Developing a Marketing Plan for your Food Product DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Markets Division 700 Kipling St., Suite 4000 Lakewood, CO 80215-8000 Ph.(303)239-4114 Fax (303) 239-4125 www.coloradoagriculture.com Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Food Product was designed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture to assist food companies in the area of marketing planning. Representatives of the Colorado Department of Agriculture's Markets Division are available to meet with you by appointment to help you develop or review your marketing plan. To schedule a meeting with one or more of our marketing specialists, please call (303) 239-4114. Markets Division Staff and Specialty Areas: Tom Lipetzky Division Director Wendy Lee White Public Relations and Promotional Marketing Tim Larsen International Marketing Dawn Velasquez de Pérez International Marketing 1 Contents I. Introduction—How to use this guide........................................3 II. Situational Analysis.......................................................4 A. Company Analysis..................................................5 1. Mission Statement..............................................5 2. Brief History.................................................5 3. Product Analysis...............................................6 4. Pricing Analysis................................................7 5. Distribution Analysis.......................................8 6. Promotion Analysis............................................9 7. Sales Analysis................................................10 B. Competitive Analysis................................................11 C. Customer Analysis...................................................12 D. Environmental Analysis.............................................13 III. Marketing Goals..............................................................14 IV. Sales Goals/Projections......................................................15 V. Strategies to Meet Marketing Goals: The Action Plan.................16 VI. Annual Planning Calendar..................................................17 VII. Marketing Budget............................................................18 VIII. Evaluation/Controls.........................................................19 IX. Appendix-Marketing Resources...........................................20 A. Major Food Trade Shows..............................................21 B. National Food Trade Publications.....................................27 C. Colorado Food Media List...........................................28 D. News Release Checklist.............................................29 E. Accessing the Local Media.........................................30 F. Buyer Presentation Checklist..........................................32 G. Colorado Grocery Buyer List..........................................33 2 Introduction - How to Use This Guide Developing an effective marketing plan is one of the most important things a company can do to ensure its success as a business. A marketing plan will help you determine the basis for all of your marketing efforts and provide you with a blueprint for accomplishing your goals and objectives. This guide was developed by the Markets Division of the Colorado Department of Agriculture to help you write a marketing plan for your food or agricultural product(s). Markets Division staff members, who have expertise in the areas of marketing, business development, public relations, promotions, exporting and consumer issues, will be glad to meet with your company to help you develop or review your marketing plan. The marketing planning process begins with a Situational Analysis, which is an in-depth examination of your own company, your competitors and your customers. This part of the process is critical because it helps you identify your company's relative strengths and weaknesses, uncovers opportunities in the marketplace and, ultimately, is the basis for all your marketing decisions. Once you have completed the Situational Analysis, the next step is to set Marketing Goals for your product. For each goal, you will then formulate a Marketing Strategy and an Action Plan for achieving it. This section is the meat of your marketing plan; it becomes your marketing "Bible" for the entire year. After completing the Action Plan, it is easy to create an Annual Planning Calendar and an Annual Budget. The only step remaining is to come up with a program for Evaluation and Control of your marketing plan. Evaluation and Controls help you monitor your progress and keep your marketing program on track. The worksheets on the following pages will lead you through the creation of a marketing plan. You may then prepare a formal, written plan by following this outline: I. Executive Summary (one or two pages summarizing the marketing plan) II. Situational Analysis A. Company Analysis B. Competitive Analysis C. Customer (Market) Analysis D. Outside Environment Analysis III. Marketing Goals IV. Strategies to Meet Marketing Goals: The Action Plan V. Planning Calendar VI. Marketing Budget VTI. Evaluation/Controls Remember...marketing plans can change as your business changes. 