Those types of purchasing commitments don’t go without notice at 84, which uses internally developed databases to track builder purchasing dollars along with marketing budgets that gauge marketing dollars invested in a specific customer versus any improvement in their purchasing activity. “That’s a rough measurement,” Kmiec says. “But we primarily measure our success in terms of our overall market growth. At the end of the day, are sales improving? Is the company growing? That is ultimately the marketing plan litmus test.”
In addition to preparing for the 2005 84 Lumber Classic, the company’s latest marketing initiatives involve a team effort with the Pittsburgh Ford Dealers Advertising Fund (PFDAF) that ran in October and November of 2004 and awarded contractor prizes of a 2005 Ford Super Duty truck and ten $500 84 Lumber cash cards. “We have many of the same customers, so it’s only natural that we build a partnership that benefits our local dealers, 84 Lumber, and our customers,” says Frank Dellaria, president of Jim Dellaria Ford in Burgettstown, Pa., and chairman of PFDAF, which is comprised of 100 Ford dealers across western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland.
Ford and 84 also coordinated a private sale in conjunction with the promotion, awarding $1,000 84 gift cards for contractors that did not land the grand prize but opted to purchase the truck on their own. 84 is currently evaluating the program to see if they want to take it nationwide.
For 84 corporate marketing strategists, the national branding effort that partnerships with the PGA and Ford provide is just another part of ensuring local marketing flexibility and success as the company continues to grow. “People [are beginning to know] who 84 Lumber is, and that gives a definitive advantage,” says Myrick. “We are going to open 52 stores next year, and we are going to open them in markets where we don’t have stores today. So when our salesman goes to the jobsite, that builder is automatically going to know who he is and why he is there. It’s instant credibility.”
Dave Fisher couldn’t agree more. “From a marketing perspective, nothing is ever forced down our throats and all of the efforts directly support the work of our salespeople in the field,” he says of the symbiosis between national branding and local marketing success. “It makes it worth it each month when the marketing dollars come out of my budget because ultimately those sales drive the train.”
Vital Statistics
Company: 84 Lumber
Year founded: 1956
Headquarters: Eighty Four, Pa.
Number of locations: 500
Number of employees: 8,000
2004 gross sales: $3.4 billion
Pro sales percentage: 85 percent
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