buy and why?
• Product (what) –what features, benefits influenced the purchase decision? What was purchased and why?
• Experience & Advocacy –how satisfied are they, how do they feel afterward?

The Farnsworth Group utilized their in-house qualitative expertise and quantitative research methods to both conduct one on one in-depth interviews with homeowners, and a quantitative homeowner research to provide this manufacturer an understanding of the entire path to purchase for homeowners.  

This two-phase research study was conducted to understand how this manufacturer can have the biggest impact with homeowners who are looking to purchase a mower in an effort to convert them.

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Outcomes:

The Farnsworth Group used both the qualitative and quantitative research to provide the manufacturer with action items at each of the four stages of the homeowner’s path to purchase of a lawn mower.

The qualitative and quantitative research that was gathered was used to understand the resources and channels homeowners use throughout the purchase process for gas mower, the primary drivers to their decision, and their post purchase evaluation of their gas mower. This would provide the lawn mower manufacturer with insights into where gas powered and battery powered mowers are falling short of customer expectations and desires.

The Farnsworth Group identified key product questions homeowners had during their lawn mower research and how the manufacturer could address any concerns homeowners had when considering a mower.

Based on the research, The Farnsworth Group identified critical touch points during the customer's research phase, enhanced product messaging, and recommended post purchase experience strategies to enable the manufacturer to better assist homeowners as they compared products regardless of power type (gas or battery).  

Due to executives decisions made based on the findings and recommendations provided, today, this manufacturer has national distribution of its lawn mower product line throughout Home Centers, Hardware Stores, and Amazon, and has increased their presence and revenue among Do-It-Yourself consumers.

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