3 Situational Analysis The first step in developing a marketing plan is to take a look at where your company is now. Be as objective as possible in analyzing your company, your competitors and your customers for each product you sell. Compared to your competitors, what are your company's strengths and weaknesses in each area of the marketing mix: product, price, place (distribution) and promotion. Who are your customers? Who purchases your product directly from you? Who is the end consumer, and how does your product get from your company to that person? The marketing planning process will help you define your target market (the customer you are trying to reach) and determine other possible markets or uses for your products. The worksheets on the following pages will guide you through the situational analysis, which, in turn, will help you define your marketing goals and formulate strategies to reach them. As you complete the worksheets, make a note of new marketing ideas as they occur to you in the "idea box" or margins. You should review all of your worksheets and notes before you begin the goals and strategy sections. C O • ^H -t—> CD -t-> H | O U The Marketing Mix >, c t cd Oh B o U 4 Company Analysis Mission Statement A Mission Statement conveys the kind of business you are in, the purpose of the business, the needs satisfied by the business, how those needs are being satisfied and your business philosophy. The Mission Statement should be simple and brief, but broad enough that it doesn't limit your company's future direction. What is your company's Mission Statement? Company History Give a brief overview of your company's history. List the products in your product line and give a brief description of each. Product Description For which product is this plan being developed? 5 Product Analysis Product Name___________________________________ Describe the product for which this plan is being written. Is this a retail or bulk product?________________________________________ Describe the packaging. Sizes:______________________________________________________ Technology:_________________________________________________ Artistic Factors:______________________________________________ Is there any type of service or support that is sold as part of the product package? Describe. What is the product's unique selling point? What is your product's greatest strength?_ What is your product's greatest weakness? Idea Box 6 Pricing Analysis What is the retail price of your product, and how does it compare to the competition? (complete the table below) Your Product (size) Total Price Unit Price Unit Price of Competing Products ABC What is your current pricing policy? ____Cost/Plus Pricing. Figure the unit cost to produce and market your product (break-even price) and add on a percentage for profit. ____Competitive Market Pricing. Base your price on what the competition charges for similar products and what your target market is willing to pay. ____Other (explain).___________________________________________________________ Follow these steps to compute your break-even price. 1. Number of units you can sell over a certain length of time (six months or one year): _______________units 2. Fixed Costs for the same time period (costs that do not vary based on the volume of production or sales: rent/leasing, licenses, interest, administrative personnel costs, equipment, advertising, insurance, utilities, etc.) $______________ 3. Variable Costs for the same time period (costs that vary directly with each unit produced or sold: materials, production labor, packaging, sales costs, delivery costs, etc.) 4. Fixed Costs + Variable Costs = Total Costs 5. Break-Even Price = Total Costs/Total Units (#1) $______________/unit 7 Distribution Analysis (Place) Using the list below as a starting point, mark all of the distribution methods your currently use and the ones that might be an option for your product. Add your own ideas to the list - be creative! Method Currently Use? Maybe? Comments Retail Supermarkets Member Warehouses Convenience Stores Department Stores Specialty Stores Discount Stores Foodservice Restaurants Schools Federal Government State Government Hospitals B rokers/Di stributor s Direct to Consumer Mail Order Gift Shows Gift Catalogs Other Farmers' Markets Gift Basket Companies Vending Machines Non-profit Fundraisers Other Geographic Markets 8 Promotion Analysis Check each activity that you spent money on last year, whether it was pre-planned or not. Decide if each one was effective, and which activities you really want to include in your promotional plan. After you have defined your Marketing Strategies and Action Plan, come back and fill in the "Projected Budget" column. Promotional Activity $ Spent Last Year Projected Budget a Trade Shows 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. a Coupons a Advertising a Newspaper a Radio a TV a Ad Supplements a Trade Publications a Yellow Pages a Other a Promotional (Giveaway) Items 1. 