Consistent Performance Is Key to Corn Seed Brand Decisions

Stratus Ag Research recently released the 2019 Corn Seed Focus360 report for Eastern Canada. This report is designed to enable Seed companies to understand brand experiences and the impact marketing efforts had on eastern Canadian corn growers over time.

Along with containing the grower views of the major corn seed brands in Eastern Canada, the following items are a few key insights derived from the report:

• Efforts to get a corn seed brand into the consideration set of a corn grower is very important.  Nearly 60% of brands are ignored.  Yet, for the brands that do get considered, two-thirds of them are used.
• When a corn grower considers but rejects a seed brand, one of the most common reasons is the high seed cost. Lower yields and lack of dealer effort are also common reasons for rejecting some brands.
• High yields and consistent performance drive seed brand purchase decisions.   Additionally, some growers are also interested in more interactions with their retailer while others seek good value and programs.
• Performance satisfaction has a strong influence on repeat use of seed brands. 90% of growers who were very satisfied with a brand’s performance in 2018 will plant the same brand in 2019.  That declines to 65% among those who were not satisfied.
• Satisfaction with corn seed brands has been trending lower over the past 3 years.  In 2016, 46% of brand users were very satisfied.  Satisfaction dropped to 34% very satisfied in 2018. As a result, corn growers are less committed to the brands they grew in 2018.

The Corn Seed Focus360 report delivers actionable insights that clients can use to:

• Understand grower perceptions of seed brands and track changes over time.
• Establish clear product positions based on factors that drive grower decisions.
• Define communication messages that resonate with farmers.
• Assess the impact of advertising campaigns.
• Consider tactics that will improve consideration rates and sales success rates.
• Identify ways to improve the quality of their customer experience.
• Provide guidance and objectives to communication agencies.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of their direct contact with farmers.
• Identify ways to improve the effectiveness of their retail distribution