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Klaus Berger, Mayday Consulting, Sardis
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Talk presented at the
43rd Annual Horticultural Growers Shortcourse, Feb 15-17, 2001 in
Abbotsford, British Columbia
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PROMOTION – an
attempt to sell or popularize your product by being an advocate for your
business.
Good promoters are:
- Familiar
- Consistent
- Recognizable
- Friendly
- Non-controversial
- Comforting
Let's look at one of the world's most recognized
promotional figures that fit into all these categories: Ronald McDonald.
The logo used for McDonald's is a great example of consistency and worldwide
recognition. It is used in all different ways and in different situations,
but always we are reminded of McDonald's.
But,
we don't all have the resources of a worldwide corporation to boost our
products, so what can we as small businesses learn from the big boys?
Remember, that you are the number one promoter of your product. Here are
some inexpensive and effective ways to promote:
- Telephone manners – greeting, name of firm, pleasant voice, knowledge, passing on a message, getting back to callers, giving out information
- Vehicles – cleanliness, condition, logos, manner driven, where parked.
- How you conduct yourself in public.
- What you say about your business, product, competitors, etc.
- Your personal appearance
- Other ways of promoting yourself and your product
- The approach to your market – entrance and exit are most important as a first impression.
- Condition of your yard, buildings, road, crops, parking, signs, landscaping.
- The ambiance of your business. What are you trying to portray?
- Promotions are also done in many other ways:
- Parades
- Fairs
- Exhibitions
- Trade shows
- Special events
- Talks to groups
Live, eat, sleep and breathe your product/business
… make it your passion.
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The old saying rings true – "Pile
it high and watch them buy."
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DISPLAY – to
display prominently or to make noticeable.
When doing displays follow again what the big boys
do:
- Cleanliness is next to Godliness
- Use colour coordination or colour contrast for best effects
- Be aware of shapes and forms
- Use originality in design and in display material
- Tie in to seasons or special days
- Appeal to all the senses, sight, sound, smell, touch, taste and remember one thing you can do better in your business than anyone else, that is to create a certain ambiance
- Use samples a lot
- Signs are a continuous way of advertising, use logos on them,
- Be consistent with pricing, numbers, letters, etc.
- Staff – clean, in identifiable outfits, smiling and helpful
- Provide lots of information with your product displays
- Always keep displays clean, filled up, old product pulled
- Look at crossover merchandising as a surefire way to increase sales e.g. apples with apple peelers, honey with decorative honey pots, lamb with mint jelly and recipes
- Be on the lookout for new ideas wherever you go:
- Your local bank
- The school
- A restaurant
- The theatre
Read magazines and journals and trade papers and
the local and national papers for trends and happenings.
Be aware of what things are important to your customer base. Study human
nature by reading books on marketing and advertising. Take classes. Ask
your customers for input.
Ask your staff for ways of improving your business and try out their ideas.
Use customer surveys. Start a focus group for your farm. Watch to see
which displays sell more products or entice people and use that knowledge
to build even better displays.
See what the competition is doing but DO NOT COPY THEM!
If you want to become well known and successful, you must have an individualistic
approach. Do not become Pepsi following the Coca-Cola brand; you will
always be just second best.
Identify what makes YOU different and capitalize
on that strength. It could be:
- Location
- Heritage
- Proximity and a tie in to another local attraction
- A variety of unusual produce
- Helpfulness with recipes and growing tips
- The ambiance of your farm
- Animal attractions
- A tea room
- Extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff
Find something with which to differentiate your business.
ADVERTISING –
To attract attention. To make public announcements. To proclaim the quality
or advantages of a product so as to increase sales.
Your name is of great importance, and must be clear
and concise.
- Logos are of primary importance. They should be easily recognizable
and make people think immediately of your product.
- Think about some signs like EXIT and STOP. From about the age
of 3 years old, most children know exactly what they look like and what
they mean, without even being able to read. Try going past a McDonald's
with a toddler in the car. They KNOW what that sign means. This is what
you must aim for, that level of recognition.
There are many ways to advertise, and this is where there is a great crossover
between promotion, display and advertising.
- Business cards
- Coupons
- Telephone manners and information disbursed
- Signs on roads, in yard, in store
- Logos on vehicles
- Newsletters
- Television
- Radio
- Internet
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- In other businesses crossover promotions
- On articles of clothing, balloons, bags, handouts
But, the very best advertising a business can get
is free advertising either by word of mouth, a free article written about
it, or by being interviewed by the media. People tend to believe what
others tell them about your business, more than what you tell them.
For the ads that you buy, make sure to always include your name, logo,
contact numbers and one or two points of great benefit to the customer.
Your address and times of opening are also necessary. Be consistent with
your advertising so that you "brand" your business.
In a paid for visual ad, use either a person or an easily recognizable
part of your farm as a consistent image (e.g. Brian Minter, Dave Thomas,
Ronald McDonald). Remember that in today's fast paced, hectic world, people
are worried about many things. Irradiated food, unclean water, chemical
sprays, and pollution combine to make the average consumer feel that they
are losing control of their lives. By being approachable and knowledgeable
about your product, you can only benefit from this contact with the public.
Make them feel good when they see that face or that scene. In a subliminal
sense they will identify with it if you do a good, honest job of providing
these services.
But if the most important advertising is FREE advertising, how do you
get it?
The number one way to attract attention to your business or product is
by first becoming the most passionate believer and advocate of it. If
you truly believe in what you are doing, you cannot help but pique the
interest of people and make them believe you too.
Doing something different, something that others would be interested in,
is another way to attract media attention. Everyone can grow fruits or
veggies, but can they grow 50 varieties of potatoes?
Become a specialist in something.
Use a twist on an old theme: on April Fool's Day we had a "marshmallow
tree" and attracted CBC radio, the local paper, and 100 gullible
people.
Gordie Kopischke started a pumpkin cannon and charged to view it.
Use special events as fund-raisers for charity. You will be doing a good
deed while getting free publicity for your business.
Develop something unique for your farm:
- A goat walk
- A heritage flower garden
- A Halloween haunted house
Be sure that no sooner than you have developed an idea, your competition
will most likely copy it, so be prepared to be always one step ahead.
Give unexpected customer satisfaction. An excited and satisfied customer
will tell others, thus attracting media attention. All the larger papers
and media employ people to read local newspapers and pull items of interest
to follow up. This is a great way to get free publicity.
Be available to the media at all times. Reporters are on a tight schedule
so if you promise to get back to them at a certain time, be sure that
you do. Never give incorrect information as it can come back to haunt
you. Offer to be their "expert" source of information for your
product. Be generous to others in your own field by mentioning them as
well. Be very professional with any contact with the media.
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Remember
Some people make things happen,
Some wait for things to happen,
And some people say, "what happened?"
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Summary
Promoting your business, displaying your merchandise and advertising, what
you are all about requires planning, effort, research and some luck. Everything
you have done will eventually translate into more dollars in your pocket.
Only you know where you fit in!
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