2. a Direct Marketing a Catalogs a Brochures a Mailings a Public Relations a News Releases a Feature Stories a Special Events a Collateral Materials 1. 2. a Sales Contests/Promotions a Miscellaneous Total Promotion Budget 9 Sales Analysis Current Sales 12-month graph for_____ Product Sales in______________(Units) Use different colors to plot your product sales vs. the overall market sales for this category. CS -g a o .g a o o -g a o § 00 c o t-§ c o c o C o -5 c o 10 Competitive Analysis For each area listed below, mark the company (including yours) that holds the competitive advantage. Competitor A Competitor B Competitor C My Company Company Resources Financial Human Production Quality Capacity Overall Product Product Quality Packaging Customer Service Retail Price/Unit (write in prices) Distribution Promotion Coupons Trade Shows Advertising Sales Force Sales Promos Your company's competitive strengths: Your company's competitive weaknesses: 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3. 4. 4. 11 Customer Analysis Defining your end-consumers and target market (the customers you are trying to reach) will help you in making marketing decisions down the road. For example, it will help you decide how and where you should advertise, and what the message should be. Who, in general, is your end-consumer? Are you marketing to the masses or to a specific segment of the population?________________________________________________________ Define your target market further, addressing demographic and psychographic characteristics. Demographic Characteristics (age, gender, income level, geographic location, marital status, family size, stage in family life cycle, education level, occupation, religion, race, etc.): Psychographic Characteristics (social factors such as cultural values, social groups, shopping patterns, leisure activities, personality type, opinions, etc.): How does your target market primarily use your product (snack, meal, ingredient, etc.)? Are there other ways your product might be used, perhaps by a different target market? 12 Environmental Analysis 1. Describe the financial environment and the overall economy; how do these factors affect your situation? 2. Describe the governmental environment. Is current legislative or regulatory action likely to affect your company?____________________________________________________________ 3. Describe any current media activity that may affect your product sales. 4. Describe the special interest environment. Are any influential groups likely to affect your plans?________________________________________________________________________ 5. Describe the technological environment. Are there high-tech advances on the forefront that could impact your product or the way you market it?___________________________________ 13 Marketing Goals Based on the Situational Analysis, what are your company's greatest challenges? 1. __________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________ What are your company's greatest opportunities? 1. __________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________ List your company's marketing goals for the next 12 months. Goals should be measurable and specify a time by which they will be completed. 1. 2. 3. Examples of marketing goals: "To increase sales by_____________(amount) by_______________(date)." "To gain entry to Chain______________by_______________(date)." "To increase awareness of my product among the retail trade within____________(timeframe)." "To increase my market share from_____% to_____% by_______________(date)." "To enter the gift market and generate sales of $______________in the first 12 months." For each of your goals, use the worksheet on the following page to develop a strategy and an action plan to implement it. If your goal is sales-related, also complete the sales projection chart. Once you have completed an action plan for achieving each marketing goal, combine all of the marketing tasks in the Annual Planning Calendar and use it as a master schedule. 