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Impact of the Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. Pro Mule stop sale. John Healy over at Northcoast Research just sent me this short thought article on the Mule fiasco. The timing on this recall could not have come at a worse time. Dealers had stocked deep for the prime spring selling season and Kawasaki had recently announced a permanent price reduction of $2000 on most of these models. 2024 was really going to be the year where Kawasaki's plan to gain market share actually came to fruition, otherwise they were just going to have to settle in to a comfy third place. While Kawasaki had wanted to establish themsevles as a dominant player in this segment, the long lasting impacts of this recall will set Kawasaki back at a minimum of 2 years (although probably longer). While KMC has offered a couple of programs to retain customers ($500 parts and vehicle credits), communication from the factory has been almost non-existant, and few dealers will be willing to utilize these programs without a cleary communicated timeline for a resolution. As NR points out in their posting, other OEs should easily be able to capitalize on this situation, with the possibility that with the recent release of 2025 models, Polaris Inc. may be able to inch out BRP for some of these conquest sales. There are a lot of Pro-Mules in the field and they are not only taking up critical space, but also now starting to drive other costs such as inventory insurance. Had Kawasaki done a better job on messaging, dealers would probably not be so upset, but now they are also having to field an ongoing stream of calls from upset owners. The worst situation for a dealer to be in is the middle-man between two parties, and to not have any answers to provide. In my recent discussions with dealers I am hearing an ongoing desire from dealers to have Kawasaki start picking up these machines, removing them from their floor plan, and returning them to the factory warehouses. In summary: Our recent channel work revealed a significant recall affecting Kawasaki's 2024 Mule Pro-FX, Pro-FXR, and Pro-FXT 1000 UTV models due to the intake manifold combusting, leading to potential fires. Consumers received recall notices in late April, with no solution or timeline provided by Kawasaki. The recall is expected to last for an extended period, impacting the prime Spring selling season. While Kawasaki competes with Polaris and Can-Am in the Utility (UTV) segment, this recall could shift market share dynamics, favoring Polaris and Can-Am, particularly with the opportunity to convert buyers to the 2025 Polaris Ranger models. With Kawasaki's recall ongoing and Polaris already releasing its 2025 models, there's a clear advantage for dealers to attract potential Kawasaki buyers to Polaris. To read the full article, click on through.... https://lnkd.in/eDF-qXg8 #Kawasaki #ProMule #Polaris #BRP #UTV #SxS

Introducing the EVZ SCAG Mower. Say goodbye to the hassle of gas cans and high maintenance costs. The EVZ is the FIRST electric-powered unit in Scag’s mower lineup, offering a powerful and eco-friendly alternative for your lawn care needs. Whether you're this residential customer in Westfield, Indiana, or anywhere else, the EVZ is here to revolutionize your mowing experience. Experience the efficiency and reliability of Scag machines without the noise and emissions. Join the movement towards sustainability and less maintenance costs with the EVZ SCAG Mower. It's time to elevate your lawn care game and discover why Scag machines are Simply the Best.#EVZ #ScagMower #LawnCare #Sustainability #Innovation #McGavicOutdoorPower #Vanguard

Sitting here breaking down year over year stats for Facebook ads we've run for our outdoor power equipment dealerships. TL/DR - Facebook is getting better. Google is still awesome. Dealers should use both to get most out of budget. For years we focused our ad spend in Google because of its superiority in lead quality and shopper intent. And while Google remains the king of capturing leads based on user intent, Facebook has made great strides in the last 18 months in howe we're able to target, track and convert leads. Our go-to strategy is still a mix of Facebook + Google, but we are committing more funds to Facebook than ever before. So if you're running your own ads, we'll give you our secret sauce right here: 1) Facebook is most effective for OPE dealers in short bursts (that match national promotional windows) 2) As campaign time gets longer, audiences must be adjusted to encourage new eyeballs and creative fatigue (lookalike audiences for the win) 3) We still love Google. Lead quality tends to be slightly better here and intent is king. 5) Utilize Google display for more eyeballs at economical price. 6) SEM/Search can get dicey at the individual dealer level because we may end up competing against ourselves when national agencies run SEM for manufacturers and point to dealer locator microsites. This is why dealers use us. Measure. Analyze. Adjust. Win.