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MANAGERS:- PROMOTING YOUR MARKET |
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MANAGERS:- PROMOTING YOUR MARKET |
Will they just come from the immediate vicinity or be willing to travel 5 or 10 miles?
The quality of promoting your market is the first step to answering these questions. Key elements are:-
You are running a 'pop up' retail outlet and so customers need to be continually reminded WHEN the next market takes place. We have found that good signage is the key to reminding customers. Good includes design colouring and location. A poorly deigned sign does not give the correct sign to would be customers. Signs are best located where they can be easily seen by passing motorists e.g. junctions but they MUST NOT obstruct traffic views, or by schools. The wording must be SIMPLE to follow i.e. the '3rd Saturday every month' is not easy to remember but 'Farmers Market this Saturday' is straight forward. Some Local Authorities do not like random signage and may require approval. In any case signs should go up 2 days before the market and taken down after the the market. If they are left up 'permanently they are ignored by passing drivers.
The key to a thriving market is to provide a diverse range of Producers giving value for money. But why should customers shop at a Farmers Market rather than a supermarket or corner shop ?
The answer is by making sure customers understand our 'BRAND' i.e. what do we stand for and what makes us different. i.e.
We need to continually enforce this message so shoppers will continue to use the market and have a pleasant and memorable experience of their visits. The Market Manager plays a major role in this quest through the following areas of responsibility:
Once your market is established you should start to build up a 'reserve' account from your stall fee income which can then be used for emergency costs and future marketing. As building up such funds can take time, alternative ways of earning income should be investigated such as:-.
They are cheap to print and they can be an effective way of communicating to existing and new customers, especially if you wish to announce specific events e.g. Easter, Christmas and summer holidays. Use interesting produce pictures to grab attention. You will need to organise leaflet drops which can be targeted on streets and areas that contain a high proportion of farmers’ market customers.
Postcards can display future dates and seasonal recipes along with photographs or drawings of local produce (they can be dropped by Producers into shoppers’ bags).
Printed materials need to be spread as far and wide e.g. Doctors’ surgeries, dentists waiting rooms, hairdressing salons, schools, tourist information centres, libraries, parish notice boards, community centres and shops/restaurants/cafes that promote local food. However, their messages soon get out of date and boring.
This is an excellent way to create initial interest in a new market. Invite the press (but don’t be surprised if they don’t turn up!). Take interesting and good quality photographs, write a press release and send it to them. If they are short of news you may get lots of promotion !.
Customers can be passionate about 'their local Farmers Market' and Market ethos. Use them as your market ambassadors !
They may be willing to mail fliers locally or you may need to offer an incentive for someone to posts the fliers or at least to inform their friends and neighbours. You may find retired customers who have very specific skills or local knowledge that could help you manage the market e.g. social media, graphic design skills, or knowledge of Local Government operations e.g. who to approach for specific information or grants. Younger visitors to the market who are starting off in work may also love an opportunity to try out their skills in helping develop marketing plans and help create, install and maintain specific functions.
Our EatDrinkKent magazine is, in effect, a marketing tool for loyal customers to give to their friends and local pick up points.
Some Farmers Market have tried to enhance Loyalty by creating a 'Friends of Farmers Markets' scheme to enable customers to express their support for your local farmers’ market by becoming a 'Friend of xyz market', even Loyalty cards whereby customers earn points when they buy and give in cards with their email address on for a monthly draw !!).
Loyalty benefits could include:
A Farmers Market is a community asset and resource. It is a location which provides a viable and economic outlet for local farmers and producers, as well as giving shoppers access to fresh local products. It is, in effect a key community asset. The Market Manager plays a major role in this by:
Your web site should be used for both promoting your market (i.e. what makes customers want to visit your market) and reference material (i.e. when is it open, how to find it, where to park, what's for sale at the market). Use your social media systems to inform customers of what's happening right now at the market, what's in season, new stallholders etc).The KFMA web site acts as a 'one stop shop' for all customers looking for markets to attend. It saves you having to design your own web site. It also saves you the problem of promoting your own web site. It already has a 5000+ hit rate every month of customers looking for markets.
