Page 314 - DMGT509_RURAL MARKETING

Unit 16: Marketing in Small Towns

A pilot flying from New York to London can’t see his destination for almost 99.9% of his flight. Notes
How does he find London? He plots a course and follows it. You will need to do the same thing
in your business. The pilots objective is very simple, “fly to London.” What is his strategy? First,
get a plane. Second, know how to fly (pay particular attention to landing safely). Chart a course,
check the weather, file a flight plan, load passengers and take off.

16.5 Some Things to Keep in Mind as you Plan your Strategy

What many people fail to consider in their strategy is how will its success change the company.
If you make crafts in your bedroom and one days Sears calls and wants to order 100,000 units
what will you do?
What is the most phenomenal success you can expect? Assume that’s what will happen and plan
for it. Don’t run out and hire 1,000 employees...plan on paper. Have a battle plan ready to go into
effect if your strategy is successful that will keep things under control and you won’t constantly
have to adapt to new circumstances.
Consider your pricing. If you start taking too much business from your competitors, the easiest
course of action for them is to cut their pricing. You must be prepared to justify your pricing as
fair and reasonable for the products and services offered. (See: How Pricing Affects Your Business)
What about distribution? If business increases will you need more storage? Where will that be?
What about delivery? Will it increase? Can you make some projections as to how much?
What about suppliers? Are current suppliers going to be able to fill increased demand? Do you
have back-ups in place?

What about finances? Have you discussed your marketing strategy with your banker? Do you
have lines of credit if you need them?
There are a lot more that are specific to your business that you must consider in order for your
strategy to succeed.

16.6 Where is the Best Place to Start?

Start with the obvious, who is the target market you already know? In other words, who are
your current customers? Is there another target market you may be missing? Seniors? Teens?
Generation X? Ethnic Groups? Intrastate? Interstate? International? If you stay with the current
customers you have how will your business grow? There are only two ways to get new customers
that I know of. Either create new ones who have never been customers of this product or service
before or steal customers from your competition.
What are your products and services? What makes your products or services unique from the
competition. Don’t give me the buzzwords from the advertising. “Superior quality”, “finest
craftsmanship”, etc. Tell me in terms a customer can under stand. Don’t show me a feature of
your product without a benefit to go with it. People buy benefits not features. What about
packaging? Brand Name? Don’t forget product guarantees, credit terms, and discounts.
Once you match the specific needs your target market is looking for with the benefits of the
product you are half way there. All that’s left is presenting that message to your target market
in the correct media.

How to Select a Media Strategy

This is usually pretty easy in a small town because there usually aren’t a lot of options. Generally
one weekly or perhaps daily paper. One radio station. Rarely is there a TV station. There may

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 309