You are on page 1of 15

Marketing at

www.drinkstone.com

Arnold Park, Drinkstone, Hawick, Scottish Borders,


t: 01450 370795 M: 07860 389 773 j_park@btconnect.com
Overview
• Creating a point of difference
Elite performance genetics

• Proven achievements
Through recording

• Marketing semen and rams


The impact of Drinkstone Suffolk Sheep

• Marketing strategy
Knowing Drinkstone customer
Knowning the tools to promote Drinkstone
• Where next for Drinkstone?
Increasing demand against the tide
Not just Suffolks

• Suffolk UK’s leading native terminal sire.


• Ticks boxes producing fast growing slaughter lambs
• Profitable sheep production is the fast, efficient growth of lambs
(18 – 21kg)
• Use of recording in sheep industry is a means of protecting
returns.
• Drinkstone Suffolks enhancing returns
Genetic Trends
4.5
4
3.5
3
Breed
2.5
SRS
2
Drinkstone
1.5
1
0.5
0
1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007
Enhancing returns
• Drinkstone Suffolk flock’s ram average index is
better than the top 5%
• National Suffolk Breeding Evaluation Index

Top 50% Top 25% Top 10% Top 5%


£1.85 £2.28 £2.91 £3.49

• Drinkstone’s top Suffolk lamb this year has an index of


£6.16.
genetics - making an impact

Sire No. Progeny


in 2007
Sired by Flock W Rams 857
Sired by Y68 Rams 771
Sired by Flock X Rams 708
Sired by Flock Y Rams 694
Sired by Flock Z Rams 507
15,688
Drinkstone genetics are having an impact

Sire No. Progeny Average Index


in 2007 of Lambs
Sired by Flock W Rams 857 £1.37
Sired by Y68 Rams 771 £3.55
Sired by Flock X Rams 708 £1.20
Sired by Flock Y Rams 694 £1.66
Sired by Flock Z Rams 507 £1.49
15,688 £1.74
Not just Drinkstone Suffolks ...

Drinkstone North Star


EBVs:
8wk weight 7.23kg
Scan Weight 14.89kg
Muscle Depth 3.79mm
Index 401

Scan weight Muscle dept Index

Drinkstone average 10.39kg 3.25 284


National Texel
average
4.84kg 0.95 174
Marketing and Sales Strategy
• Meeting customer needs
• Different breeding lines
• Contact with customers
• Postcards, emails, phone calls, shows, sales
• Promotion
• Internet, catalogues, farm visits,
recommendation
• After sales care
• Paper work, guarantee, records, follow up calls
website

Contacts Home Rams


News Scans
THE BUTTONS:
Hea lth Performance
t& Origins
Expor
On line catalogue information
9Drinkstone catalogue entries uploaded to web
9Annual Kelso entry permanently on website
9Shows prospective buyers EBVs of rams for sale
9Shop window – open 24/7 providing spec Drinkstone flock and semen,
rams, females for sale
Breeders are looking for EBVs..
Shrewsbury Suffolk Sale 2007
• Top 5% Index - 14 sold to average 1541gns
• Top 10% Index - 16 sold to average 1365gns
• Sale average circa 1000gns

Drinkstone, Y68 J14


National Suffolk sale 2007
Top price, recorded ram lamb
5,200gns
The Future for Drinkstone Genetics
1. What is the market?
Semen, ram, female sales?
Pedigree or commercial?

2. Where is the market?


Auctions - profile for Drinkstone at Kelso, provides a benchmark
On-farm – High health status, farm to farm bio security
Overseas – limited to semen and embryos while blue tongue FMD
problems exist (vulnerable)

3. Future breeding decisions


A change of direction or a change of pace?
Flocks getting larger?
Greater accountability

4. Future marketing strategies


Drinkstone continue to increase growth rate, lean meat %
Push back export boundaries
DRINKSTONE MARKETING

9 2007 top two Texel ram lamb indexes


9 2007 top Suffolk ram lamb index (pictured)
9 Find a niche
9 Create a product
9 Market a brand
NOT JUST SHEEP

“SHEEP”

www.drinkstone.com

You might also like