Frequently Asked Questions

Questions Regarding the Mailer:

What does the mailer look like?
The format of our mailer is printed full color (4-color), edge to edge, high resolution on semi-glossy paper. Each 11" x 17" sheet of paper is printed on both sides and folded in half to create a mailer that is 8.5" x 11". Each company is given a full 8.5" x 11" page for their ad. All but the front page of the mailer will be used for advertisements, with the possible exception of one or two pages, which may be set aside for the purpose of printing information or a mail-in survey or form. Click here for a sample of what a mailer looks like (12.7 MB PDF file).

If I choose to advertise, do I have any control over the layout and appearance of the mailer?
With the exception of the appearance of your own ad, you would not have any control over how the mailer looks. You may request that your ad be placed either on a left-hand page or right-hand page, but be aware that we may not be able to accomodate your request. Advertisers cannot "reserve" a particular location in the mailer.

What makes your mailer a better way to advertise than other printed media?
The mailer is not something that arrives in the reseller's mailbox every day or even every week, so its arrival alone will cause some curiosity. Its attractive appearance, printed full color on high-quality paper stock rather than news print captures attention and give the impression of a quality publication instead of something that was produced quickly and cheaply. It is magazine size, so will not accidentally get overlooked. I will be noticed by those who receive it. Once they open it, the full page adverts, money-saving specials, and show info will encourage people to browse through the entire mailer. It is generally the DEALS and SPECIALS that get the resellers to act initially, whether it's to request more information or to place an order, so we always strongly recommend that participants have some kind of special offer in their ad. Plus, having a special offer gives each participant a way to track the success of their ad.

Is your mailer more cost-effective than my company doing its own?
I’ve heard many companies say that they do their own mailing. First, let’s look at the math: just to mail to 2,000 accounts will cost the average company about $1,410 dollars PER MAILING. Here is the estimated break down: Postage: $760, Printing: $200, Envelopes: $50, Labels (including print time & application time at minimum wage): $200, tme to stuff the envelopes: $200, and that's only for mailing out to 2,000 locations. Sure, there's no competition within THAT mailing, but after seeing two or three single product/company mailers from you, what gets them to open the fourth, fifth, and sixth? Specials? New Products? Deals? Information? For about $60 more than you are spending in the above scenario, you can reach TEN TIMES the people, with compelling non-competing product types that increase the likelihood your information is being seen. Even if you are just doing post cards, you are still looking at nearly a $1000 cost for the same 2,000 names. For 50% more, you could have a larger ad, with a better presentation, and, again, going to ten times the customer base. Do the math!

Who is your mailer sent out to?
The mailers are sent out to over 21,000 addresses. Of those 21,000, about 15,000 are tack & feed stores; there are about 3,000 apparel stores, 900 gift shops, 350 equine vet clinics that now have retail products in their lobbies, 200 farriers that carry products in their trucks to resell, 100 mobile stores (setting up at retail trade shows), 50 key trainers and clinicians that influence retail purchases, and a variety of other niche stragglers. There are probably 75 pet stores in our list, many of which are starting to carry more equine products. We don't send to the 123 Tennessee Framers Co-ops, but to the 18 stores & 2 buyers that actually make decisions for the stores. We don't mail to the 637 Tractor Supply Stores, but to the 6 buyers that make the decisions for those stores. We don't mail to the PetSmart/State Line Tack stores, but to the 4 primary buyers representing all those stores. We do our best to mail to the actual buyers and decision-makers whenever possible.

Do you give preferential treatment to big companies?
Though, naturally, we love to see big name companies in our mailer, this really is a first come, first serve publication, so all companies, big or small, have equal rights. Money secures a spot in the mailer, but there will only be one spot for a given product type allowed. Once that spot is filled, it will not be taken away and given to another company, not even if another company offers us more money. Only if a company backs out (or defaults) on their contract will they be removed from that mailer and replaced by another company.

If a particular company advertises in a mailer, then chooses not to do so in the next one, they relinquish the "right" to be the company offering their particular product type in that mailer and any subsequent ones until the availability for that product type is opened up by the departure of the competitor that took their place. Companies that advertised in the previous mailer have the first option to do so in the next one, and space is limited. If you want to "lock in" any of your product lines, you need to act fast. (A participant is limited to “tying-up” and “locking in” exclusivity on only two product types per contract.) We've had to turn away companies that expressed an interest and verbal commitment because their competitor signed and submitted a contract to us first. The first participant with a given product type will effectively keep other companies from advertising that same type of product within our mailers.

Questions About KMS:

I really support what you are doing and would like to play a larger role in KMS. May I do that?
If you are interested in helping this project be successful, then we are definitely interested in getting that help. We (MD's Choice and America's Acres) are both looking for some key, long-term participation in this co-op marketing concept that will benefit everyone. We are NOT doing this to make money or replace our individual company visions. We see it as a means to an end result that our individual companies will benefit from. Of course, one of the best ways to support what we're doing is to advertise in the mailer, particularly on a regular basis for at least three consecutive mailings.

Besides the mailer, what does KMS have to offer?
Not only do we want to help manufacturers sell their products to resellers, we are also committed to helping the stores and resellers themselves be more successful. After all, stores and resellers that are successful will purchase more from the manufacturers. Our companion Web site, TackStoreInfo.com, is primarily for owners, buyers and decision-makers, but we welcome manufacturers and virtually anyone else in the equine industry to participate as well. In fact, this Web site displays the logos of all of the currently participating companies, as well as the advertisements they had in the most recently printed mailer, thereby giving an additional advertisement for your company, one that is completely free of charge.

TackStoreInfo.com contains content that can educate people in the industry, helping them make wiser business choices and buying decisions. There are articles on a variety of subjects, and we are continually adding more. In fact, we invite any participant to submit an article for inclusion on the Web Site. Keep in mind, though, that the articles are for the purpose of education or information, not to "plug" a product.

Another key feature of the Web site is the message board, where registered participants can post their thoughts, opinions, ideas and questions and be replied to by others in the industry. This is an ideal way to become more active in the equine industry "community". You can learn a lot from others in the business and may gain some valuable contacts, perhaps even new customers. We must stress that this is not a place for you to post free advertisements, though we are considering adding a "classifieds" section for the purpose of participants advertising special offers.

The primary purpose of TackStoreInfo.com is to help people in the industry, particularly by means of providing information that will help their business and by giving them a place where they can "hang out" with others in the industry. We're not so bold as to think we have all the answers to the questions people have, but we think having such a site available to people in the industry will be both useful and valued by a growing number of individuals as we get the word out that it exists. I think it's to the benefit of this industry as a whole to help stores learn how to stay in business, to learn to work smarter, and to increase their profits. In turn, I believe our individual sales will increase.

And the end users? Yes, they are definitely important. None of use would be in business if it weren't for them. The best help we can give them is to help the manufacturers who make the products they buy and the companies that sell those products to them. Companies that are well-educated and prosperous pass on these things to their customers by offering more products, better quality products, better deals, and product information that their customers need to make an informed purchase. And, as well all know, a happy customer is one who may come back and buy again.