14 Sales Goals/Projections 12-month Projections for_________________ Projected Sales in________________(Units) Plot actual sales vs. projections on this graph. CS -g a o a o o -g a o c o 00 c o t-c o c o «n c o c o c o c o c o 15 Marketing Strategies (Duplicate this page for each marketing strategy.) Marketing Goal #____:_______________________________________ Strategy to Achieve Goal: ACTION PLAN: Task/Activity Who's Responsible Targeted Completion Date Actual Completion Date Budgeted Cost Actual Cost Idea Box 16 Marketing Planning Calendar for 20__ List each marketing activity and shade or otherwise mark the time period when it will be completed. Duplicate this page as needed. Activity/Task Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Month 10 Month 11 Month 12 Marketing Budget Working from the Marketing Strategy worksheets, summarize all of your marketing costs in this annual budget. Budgeted Actual Goal #____:_____________________ Activities: Total: Goal #____:_____________________ Activities: Total: Goal #____:_____________________ Activities: Total: ________ GRAND TOTAL: ________ Duplicate this page as necessary. 18 Evaluation/Controls How will you evaluate the effectiveness of this plan in meeting your marketing goals? 1. At what intervals will you evaluate your progress toward meeting your marketing goals? (Include evaluations in the annual planning calendar.) What actions will you take if performance falls short of meeting marketing goals? Suggestion: Use the Sales Projections graph to plot each month's actual sales vs. projected sales. This will help you monitor your success in meeting sales goals at regular, ongoing intervals. 19 Appendix Marketing Resources MAJOR FOOD TRADE SHOWS IN UNITED STATES (Listed in Chronological Order) ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL FOODSERVICE & RESTAURANT SHOW, WESTEX Colorado Restaurant Association 430 E. 7th Ave. Denver, CO 80203 Ph. 303-830-2972 www.coloradorestaurant.com • Those attending include restaurants, hotels/motels and suppliers to those industries. • Over 11,000 attendees with 500 booths. • Show is held once a year usually in January. • Booth rentals start at $1095 for a 10' x 10' booth. SNACK FOOD ASSOCIATION - SNAXPO Snack Food Association 1711 King St., Suite 1 Alexandria, VA 22314 Ph. 703-836-4500 or 1-800-628-1334 www.sfa.org • Those attending include snack food manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, etc. • Over 2,500 buyers with 200 booths. • Show is held once a year, usually in February or March. • Booth rentals start at $3,200 for a 10' x 10' booth. NATIONAL FIERY FOODS SHOW Sunbelt Shows P.O. Box 4980 Albuquerque, NM 87196 Ph. 505-873-8680 www.fiery-foods.com • Those attending include food brokers; owners of spicy food shops, gourmet shops; gift shops and mail order companies; buyers from supermarkets, groceries and restaurants; agronomists, food writers and the general public. • Approximately 10,000 in attendance with 250 booths available. • Show is held annually, usually in February or March. • Exhibitor rates: row space $695, corner space $795, for a 10' x 10' booth. 21 INTERNATIONAL FANCY FOOD & CONFECTIONERY SHOW Ph. 212-482-6440 ext. 250 www.specialtyfood.com • Those attending include retailers, caterers, manufacturers, distributors and importers/exporters. • Over 20,000 buyers with 900 exhibitors. • Show is held three times a year, usually in January, May and July. • Booth rentals from $15 per square foot for a 10' x 10' booth. NATURAL PRODUCTS EXPO WEST/EAST Ph. 1-866-458-4935 www.naturalproductexpo.com • Those attending include organic growers, suppliers and marketers. • Over 36,000 buyers with 1,500 exhibitors. • Show is held twice a year, usually in March and September. • Booth rentals start at $1,645 for a 10' x 10' booth. UNITED ANNUAL PRODUCE CONFERENCE & EXPO United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association 1901 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20006 Ph. 202-303-3400 www.uffva.org • Those attending include grower-packers, shippers, packing companies, business services, transportation, refrigeration, sanitation, temperature control and floral. • Over 35,000 attendees with 300 exhibitors • Show is held annually in April/May. • Booth rentals start at $28.00 per square foot for members, $31.00 per square foot for non-members. THE LAS VEGAS GOURMET HOUSEWARES SHOW George Little Management 888 South Figueroa Street, Suite 600 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Ph.213-430-2356 www.thegourmetshow.com • The products represented include gourmet products, foods and beverages, and unique housewares and decor accessories. • Over 6,000 buyer attendees with 700 exhibitors. • Show is held once a year, usually in May. • Booth rentals start at $17.95 per square foot for a 10' x 10' booth. 