Re: targeted marketing

From: Nina Kuruvilla <nina_at_allafrica.com>
Date: Wed 04 Oct 2000 21:56:43 -0500

>So how shall i market? Should I spend a greater
>percentage trying to reach the mainstream market
>through broad advertising, or should I stay small and
>highly targeted, using ethnic newspapers and sponsoring
>local ethnic events?

Targeted is both the chic and correct answer. At the
same time, to get the most out of targeted, I think
you can use broad at strategic points in the process.

In any case, I'd continue w/ any media research you've
done. Segment and profile your target users. I think
you mention two to start -- primary being
expat/ethnic/etc., and secondary gourmet/cooking/etc.
I'd try to describe their media habits, which should
help focus your planning. I'd definitely find your top
10 markets, etc. and what the media opportunities are
like. There are unique opportunities to different DMAs,
etc.

You then may want to do an integrated media mix that
reflects where your population is. What I mean: for
example, do direct mail to hit prospects wherever they
are. A list broker could come up w/ some proposals for
names. At the same time, though, do radio in your top
media markets. This provides "buzz" w/o wasting dollars
w/ a national buy, and provides support to the direct
mail effort. You also can probably came up w/ some pretty
interesting packages w/ local radio -- there may be good
content/programs to sponsor, and some of the personalities
are really willing to work with you (ex.: doing "live"
reads of your spot).

I'd definitely hit targeted sites on the web. Also
placement in niche magazines -- I'm not sure if sales reps
will give you the direct rates. For a while there, they
weren't letting dot coms access the direct rates reserved
for direct response companies. But you may want to ask
anyway. . . .

Ethnic newspapers and sponsoring local ethnic events are
great ideas. Guerrilla marketing is good. Sometimes,
though, these opportunities are limited, and the rollout
potential isn't great. That's why stuff like direct mail
and radio probably should be explored. And for direct mail,
I wouldn't just stick to the regional/ethnic/nationality
affinities. I'd buy gourmet food/wine/cooking names
(depending on budget, of course).

PR goes hand in hand w/ guerrilla marketing, so you may want
to think about that. I'd find a small, energetic firm where
they'd focus on your account. (PR can be your most effective
tool, to tell the truth. It's hard finding the right agency
partners, though.) Also, affiliate marketing may work for you.
I'd check out LinkShare and BeFree.

By the way -- to make the most of your marketing $$, I'd
definitely offer people the chance to sign up for an email
newsletter, whatever. (You may email out recipes using your
ingredients, inform them of sales, etc.) You probably already
do this, but just in case you don't, I'd set up that "Subscribe"
box in a big way on your home page. People may not buy on
their first visit, so you want to be able to reel them back in.
(It has to be an opt-in email tactic, though.)

>Also, does anyone know of am
>e-mail broker company who is able to target very
>specifically?

Email marketing is great. But if you do rent email names, just
make sure to check on the privacy policies of whomever you go
with (confirm that people actively opted-in, for example).
There are a couple of good ones -- check out Net Creations,
www.netcreations.com, an oldie. Also traditional list brokers
now have interactive divisions, like the American List Counsel
(ALC) in NY, www.amlist.com and Harte Hanks, www.hartehanks.com.

Good luck!

Nina Kuruvilla
Senior Media Strategist
AllAfrica.com
www.allafrica.com
nina_at_allafrica.com
202 546 0777



Received on Wed Oct 04 2000 - 21:56:43 CDT