"Quality is easy to claim, hard to prove and virtually impossible to show. For these reasons it is tough to hang your hat on quality, no matter how good your product and increasingly consumers are looking for 'value-differentiators' ['value' meaning benefit not price in this context] when interacting with a company.

Value-added differentiators are expressed through brand. Brands have always been about trust, but in this new competitive environment they are increasingly an expression of value"

(SIAA Information Industry Summit 2005: Wrap Up Notes as reported on www.contentbiz.com)

In the thoroughbred arena, value-differentiators may include improving the usefulness of data that you supply to clients, increasing (or indeed decreasing) the number of stallions on offer; offering bloodlines that work particularly well with client mares, capping books, revising the terms of the service agreement; publishing the results of professional studies undertaken on the quality of your pasture; enhanced safety; increased client communications ... the possibilities are endless.

I have never had any professional dealings with Lord Lodge and Jacquie Little Thoroughbreds but when you look at their website the first thing that becomes apparent is that this is a company that appears to inherently understand the concept of value-differentiation. Look at a recent news posting on the site:

"CONFORMATION - WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

"Many people have expressed a desire to know more about the 'importance of Thoroughbred conformation' .

"We have decided to address this issue and will be holding a Question/Answer Information Session for those who are desperate to know more. For logistical reasons each session will have no more than 25 people.

"Please email us at lordlodge@aol.com to register your interest".

Another initiative that the various State Owners' Committees could do well to shamelessly plagiarise is Lord Lodge's OWNER FOR A DAY scheme.

"Periodically we have the opportunity to offer our valued Lord Lodge clients the chance to be an OWNER FOR A DAY. Suited, in particular, to clients whose horse has yet to hit the track the OWNER FOR A DAY scheme will allow you to experience all of the behind the scenes action. Saddling up, mounting yard, talking to the jockey and then the post race activities. Our last OWNER FOR A DAY was lucky enough to be part of the presentation ceremony after the horse won!! Talk about coat hangers!!"

Of interest, Jacquie also offers clients the Lord Lodge Service Agreement which she says "is an industry first. We believe that this Agreement will dramatically improve the overall service that we offer our valued clients and all who purchase shares in horses here at Lord Lodge or who give us a horse to train will receive the Lord Lodge Service Agreement."