22 FMI SUPERMARKET SHOW Food Marketing Institute 655 15th St. N.W., Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005 Ph. 202- 452-8444 www.fmi.org • Those attending include supermarket suppliers, retailers, wholesalers and distributors. • Over 11,000 in attendance with 1,000 exhibits. • Show is held once a year, usually in May. • Booth rental is $31.00 per square foot (minimum 100 sq. ft.). NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, RESTAURANT, HOTEL-MOTEL SHOW National Restaurant Association 150 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2000 Chicago, IL 60601 Ph.312-853-2525 www.restaurant.org • Products concerning restaurants, fast foods and hotels/motels. • Over 70,000 in attendance with 2,000 exhibits. • Show is held once a year, usually in May. • Booth rentals start at $25.50 per square foot. ALL CANDY EXPO National Confectioners Association 8320 Old Courthouse Road, Ste 300 Vienna, VA 22182 Ph. (703) 790-5750 www. allcandy expo, com • Those attending include candy buyers and sellers. • Approximately 19,000 in attendance with 480 exhibitors. • Show is held annually, usually in June. • Booth costs are $2,500 for members, $2,800 for non-members for a 10'xlO' booth. 23 GIFT BASKET JUBILEE JUBILEE! Conventions & Trade Shows 815 Haines Street Jacksonville, FL 32206 Ph. 800-729-6338 www.giftbasketjubilee.com • Products include gift basket items such as fancy foods, candy, candles and bath & body products. • Approximately 7,500 buyers with 600 exhibitors. • Show is usually in September. • Booth rentals start at $14.50 per square foot. IFT FOOD EXPOSITION Institute of Food Technologies 525 W. VanBuren St., Suite 100 Chicago, IL 60607 Ph. 312-782-8424 or 1-800-438-3663 www.ift.org • Includes people from product development, production, packaging, quality control, consulting and marketing. • Approximately 12,000 buyers with 800 exhibits. • Show is held once a year, usually in June/July. • Booth rentals are $2,650 for a 10' x 10' booth. INTERNATIONAL DAIRY DELI BAKE International Dairy and Deli Association P.O. Box 5528 Madison, WI 53705-0528 Ph. 608-238-7908 www.iddba.org • Supermarket conference and exhibition for dairy and deli industry, including directors, buyers and merchandisers (not including small retailers) • Over 6,500 attendees with more than 1,100 booths. • Show is held annually in June. • Booth rentals start at $2,575 for members and $3,300 for non-members. 24 WESTERN FOODSERVICE & HOSPITALITY EXPO Ph. 203-840-5410 www.westernfoodexpo.com • Those attending include all foodservice industries and their affiliates, including service equipment, hotels, schools, bars, etc. • Over 19,000 attendees with 1,100 booths. • Usually held in August. • Booth rentals start at $3,391 for a 10' x 10' booth. PRODUCE MARKETING ASSOCIATION SHOW 1500 Casho Mill Road P.O. Box 6036 Newark, DE 19714 Ph. 302-738-7100 ext. 3040 www.pma.com • Includes produce growers, packaging services, floral growers, management, transportation services and computer software/hardware dealers. • Approximately 17,000 attendees with 750 booths. • Show is held once a year, usually in October. • Booth rentals start at $24.50 per square foot for members and $36.75 for non-members. INTERNATIONAL ZESTY FOOD SHOW Chile Pepper Magazine 1701 River Run, Suite 702 Fort Worth, TX 76107 Ph. 1-888-774-2946 www.izfs.com • Includes specialty food manufacturers, foodservice distributors and the gourmet market. • Over 10,000 attendees with 250 booths. • Show is held annually in October. • Booth rentals start at $795 for a 10' x 10' booth. 25 National Food Trade Publications Bakery Production & Marketing Triangle Plaza 8750 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Chicago, IL 60631 Ph.312-693-3200 Fax 312-693-0528 Beverage Industry Edgell Communications 7500 Old Oak Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44130 Ph. 216-826-2839 Fax 216-891-2726 Fancy Food Talcott Communications Corp. 20 N. Wacker Dr., Suite 3230 Chicago, IL 60606 Ph.312-849-2220 Fax 312-849-2184 Food & Beverage Marketing Charleson Publishing 505 8th Ave., Suite 1403 New York, NY 10018 Ph. 212-695-0704 Food Distribution Magazine National Food Distr. Network P.O. Box 10378 Clearwater, FL 34617-0378 Ph. 813-443-2723 Fax 813-446-1750 The Food Institute Report 28-12 Broadway Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 Ph. 201-791-5570 Fax 201-791-5222 Food Processing/Food Business 301 E. Erie St. Chicago, IL 60611 Ph.312-644-2020 (Note: Food Business is published within Food Processing; free subscription to food manufacturers) Griffin Report of Food Marketing 1099 Hingham St., Box 521 Rockland, MA 02370 Ph. 617-878-5300 Fax 617-871-4721 (Also publish Chef, Giftware News, Pizza & Pasta) Hospitality News Brenda Carlos P.O. Box 21027 Salem, OR 97307 Ph. 800-685-1932 Fax 503-390-8344 Nation's Restaurant News Lebhar-Friedman Inc. 425 Park Ave. New York, NY 10022 Ph. 212-371-9400 The Packer Vance Publishing Group 7950 College Blvd. Overland Park, KS 66210 Ph.913-451-2200 Produce Business P.O. Box 810425 Boca Raton, FL 33481 Ph. 407-241-4333 Fax 