Talk to an Expert

How John Deere is harvesting deeper, faster insights with Community 2.0

How John Deere is harvesting deeper, faster insights

Research community ROI for market research and customer insights professionals
quote start

“It’s a good way to reach customers who are never sitting still. There's power in these new inputs that are available to us through the phone. For example, the video and in-the-moment feedback helps us understand the 'why' behind the rows and columns of other data we have coming in continuously from multiple sources.”

Bryan Dorsey

Manager, Global Research, John Deere
quote end

100+ studies

Conducting over 100 studies each year with global insights communities

Increased engagement

Mobile-first approach improved participation from hard-to-reach farmers and dealers

Real-time insights

SMS distribution allowed for faster, in-the-moment feedback from customers

About John Deere

John Deere, a global leader in agricultural, construction, and forestry equipment, has a rich history of innovation spanning close to 200 years. The company started with pioneering solutions like the steel plow in the 1830s and evolved into a technology company that applies advanced innovations to its machinery today. This shift is not only reflected in their product offerings but also in how they engage with customers and gather insights to innovate continuously.

John Deere insight community case study with Rival Technologies

The Challenge

As a global brand with an on-the-move customer base, John Deere faced significant research challenges:

  • Hard-to-reach audience: Producers, who spend most of their time in the field or in a combine, were difficult to engage using traditional survey methods.
  • Evolving customer expectations: As John Deere transitioned into a more tech-focused company, they needed to adapt their research to reflect this shift and meet customers where they are: on their mobile devices. 
  • Slow data collection: Traditional research methods were missing on critical, in-the-moment insights that would be most valuable when customers were actively working with John Deere products in real life.

The Solution

To address these challenges, John Deere partnered with Reach3 Insights and Rival Technologies to implement Community 2.0, a next-gen, mobile-first research community designed to foster real-time, contextual interactions with customers. Key aspects of this solution included:

  • Mobile-first platform: Leveraging SMS over email, the solution reached producers in the field, enabling faster, more responsive feedback.
  • Conversational design: Surveys were made more engaging; feeling less like formal research activities and more like natural interactions.
  • Real-time, in-context feedback: Producers could share more detailed, humanized insights through videos and photos, adding depth and context to the data.
Research community use case and example for customer insights - top insight community platform and vendor

Use Cases

John Deere is using its insight communities for a wide range of research studies.

Some examples include:

- Technology learning stream

- Dealer expo chat

- Longitudinal parts purchasing tracking

... And so much more

 

Results

The transformation to Community 2.0 brought immediate improvements:

Faster response rates: Moving to SMS drastically improved participation and response time.
Higher engagement: The conversational approach made the research process more enjoyable, even for busy producers and dealers.
Richer insights: Video and photo submissions provided deeper, more actionable insights, helping John Deere understand how customers interact with their products in real time.
Improved reporting: John Deere benefited from dynamic, visually engaging reports that engaged stakeholders more effectively across its global organization.

By embracing Community 2.0, John Deere aligned its research strategy with its tech-focused identity, gaining a strategic advantage through timely, meaningful insights that drive innovation.

Take your research to the next era

Engage with your consumers in real-time and generate actionable insights fast. 

CONNECT WITH US

Looking for more insight community examples?

rival-customer-stories-splash-thumbnail-revolt-2xsize

REVOLT TV

REVOLT TV, a leading premium cable network, uses Rival to keep its pulse on the evolving attitudes of young Black consumers. 

Learn More
Carnival Cruise case study

Carnival Corporation

Driving 83% response rates and accelerating speed to insights with Community 2.0.

Learn More
Brunswick insight community example and use case

Brunswick

Connecting their system of record with their insight community to get a real-time, more nuanced understanding of boaters.

Learn More