CommunicationsSeedstock EDGE | “For the Record” | “The Pinnacle” | |
| Seedstock EDGE Seedstock EDGE main | Seedstock EDGE archives Advertising rates/deadlines | Mail dates Subscribe today! | Seedstock EDGE staff |
July 2004 Issue
Set your sights
by Christy Couch Lee
Last April, my husband and I were floating in the
Out of the deep, blue ocean – no more than five feet from where we floated – popped the head of a native Jamaican, decked out in a snorkel, and grasping a handful of beaded necklaces.
“Hey, Mon. Want to buy some beads?” he said with a large grin, water dripping from his dredlocks.
Now, we had encountered peddlers along the streets where we shopped, and along some sidewalks of the resort where we stayed. But, we never dreamed we would be approached in the vast expanse of the ocean.
And, if you’re curious about the payment plan, we were, too. People don’t normally carry their wallets in the swimming attire.
“No worries, Mon. Just bring the money to me later. I’ll be here all day.”
You’ve got to give the man credit. He certainly knew how to set his sights on potential customers and target his market.
How does your targeted marketing stack up? Do you know the exact customers you’re trying to reach with your advertising messages?
You’ve probably noticed a common theme to the advertisements featured in this 2004 July Herdsire Issue.
NSR breeders from across the country have focused on showcasing their best herdsires for your review. They’ve taken a targeted approach to advertising.
But this concept should not be limited to special issues – it’s something you should do each and every time you sketch out an ad.
Before you put the pen to the paper or pick up the phone to call your advertising designer, take a moment to visualize the customer you’re trying to reach.
It simply isn’t logical to design an advertisement to reach everyone.
If you try to reach all segments of your customer base by placing many messages into one ad, it can be confusing. Potential customers don’t know where to focus their attention. And when they become confused, they turn the page.
Your operation likely caters to specific types of customers. Choose which segment you want to reach with a certain ad, and zone in.
No, you may not reach all types of customers. But, you will stop those targeted customers in their tracks and cause them to take notice.
In order to really cause a person to take action, you must speak to him or her personally. Mass-media messages just won’t do the job.
Fairfax Cone of Foote Cone & Belding said this about messages aimed at the masses:
“There is no such thing as a Mass Mind. The Mass Audience is made up of individuals, and good advertising is written always from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions it rarely moves anyone.”
Choose the customer segment you want to reach. Then visualize a customer that fits that description. Visualize his or her wants and needs, and keep in mind what is important to that person. Is cost the driving force? Maybe it’s quality. Maybe it’s service.
Imagine you’re having a conversation with that person, and write your ad as if you’re speaking to that customer.
Say, for example, you’re trying to reach semen customers in an upcoming promotion. Write your ad to catch their attention: feature photos of your leading sires and tout the results of your genetic program.
Trying to reach showpig buyers? Then feature photos of boars, gilts or barrows that have won the purple at various shows. And don’t forget to let those buyers know which shows you’ll be attending this season.
If your goal is to fill the seats at an upcoming sale, get great photos of your offering, and make sure they pop out from the page. Location, date and time should also be prominent.
Focusing on one customer segment and one message is your best bet to stop that target from flipping the page. They will take notice of what you’re selling.
When it comes to your customers or potential customers, you’re the expert.
You know what they’re seeking. Be sure they know that you have what they need.
Our little buddy in
And I must say, those Jamaican beads were a great purchase.
