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RE: [RC] Still don't get it - Garrett FordTruman- It's frustrating to see this type of feedback from an endurance rider. EasyCare has been a consistent supporter of AERC since the early eighties. I would bet you would have a hard time finding a copy of Endurance News without one EasyCare advertisement. Most months of Endurance News have more than one EasyCare advertisement, many have two to four. In addition to advertising in Endurance News, EasyCare has had a similar advertising presence in magazines like Equus, Horse Illustrated, Horse & Rider, Trail Blazer, Trail Rider and Western Horseman. This 25 years of consistent advertising drives business to EasyCare dealers. This push through technique has helped tack shops, e-commerce retailers, mail order catalogs and wholesalers sell the EasyCare product range. Consumers will contact an EasyCare dealer and ask for an Easyboot by name. In addition to the push through created by our national advertising campaign, EasyCare has put a great deal of energy into other tools that push traffic to our dealers. We have an Online Dealer Locator that helps consumers find the closest dealer in their area, we have an online Hoof Care Practitioner Locator that helps consumers find professionals that can fit EasyCare hoof boots. We have videos and blogs that help consumers learn about hoof boots and natural hoof care techniques. We also have one of the best natural hoof care and hoof boot article databases available to the public. Each one of these tools helps dealers sell our products. EasyCare has also been a long time supporter of AERC and the sport of endurance. EasyCare is a Platinum Sponsor of AERC. We have donated thousands of ride awards over the years and continue to donate awards every month. EasyCare is going to be a consistent vendor at the AERC National Convention. We attended the AERC convention this year to educate consumers about the EasyCare product range. All sales were directed to the EasyCare dealers exhibiting at the convention. This support of AERC and the national convention helps endurance retailers sell our products. EasyCare has also given a great deal back to several local trail systems. We have donated money and are members or sponsors of the Arizona Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, Western States Trail, The Equestrial Land Conservation Resource, Nevada All State Trail Riders, and several others. These donations have helped support trails and trail riding. This support helps dealers sell our products. Although the majority of business decisions made by EasyCare are to support our dealer channel, EasyCare does sell direct to the public. Why do we do this? The biggest reason is to reach our customer base. Many, many horse owners live in remote rural areas that are sometimes 100+ miles from a retail dealer. These consumers are many times the same people who don't have high speed access and the ability to shop online. They don't want to drive to a dealer, they want to speak to a knowledgeable customer service person and have the product shipped. EasyCare would do these customers and horses a disservice if we didn't sell to them. EasyCare takes care of these consumers at MSRP so our dealers are not undercut. I personally would be more concerned with the manufactures who don't give their dealers the push through support needed to sell their products. I agree with your statement "Competing with your retailers is never a good idea for a manufacturer" We don't compete with our dealers we support our dealers. Here is a short list of companies that have similar business models. www.apple.com www.nike.com www.levi.com www.profchoice.com/index.html www.toklat.com EasyCare support of AERC and endurance riding is not justified by the financial return we get back. EasyCare supports AERC and the sport of endurance riding because we love the sport and the people involved. I did my first endurance ride when I was 12 years old, I rode Tevis twice as a junior and some of my best family memories are at endurance rides. It's a great sport and a great bunch of people. Garrett Ford AERC# 1265 -----Original Message----- From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Truman Prevatt Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 5:23 PM To: Tx Trigger Cc: Ridecamp Subject: Re: [RC] Still don't get it Competing with your retailers is never a good idea for a manufacturer. You don't see St. Crox Forge selling horse shoes directly - they sell them through retailers they have developed. There are plenty of retailers that handle EZ boots. You can find them at many farrier supply houses. You can find them in many tack stores. You can find them at Jeffers, you can find them a KV vet. There is not a problem finding EZ boots. There is no reason a manufacturer to also sell directly to the public - competing with their retailers - in this case. Bad business and bad taste IMO. Truman Tx Trigger wrote: ----- Original Message ----- From: "Truman Prevatt" > EZ care can't have it both ways. They can't try to sell to me by mail order trying to get the sell from my local tack shops they sell whole sale to while complaining about people buying boots from some other mail order house.<<< As you know Truman, not all stores in any area will carry the products we use. Yes, I do also support my local stores. BTW, the boot store that fit my hubby, was not a local one in our community. And, I did not know Easycare was complaining about people buying the boots from some other mail order house. Did I miss a post with that complaint? Jonni (under tornado watch, and lots of rain!) -- "Since when have we Americans been expected to bow submissively to authority and speak with awe and reverence to those who represent us?" 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