One problem with web sites is that they need to be kept up to date. As they tend to be relatively static it is easy to forget how to update it so all you need do is to send your information and images to our Membership Secretary (laura@kfma.org.uk) and she will do the rest.
The new web site is now designed for both PC users and i-Phone users (now the majority of viewers).
It comprises:-
Facebook, twitter and Instagram should be used to continually sell the market. This is a 'scatter gun' approach to marketing but it does enable you find potential new customers (i.e. they 'like' your message and so will then continue to receive it. Keep an eye on the number of followers so you can keep a check on the effectiveness of your messages.
Facebook is by far the most used social media system even though the number of users has been reducing.
Other social media avenues include Instagram (mainly pictures), Tik Tok (mainly short videos) and Linked In (used mainly by businesses)
But one key element above all is vital to keep your readers and that is by making sure you use interesting pictures of produce and stallholders
The KFMA twitter feed is open to all. Send you feeds to steve@kfma.org.uk. Our twitter feed not only informs the public as to the markets operational on the next day but also promotes the wares of specific Stallholder Members and special Events.
These are a great way for both informing customers about news of the market and act as Reminders if sent a couple of days before the market, (e.g. tell customers about what’s in season, how to cook it, describing new producers or seasonal producers, announcing special events and providing information to tempt your customers to come back to your mark. Such emails are 5 times as likely to be seen and read by your customers than on Facebook
There are packages which you can use which enable you to create formatted emails. As these are addressed to actual email addresses they tend to be read and thus are more effective than social media. The following are examples of the Mailchimp system
Another approach
In all cases you must make sure you must give customers the option of receiving and opting out of receiving a newsletter to conform to General Data Protection Rules (GPPR)
Your KFMA Web page enables potential customers to send themselves 'Reminders' and request email newsletters. This list of email addresses is available for you to copy and add to your list of email addresses.
This can be really helpful to gain more customers. These networks will not give you the email addresses they have built up but they can see that your information could help make their sites more popular. Your local 'Mums network', Green groups and PTA organisations in Schools can provide useful networks for communicating about market dates and events and may be happy to send your newsletters to their groups.
Celebrity chefs and famous foodies appreciate the quality of produce available. If you know a food celebrity in your area, approach them and ask if they will act as your patron. Don’t forget it’s a two way thing – if you can persuade them to get involved opening new markets or making special appearances it’s great publicity for you and will help to draw people to the market but it’s also great publicity for them. Don’t be afraid to ask.
KFMA have created a 30 second standard advert which promotes individual markets. The advertising is subsidied as it helps all markets i.e the words 'Farmers markets' are repeated continually. Contact Laura@kfma.org.uk if you would like to know more.
Don't forget to give some background information about your market.
Schools are keen to educate the next generation about where food comes from and how to cook it and Farmers’ markets can offer great educational opportunities. If you run a week day market, schools really appreciate a location to visit market especially if you (and/or their teachers) can provide quizzes about the market, stallholders and Producers. However, limit the numbers visiting the market at any one time ! Schools often involve parents to help with these outings !
Many local groups use local speakers to keep their members interested. This is a good way not only to 'spread the word' especially if you can give out leaflets following your speech, but for finding volunteers. You can create interest with a 'Power Point' or other presentation system, especially by showing pictures of local producers at work
Another ways of drawing people to your market are 'Awards'. Enter your market for an award. Blow your own trumpet! Keep an eye open for competitions and awards such as those run by national , Kent Life FRA Farm Retail Association, Radio 4’s The Food Programme Food & Farming Awards. Being a finalist gives you a great opportunity for free publicity
In order to build your market ideally you need a 'benchmark' so you can compare what is happening. Markets are not the easiest of events to compare as they are affected by both weather and multiple entrances to the market. The latter may require considerable manpower to be be accurate or sampling has to suffice.
The first rule is to look after your existing customers ! It is much more costly in terms of both money and time to find new customers than to keep existing ones. You will always lose a proportion of your existing customer base over time so you need to continually attract new customers every month to increase customer numbers over time. To determine the effect of your marketing efforts you will need to determine a realistic measurement of 'footfall' and whether you are building your customer base.