407-241-4486 Restaurant News Hani Publications P.O. Box 580 Coronado, CA 92118 Supermarket News 7 W. 34th St. New York, NY 10001 Ph. 212-630-3770 Fax 212-630-3768 Colorado Food Media List Boulder Daily Camera Cindy Sutter, Food Editor P.O. Box 591 Boulder, CO 80306 Ph. 303-473-1335 sutterc@daily camera, com Coloradoan Bob Mook, Business Columnist P.O. Box 1577 Fort Collins, CO 80522 BobMook@Coloradoan. com Colorado Chefs Association Joan Brewster 7150 Montview Blvd. Denver, CO 80220 Ph. 303-264-3005 Fax 303-264-3007 j brewster@j wu. edu Colorado Springs Gazette Teresa Farney, Food Editor P.O. Box 1779 Colorado Springs, CO 80901 Ph. 719-636-0271 tfarney @gazette. com Daily Sentinel Todd Powell, Features Editor P.O. Box 668 Grand Junction, CO 81502 tpowell@gj ds. com Denver Business Journal Cathy Proctor 1700 Broadway, Suite 515 Denver, CO 80290 Ph. 303-837-3521 Fax 303-837-3535 denver@bizj ournals. com The Denver Post Kristen Browning-Blas, Food Writer 1560 Broadway Denver, CO 80202 Kbrowning@denverpost. com Durango Herald Morley Ballantine, Editor at Large P.O. Drawer A Durango, CO 81302 Ph. 970-375-4508 briefs@durangoherald. com Greeley Tribune Misty Barnes, Special Sections Editor P.O. Box 1138 Greeley, CO 80632 KCNC-Channel4 Libby Gardner, Community News P.O. Box 5012 Denver, CO 80217 Ph. 303-830-6307 community @news4colorado. com Lamar Daily News Tonia Esparaza, Food Editor P.O. Box 1217 Lamar, CO 81052 ldnews@ria.net 9News Gregg Moss, Business Beat P.O. Box 9 Denver, CO 80201 Ph. 303-871-1810 gregg.moss@9news.com Pueblo Chieftain Marvin Read, Food Editor P.O. Box 4040 Pueblo, CO 81003 Ph. 719-544-3520 newsroom@chieftain. com Restaurant News of the Rockies Harlan Ihrke 2222 S. Albion St. Denver, CO 80222 Ph. 303-753-6109 ihrkerestaurantnews@juno.com Rocky Mountain News Marty Meitus, Food Editor 100 Gene Amole Way Denver, CO 80204 Ph. 303-892-5229 meitusm@RockyMountainNews. com Sterling Journal-Advocate Carol Barrett, Community Editor P.O. Box 1272 Sterling, CO 80751 Ph. 970-522-1990 Fax 970-522-2320 editor@joumal-advocate.com 27 News Release Checklist Press releases can be a way to promote your company and products without spending a fortune on advertising. There are two types of releases: news and media. A news release contains information that is newsworthy to the public (i.e. a new company or new product on the market). A media release is for promoting a company or product that has been in existence for longer than 6 months. Format: 1. Leave space at the top of the first page for the editor to write instructions. 2. Double-space the body of the release or double-space between paragraphs to allow room for editing. 3. The news release form (or letterhead) should include the company's name, address, phone number and fax number. Begin the release with two dates: the current date and the date the news release is cleared for use. If the release can be used at any time, write "For Immediate Release." Also, list the contact person for further information and his/her telephone number. 4. The first paragraph begins with a dateline, the city where the story originates in CAPITAL LETTERS followed by two dashes. If the city is not well known, it should be followed by the state where it is located. Abbreviate the state according to the rules of a standard stylebook (Associated Press, for example). 5. At the end of the release, center "-30-" or "###" at the bottom of the page. If the release is continued past the first page, center "-More-" at the bottom of each page. Content: 1. Make sure a news release is newsworthy; otherwise, don't write it or release it. 2. The lead (first paragraph) should be direct and to the point. At the same time, it should be interesting and contain the most important information. 3. Emphasize the local angle. 4. Answer the who, what, when, where and why questions early in the release. 5. Try to keep most sentences and paragraphs short and concise. 6. Quotes should be placed in quotation marks and correctly attributed. Quotations should sound natural. 7. Follow the rules of a standard stylebook (Associated Press, for example). 8. Make sure there are no spelling, grammar or punctuation errors. 9. Double-check all factual statements and names for accuracy. 28 Accessing the Local Media Once you've written a good media release or feature story, the next trick is to get the media to run it. The first step in gaining access to any kind of media is to get acquainted first. Before you contact a reporter or editor, do your research. Read their newspaper or watch their station's news programs regularly so you know who does what type of story. Make a note of the editors and/or reporters who might have an interest in your product or company. Before you send anything to a media contact, make sure you have spelled his or her name correctly. Develop a media list that is customized for your particular company and product, using the outline below as a guide. I. Publications A. Publication Name 1. Address 2. Telephone 3. Fax 4. E-mail address B. Food Section 1. When is it published? 