Corn Resellers Play a Major Role in Seed Brand Decisions with Growers In the MidWestern US

In the spring of 2019, Stratus Ag Research released the 2019 Corn Seed Focus360 report. This report is designed to track growers’ experiences and reactions to the marketing efforts of the corn seed companies in the MidWestern United States.

Along with containing the grower views of the major corn seed brands in the MidWest, the following are key insights derived from the report.

• High profits and high yield continue to be the most important factors to growers when choosing a corn seed brand.
• The most common reasons a grower won’t consider using a corn seed brand is the belief that it yields lower than its competitors, or is priced too high.
• When making their decisions, growers rely on past use/performance, and reseller discussions, service and support.
• Direct contact with a seed rep or reseller are the most impactful touchpoints for helping growers make decisions about the seed brands they use.
• Resellers have a strong impact on the sales of a brand – especially when they make multiple contacts with potential users. This is a relationship that continues to be important to growers and is often a key driver of a brand getting into the consideration set.

The report illustrates the performance of canola seed brands as viewed by growers in the following key areas: purchase journey, positioning, promotion, channel effort and brand experience.

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

• Identify factors that prevent their brand from getting into the farmer’s consideration set.
• Identify factors that contribute to the rejection of their brand at the moment of purchase.
• Assess the impact of their advertising campaigns; provide guidance to communication agencies.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of their direct interactions with farmers.
• Assess the level of retailer/dealer support for their brands.
• Measure farmer perceptions of product strengths and weaknesses.
• Establish clear product positions based on factors that drive farmer decisions.
• Assess repurchase expectations based on customer experience with their brands.