With the warm weather that has continued from the Easter break into this upcoming long weekend, I assume our grass machinery dealer readers are hoping to see their customers out in force.
Conditions have been favourable for the public to get outside and enjoy their own gardens or their local parks and public green spaces. Importantly, I assume the whole industry is keen to see all these grassed areas well-maintained by some top quality, recently purchased or serviced, mowing equipment (of whichever colour your dealership favours).
However, we have just entered that time of year once again where there is a high-profile, national campaign that is actively encouraging both home owners and local authorities to mothball their lawnmower for four weeks - if not more.
Plantlife's No Mow May, which is now in its seventh year, has without a doubt gained significant momentum since inception. Its title is genius. It is both memorable and its aims instantly understandable to anybody hearing it for the first time (of which, there can't be many!). A quick Google reveals just how wide its reach is proving this year across all media, with articles and filmed pieces appearing across local and national newspapers, on television, in vlogs and blogs and over social media.
With all this attention focused upon not mowing, it inevitably raises the question for our dealer readers, do you notice any tangible impact on your business when this campaign kicks off each year? Does your showroom feel quieter? Is your web traffic down? Crucially, do you feel your profits are in anyway adversely affected? Please share any of your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
Knowing our readers though, I suspect there are ways of turning what might initially appear as a challenging month into an opportunity. Through their ingenuity, I'm sure dealers can embrace the sentiment whilst turning the interest in the grassed environment that the campaign generates, to their advantage. Because there's little doubt that vast swathes of the buying pubic will rightly agree with No Mow May's aims of increasing biodiversity and protecting pollinators (whether not cutting the grass for a month is the best way of achieving that, however, is another argument).
Perhaps an approach might be, rather than placing the dealership in direct opposition to the notion of pausing mowing regimes, is instead to act as a valuable ally in environmentally responsible grass cutting? Rather than interpreting the month as a strict, all-or-nothing commitment, show that there can be room for nuance. It can be explained to customers that whilst it's good practice to leave parts of the lawn left untouched for wildlife, other areas like borders and walkways can remain neatly trimmed. This approach might appeal to homeowners who want to support pollinators but still value a tidy, usable garden. A similar argument can apply to local authority customers in charge of parks and the like.
May might also be an opportune moment to pivot marketing efforts from sales to servicing and maintenance. Equally though, messaging could shift to the wider range of equipment you offer. Strimmers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws and brushcutters can all be promoted as tools that support environmentally friendly, sustainable outdoor care.
And then, thinking ahead to the start of next month, perhaps some kind of drive to re-engage customers with the idea of mowing could be implemented? Talking with your community about how to manage longer grass safely after a month of growth could forge some valuable bonds. It can be one of those moments where dealers get to show off the specialist credentials that separate them from the mass channel retailers.
But you'll know better than I, and you will have had first-hand experience of the campaign as it has built over these past few years. So please let us know today, is it something you engage with your customers about? Do you change your social media communications to acknowledge that it's happening? My guess is that if you do, it could really work in your favour, adding to your reputation as the local, go-to, trustworthy expert. Let us know in the comments below.