2. Editor 3. Reporters 4. Special features or columns C. Business Section 1. When is it published? 2. Editor 3. Reporters 4. Special features or columns D. Other Special Sections or Features That Might be Appropriate II. TV Stations A. Station Name 1. Address 2. Telephone 3. Fax 4. E-mail address B. Specialty Reporters 1. Business 2. Consumer 3. Food 29 C. News Program (repeat for each news show) 1. Air time 2. Producer 3. Anchors 4. Special segments related to your product a. Who does the segment? b. When does it air? III. Radio Stations A. In general, it is difficult to get news coverage for a specific product on a music format radio station. However, DJs often respond positively (and vocally) to food samples that are delivered to them while they are on-air. Likewise, you may be able to gain airtime by offering product to be used for prizes in listener contests or promotions. All media whether radio, television or print enjoy samples, however, keep in mind that they should be sample size as reporters may have rules about accepting gifts. Whether you are looking for free publicity or buying ad time, select radio stations with audiences that match the demographics of your target market. (You can determine this by looking at the Arbitron Ratings, which are available in the business department of the public library.) B. Radio Station 1. Name/call letters a. Address b. Phone c. Fax 2. On-air personality(ies) during desired time slot 3. News Director/Reporter 30 Buyer Presentation Checklist Buyers frequently ask tie following questions when considering new items for authorization. You should review this list before making your presentation. 1. What is the product's sales potential? 2. Will the product have repeat sales? 3. Will the product enlarge the market? 4. Will the product return a fair dollar profit in terms of potential volume for the shelf space it will occupy? 5. Does the product represent a good value for the consumer? 6. Does the product perform a new service or give a new taste thrill? 7. Is the product a better value than the brand presently stocked? 8. Is the brand of better quality? 9. Is the product competitively priced? 10. Is the product a duplication of another item? 11. Will the product have wide consumer acceptance? 12. Will the product replace a competitive product? 13. Will the product return more dollars per shelf foot than the product it replaces? 14. Will the product give the retailer a better markup? 15. What is the estimated rate of inventory turnover in this category? 16. Are there advertising, promotional and/or display allowances available? 17. How will the product be advertised and promoted? 18. Is the product introduction timely—in season? 19. Was the product test marketed? If so, what were the results? 20. Is the product sensibly packaged? 21. Is the vendor/manufacturer reliable? 22. Does the product contribute to the pollution of our air or water? 23. Does stocking the item conflict with existing company policy? 24. Does the competition have this product? 25. Will this product help bring new customer traffic to our retail operators' stores? Preparation is the key to success! 31 Grocery Buyer List Albertsons 2780 N. Tower Rd. Aurora, CO 80011 Ph. 303-360-4200 Fax 303-360-4274 Advertising Manager: Dairy Manager: Deli Manager: Dry Grocery Manager: Meat Manager: Produce Manager: Public Relations Manager: City Market/King Soopers 65 Tej on St. Denver, CO 80223 Ph.303-778-3100 Fax 303-744-8351 Amy Kirby Don Murphy Dave Smith Harvey Fujimoto Terry Waller Scott Evans Becky Edwards Dairy Manager: Dry Grocery Manager: Meat Manager: Produce Manager: Public Relations Manager: Chris Albi Mike Schulten Mark Bourne JeffRyg Steve DiCroce Nobel-Sysco Food Services Co. P.O. Box 5566 Denver, CO 80217 Ph. 303-458-4000 Fax 303-480-3994 Dairy Manager: Meat Manager: Producer Buyer: Public Relations Manager: Don Fletchinger Leonard Salazar Dan Locricchio Cindy Trost 32 Safeway 6900 S. Yosemite St. Centennial, CO 80112 P.O. Box 5927 Denver, CO 80217 Ph. 303-843-7600 Fax 303-320-8908 Meat Manager: Jim Ford Produce Manager: Steve Solita Public Relations Manager: Jeff Stroh Whole Foods Market 2905 Pearl St. Boulder, CO 80301 Ph.303-545-6611 Fax 303-545-6633 Dairy Manager: Dry Grocery Manager: Meat Manager: Produce Team Leader: Public Relations Manager: Dirk Couley Ed Winkler Bruce Green Kenny Meyer Kelly Bottenfield Wild Oats Markets 3375 Mitchell Lane Boulder, CO 80301 Ph. 303-440-5220 Fax 303-440-3477 Dairy/Dry Grocery Manager: Brad Johnson Meat Manager: Mike Cummings Produce Buyer: Marlin Engelking Public Relations Manager: Terry Maloy 33