27 Mar Wed 2013
Farmers Market Promotions: Be Creative and Collaborate
It's time to think about marketing your Farmers Market, but how can you afford to do so? Advertising can be costly, and one-time only print advertisement might be missed by potential customers. Billboard advertising gets more repeat attention, but it's costly to rent space. Maximizing your marketing dollars requires creativity and collaboration from the community.
Customers shop at Farmers Markets because they believe in supporting local farmers, they like to eat healthy food, they appreciate the camaraderie among fellow shoppers, or they enjoy the festive atmosphere.
How can you harness that customer loyalty to assist with your Farmers Market promotions?
Involve your customer. Appeal to their emotional involvement. Allow your customers an opportunity to participate in your promotions. Customers show their support for Farmers Markets through social media, wearable merchandise, repeat visits and ultimately, their pocketbooks. Centering your creative, collaborative promotion around these concepts will increase your customer base and market loyalty.
Customers shop at Farmers Markets because they believe in supporting local farmers, they like to eat healthy food, they appreciate the camaraderie among fellow shoppers, or they enjoy the festive atmosphere.
How can you harness that customer loyalty to assist with your Farmers Market promotions?
Involve your customer. Appeal to their emotional involvement. Allow your customers an opportunity to participate in your promotions. Customers show their support for Farmers Markets through social media, wearable merchandise, repeat visits and ultimately, their pocketbooks. Centering your creative, collaborative promotion around these concepts will increase your customer base and market loyalty.
First I'll address a topic that's near and dear to our heart....creatively collaborating on a customized tote bag promotion.
With some creative collaborative promotions, a farmers market can subsidize the cost of producing a customized tote bag, and create buzz for their market at the same time:
- Find a local business to co-sponsor the tote bag
- Selling the tote bags for $15 to $20 as a fundraiser for your farmers market
- Starting a Friends of the Market program where a $40-$50 donor receives a complimentary friend of the market tote bag
- Begin a “punch-card program” where an individual with 6 visits to the market (and 6 punches on their card) receives a complimentary farmers market tote bag
- Sell the tote bag at your cost as a promotional item for your farmers market
- Offer a weekly raffle and fill the tote bag with market vendor items
- Ask local businesses to sell the bags and give the market the proceeds
- Sponsor a Spring or Harvest Dinner during the market season and give a market tote bag to everyone who purchases a ticket to the event. The ticket price should reflect the cost of the event including the tote bag.
The important thing to remember is that a customized tote bag is actually a promotional tool for your Farmers Market. Any item that has your Farmers Market name on it represents your market and your vendors. Your bags should be attractive, durable and washable. Our preference is always that the bag be made in the USA. You want your customers to say, "what a nice bag! I have to have one. Where did you get it? Well, that must be a great farmers market!" Your customer with the tote bag will enjoy spreading the word about their favorite farmers market.
The end result is that you will create buzz about your market and your customers will be walking billboards for you - repeat advertising without the high cost of rented space!
The end result is that you will create buzz about your market and your customers will be walking billboards for you - repeat advertising without the high cost of rented space!
Over the next several days, we will address other creative collaborative marketing approaches for your Farmers Market. How do you creatively collaborate with your community? We'd love to hear from you!
Joan
05:03 PM EDT