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PowerChord fuels Kohler generator sales at a North Carolina retailer
How Tidewater Energy, a local Kohler generator dealer, used PowerChord's local digital marketing to outpace a bigger-spending competitor, with 80% of its leads now coming through the program.
Meet the players
Keeping the power on is the backbone of Kohler. For 100 years, the brand's products have delivered trustworthy power, and Kohler home generators keep the AC, heat, sump pump, and major appliances running. Tidewater Energy in LaGrange, North Carolina, is the propane gas division of Harvey Fertilizer & Gas Company and sells a range of Kohler products at its local retail store.
Between Kohler and Harvey, there is nearly 250 years of experience serving customers. In 2017, Kohler decided it was time to grow with a new kind of tool, local digital marketing through PowerChord, and Tidewater began reaping the benefits when it signed on in 2019.
Reach the right buyers for a big-ticket product
Kohler has more than 800 distributors and 10,000 dealers worldwide, a lot of territory to cover to reach generator buyers. Tidewater Energy was a successful dealer with a strong propane base, but it needed to grow its generator business and overtake a competing brand that was outspending it on advertising.
Tidewater knew Kohler could win on price and performance. The problem was reaching the right audience: once a potential customer was in front of them, they could close. For a big-ticket, high-consideration product, the job came down to generating viable leads.
Localized marketing that does the homework up front
PowerChord rolled out localized digital marketing for Kohler's dealer network on its platform, giving Tidewater coordinated, brand-consistent content and targeted outreach that drove traffic to its website.
Educational content did much of the work before the first conversation: at least half of the consumers who arrived were already informed about Kohler products, which made conversations faster and conversions easier.
Untapped digital opportunity, turned into daily leads
PowerChord enabled Tidewater to take advantage of digital opportunities it had never tapped. The localized program broadened Kohler's customer base, drawing in people who discovered the brand through the educational content, and it moved Tidewater's bottom line.
"The decision to join PowerChord's program as a dealer has been a complete game-changer on the number of leads we're seeing come in on a daily basis, which is moving our bottom line."
Wendell Whitman, Manager, Tidewater Energy