If you have one or two entrances to your market, just count your customers (i.e. footfall) either all customers (which is the best) or a sample e.g. 10 mins every half an hour. If you have multiple entrances you may have to resort to sampling e.g. count for 10 minutes every 30 minutes. Spread over time this will give you sufficient information as as to the size and change of the footfall (Note:- if you are running an external market, pick dry market days to measure trends). By measuring footfall 4 or 5 times in a year you will be able to gain an insight as to how successful your marketing effort has been.
Modern shopping methods in supermarkets are clean, clinical and impersonal. Many shoppers have been ‘trained’ to prefer the solitude and privacy of supermarket shopping and the convenience, choice and availability of produce they offer.
It is important to understand why people do not attend your market so you can create ideas to minimise their problems and persuade them to come. The main reasons are:-
(*) We are addressing these problems with the new In season addition to the web site which defines what produce is in season, how to cook and store them
Add a formal package to your grant request as it creates a more professional and serious approach. The package comprises the formal items which need to considered and reviewed when running a market. By incorporating them in the 'package' together with a budget you will at least be placed higher in the 'queue'. These package should comprise:-
All this information is covered in the Advice and Guidance Sections
This is an essential document as it shows you have spent time in determining costs and income and developing your budget
This is a job for a dedicated volunteer or someone who is interested in marketing as a career and is keen to try out new ideas (you may well have to offer payment !). It requires someone who understands how to reach out to a wide, loyal audience, raising awareness of what you are doing and increasing sales of local food. The key to good PR is knowing your audiences and aiming your Release to this audience.
Keep in mind that all of them prefer visual stories: what can you offer in this respect? Be aware: you might not know for definite whether they intend to come until very short notice!
Remember: always assume that what you say might end up in print – nothing is ever ‘off the record’.
Turning a case study into a news story involves giving it a ‘hook’ For example, a farmers’ market can be said to be responding to increasing consumer demand for fresh, locally-grown produce. The fact that more and more people are
choosing to purchase their food directly from the producer rather than through a supermarket chain is not only interesting, it demonstrates that farmers’ markets are also topical and newsworthy.
Things to include in a press release or email to the media are: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How
And, wherever possible, you need a great photo to go with it!
Remember: seasonal food recipes always make interesting copy for editors.
This is a great ways of engaging the local press. Invite the media to your event. Use a press release in the body of the email – not as an attachment. Make sure the title of the email is the title of your press release. If you have a generic email address, address your Press Release for the attention of the news editor or, where possible, a named journalist
Contact via email or phone in the morning to avoid stressful afternoons when journalists are rushing to get their copy in for the following day’s publication. Aim to send your press release two weeks before the event and follow up with a phone call a couple of days beforehand if you have not received confirmation of attendance.
Ideally a press photographer will attend the event, but they can often be called away at short notice, so always have someone on hand who can take photographs on the day that can be sent to the publication afterwards. Wherever possible, stage photographs to ensure they are suitable for the publication. If you have more than one person in the shot, make sure they are standing very close together so the photo can be cropped if necessary. Think about what you want in the background of the shot – a banner with the market’s name, a food stall…
The purpose of a press release is to grab a journalist’s attention quickly. It must be factual, concise and informative.
Offer background information to journalists to help them write an article:-
While enthusiasm for food has never been greater, decisions over price, quality, health, the environment, animal welfare and origin can be daunting. Farmers’ markets offer a solution. How? By putting you in charge; giving you direct access to the people involved in making the food you will eat.
Typically, you will find stallholders selling fruit and vegetables; free-range meat and game; freshly baked bread; cheese; fresh and smoked fish; cakes and desserts; fruit juices; pickles and jams; healthy ready meals and pies, and wines and beers. Since the stallholders only produce small batches, supermarkets cannot offer the same products. This might be handmade cakes and pies; cheese from artisan dairies; fish landed only the day before, or less common meat like wild venison, pigeon and rabbit. While the precise range depends on whether you visit a bustling town centre market or one focusing on the everyday needs of a village, typically you will find food which is more authentic, without colourings, additives or preservatives.
Predominantly, the market will sell products from the local area, although you may also find a few specialist products likes olives which cannot be grown locally and offer shoppers added variety.
Fresh and tasty food - Seasonal produce freshly picked for that market means food with real flavour.
