Serving this important consumer.

MASSEY FERGUSON

by Steve Gorsuch, Director

Livestock, Dairy, & Rural Lifestyle

Duluth, GA

In 2008, Massey Ferguson recognizes the importance of the rural lifestyle market as core of its continual focus to provide innovative solutions in farm equipment, service and support to its customers.

The rural lifestyle market is an integral audience in this effort because it is a continually growing segment of customers who want, and in many cases, can afford technology, reliability, convenience, comfort and the service we can provide. The Massey Ferguson brand leverages our heritage of providing over 160 years of market-driven products, service and relationships with the emotional allure of the agrarian legacy that is drawing people to rural living.

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Our effort in marketing to the rural lifestyle audience begins by creating a unique experience which leads to the products, reinforcing the joy in the work. We're selling the satisfaction of a job well done, the feeling of sweat running down your neck, the mental stress relief that comes after the physical exhaustion of fence building, mowing pasture or baling hay.

Massey brings our message forward through an integrated campaign including a strong Internet presence featuring a new micro site, www.mymasseyferguson.com; print brand advertising in numerous lifestyle targeted publications; television advertising; local radio advertising; co-op and dealer support; farm show displays; events and other forms of local outreach.

Because many rural lifestyle customers have moved from the city and this is their first experience with rural living, they need assistance and education. To meet this need, we held specialized training for our network of 800 U.S. and Canadian dealers this winter to help them understand these unique customers.

This dealer training also highlighted all aspects of the Massey Ferguson brand experience touching our customers. It's more than just selling products, it's bringing a complete package to people that helps them accomplish their rural-living goals. We want our dealers to extend the commitment we're making to this market and instill confidence that Massey Ferguson will always be there to serve our customers' needs.

NATIONWIDE AGRIBUSINESS

by Craig Thomson

VP, Sls & Marketing

Des Moines, IA

Nationwide Agribusiness with its affiliates, Allied Insurance and Nationwide, insure more farms in the U.S. than any other insurer. Our goal is to stay in front of new risks and provide innovative protection farmers need in an industry experiencing rapid change.

Late in 2005, as part of continuous research to monitor ag trends, we found data revealing a proliferation of small farms and people moving to rural acreages. Additional research showed that many of these people were new to rural living and potentially unaware of the unique liabilities surrounding farm ponds, outbuildings, livestock, and farm equipment, among many others.

Nationwide Agribusiness offers a product tailored to small farms and people who choose a rural lifestyle: CountryChoice. It is not an expanded homeowner policy as some insurers offer, but an insurance product developed with the company's extensive knowledge of and experience with small farm risks.

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The rural lifestyle market demographic is extremely diverse, and finding ways to identify and communicate with this market proved challenging. During 2007, Nationwide Agribusiness collaborated with the newly launched Country Living Association, as well as with our Farm Bureau partners actively reaching out to this market in several states.

We provide valuable insurance information in the "Ask An Expert" area of Country Living Association's Web site, and place articles as well as advertisements in Farm Bureau member publications that reach this market.

We advertised in Living the Country Life throughout 2007 with a full page ad that corresponded to an adjacent one-column safety message that was tied to the editorial focus of each issue. In Rural Life, the advertising message and visuals mirrored other ads targeted to this market to gain additional reach and frequency.

Nationwide Agribusiness achieved good visibility in this emerging market and watched our farm division grow in 2007, but we continue to be challenged on how to identify this widely diverse group as well as how best to reach them.

PBI GORDON CORP.

by Michele McCawley

Consumer Products Mktg Mgr

Kansas City, MO

Like many agri-marketers, I await the arrival of spring as a business scorecard, hoping for strong sales and favorable weather. But spring isn't just about business. It also summons up memories of the springs I experienced as a girl on our 20 acre Missouri "mini-farm"--new baby chicks, blossoming apple trees, hunting for morels in the woods.

It is that same pastoral vision that influences today's hobby farmer. The average family has lived in the country just seven years and owns less than 20 acres, sometimes as few as three.

They have moved for many reasons: a better life for their children, privacy and pursuit of the hobbies they love. However, when these passions meet the reality of bull thistle, coddling moths and pondscum many newer rural property owners become deeply frustrated. That's where we can help.

PBI/Gordon Corporation is a 60-year-old chemical manufacturer based in Kansas City, MO. Despite our farm chemical beginnings, we are best known for our turf and ornamental products and we grew less involved in agriculture as that line developed. Yet we maintained a farm and garden line specializing in smaller, more convenient quart, gallon and 2.5 gallon packaging with consumer-friendly labels. In the 21st century, this line, known simply as Gordon's, has bloomed.

Gordon's makes several herbicides including Trimec Lawn Weed Killer and Pronto Big N' Tuf. We also manufacture insecticides, fertilizers and PondMaster pond products.

Distribution is primarily direct to retail, an arrangement that has allowed our partnerships to flourish.

In fact, PBI/Gordon claims the title of "oldest vendor" at Tractor Supply Company and sells to every major farm and ranch chain in the U.S. It is not that we have just discovered this consumer--we've served them for several decades. When we develop products we spend time talking with retailers and store customers to develop niche products based on a particular need.

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As this market has grown, we have taken steps to make sure our brand stays relevant. We have put more emphasis on formal research and are constantly seeking new ways to improve the products, packaging and labels. We are a sponsor of the Country Living Association and advertise in "hobby farm-type" magazines. In the future, our plans include expanded print and broadcast media aimed at the rural lifestyle market.

GALLAGHER USA

by Erwin Quinn, Pres

North Kansas City, MO

Many people who enjoy the rural lifestyle need fencing options that keep their valuable livestock and feed supplies safely contained as well as deter predators. Gallagher Animal Management Systems offers several power fencing options that accomplish both, a proven alternative to such traditional choices as barbed or woven wire and post-and-rail construction.

Gallagher fencing is distributed through the efforts of over 3,200 local tack shops, feed stores and farm supply retailers throughout the U.S. Backing up those retailers is a well-trained field staff of 26 territory managers strategically located around the country. They work in tandem with our dealer network and directly with end users to make sure our customer's are well served and satisfied with their purchases.

Gallagher serves many business, agricultural and recreational markets with our products but the rural lifestyle market is our fastest growing segment. We've found people in rural communities are extremely safety conscious and demand top quality products. Their busy schedules mean they don't have a lot of time for maintenance so performance and reliability tend to be extremely important to them when they make their buying decisions. We've designed and engineered our power fence products to meet those requirements.

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A major advantage of the engineering we've put into our power fences is ease of construction. Building one usually doesn't require the added expense of hiring a contractor. It can be a family project requiring just a few hours for short lengths and longer fencing runs are often just a weekend project.

We use two highly effective communication methods to reach our market. First is a series of print ads placed with magazines that serve the rural lifestyle. It's an effective way to reach our customers where they live and build a brand image that they trust and appreciate.

The second communication method, and the best way to communicate the advantages of Gallagher Fences, is through hands-on demonstrations. Our territory managers, highly-qualified experts with years of practical experience, spend a great deal of time hosting field days and fencing demonstrations, showing people how easy it is to build a power fence and explaining the best options for each individual application.

Editor's note: We invited representatives of leading organizations who have archived high levels of success in the rural lifestyle market to share their thoughts about this important market segment.