How do I find my local market?
Markets vary from weekly, fortnightly to monthly, and there are over 1200 farmers’ markets a year around the County at over 40 different sites. To find where and when your nearest markets are held, look at the Kent Farmers’ Market Association website: www.kfma.org.uk. There is a map showing locations and times, and the Market Calendar displays a day-by-day calendar of all markets across Kent. You can sign up for an email reminder for any of the markets. You can also follow KFMA on Twitter (@KentFarmers) or Facebook. Many markets are also on social media – links can be found on their individual webpages on the website.
“We have a vibrant food culture in Kent,” says Steve Woods who runs both Tonbridge and Aylesford farmers Markets (as well as the Food and Drink Festivals in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. “In the last seven years, we have grown from around 200 stallholders to over 450, and there are over 100 wonderfully dedicated workers and volunteers organising the fifty different markets across Kent. By shopping at farmers’ markets, you don’t just enjoy delicious food, you are directly supporting our local economy. Please come and join in the celebration of great Kentish food.”
Some people who have never visited a farmers’ market worry it may be expensive. They should not. With minimal transport costs, no middlemen or shareholders, no expensive shops to run and the minimum of packaging, surveys show that farmers’ markets offer both a more interesting produce variation, lower cost and healthier produce than supermarkets, especially for fresh produce. And you can buy exactly how much you need, and so save money and reduce waste. The quality of produce found at Farmers Markets is usually far better than that found at your local supermarket
Supporting Kent’s farmers and small food companies is also an important motivation for shoppers. Over the last ten years, the imports of food which could have been farmed in the UK have risen by 20%. A vibrant farming industry is the best protection of the Kent countryside, and as consumers, everyone can make a real difference every time they go shopping.
“The Garden of England’ is a great headline and we’re all rightly proud of this history, but we mustn’t be complacent,” says Bob Taylor, Chairman of Kent Farmers’ Market Association. “The economics of farming are tough and the skills required are evermore technical, so we need farming to be profitable to attract the next generation of farmers, otherwise Britain will become even more reliant on overseas sources for our food. Farmers’ markets make a valuable contribution to the food economy, supporting family farms and launching new businesses, while giving shoppers the chance to relish some delicious local food.”
Shoppers can act as ambassadors for their local market. Word of mouth is the most trustworthy advertising. To help increase market footfall the Association is producing a magazine called EatDrinkKent" which enables our loyal customers to give to their friends to explain the background and benefits of shopping at Farmers Markets. Or they can use social media e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram to encourage others to visit their local markets.
And farmers’ markets are not just about food. The strength of local farmers’ markets lies in their links to the community. Most of Kent’s markets have been set up by volunteers so they have roots deeply embedded in their local community. Many markets combine supporting businesses and charities from the surrounding area with providing a focal point where meeting friends can be as important as buying a loaf of bread. It’s a totally different experience – it makes shopping fun again.
This community-focus is another distinguishing feature of farmers’ markets. Many Farmers Markets have charity refreshment stalls or donate pitch fees towards charities e.g. maintaining the village hall. So by shopping at markets, people are not only supporting local businesses, but directly contributing to good causes in their area. Farmers Markets play a key role in the community, such as encouraging children's cookery skills, offering a chance to meet representatives of public services or learning about the work of organisations like Kent Wildlife Trust.
Check your phone system for ideas as to how to improve your photos
Disclaimer
Any information provided by Kent Farmers Market Association is for general guidance on rights and responsibilities and Is not legal advice. If you need more details on your rights or legal advice about what action to take, please contact either KCC Trading Standards, who can provide legal compliance advice, or a knowledgeable advisor or solicitor.
We are reliant on changes to operational information being received in a timely manner. In addition, weather conditions and seasonality may impact availability of produce and stallholder attendance at markets, and so we cannot guarantee the accuracy of all information.
Copyright notice
All photos, graphics and other information on this website is copyright © by Kent Farmers Market Association or the respective photographers or acknowledged authors. All rights reserved. Use of our material is only permitted as long as it is for support of Farmers Markets in Kent. Commercial use or any use for the purpose of publication elsewhere, and by whichever media, requires written permission from the Association, who can be contacted through info@kfma.org.uk.
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