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UF/IFAS Marketing Plan Workshop: Marketing Workbook

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Title:
UF/IFAS Marketing Plan Workshop: Marketing Workbook
Series Title:
How to Market in a Digital Era
Creator:
Blare, Trent
Ballen, Fredy
Contreras, Victor
Baker, Lauri
Outerbridge, David
Goodiel, Yvette
Wasielewski, Jeff
Vassilaros, Vanessa
Ryals, Jessica
Bosques-Mendez, Jonael
Pérez Cordero, Lourdes
Rodriguez Rosado, Luis
Publisher:
UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education
Publication Date:
Language:
English

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Course Material ( sobekcm )

Notes

Abstract:
We wrote this manual to help remove the mystery in navigating different marketing channels to select a combination that is appropriate for you and your business. Additionally, this resource provides a general guide on how to utilize marketing; it also provides a general overview of the different distribution channels, and resources that are helpful in this process. This manual will guide you in creating a marketing plan and implementing the strategies you choose. Additionally, we will provide you with some advice on how to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing program in reaching your targeted customer base and how to make adjustments as needed. This marking plan is meant to be a supplement to your business plan, which includes the overall strategies for your agricultural or food enterprise.
Acquisition:
Collected for University of Florida's Institutional Repository by the UFIR Self-Submittal tool. Submitted by Trent Blare.

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University of Florida Institutional Repository
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University of Florida
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Copyright Creator/Rights holder. Permission granted to University of Florida to digitize and display this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.

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1 Trent Blare, Fredy Ballen, Victor Contreras, Lauri Baker, David Outerbridge, Yvette Goodiel, Je Wasielewski, Vanessa Vassilaros, Jessica Ryals

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2 TABLE OF CONTENTSWhy should I create a marketing plan?.................4 How do I make a marketing plan?..........................5 STEP 1: Set clear objectives STEP 2: Identify your competition STEP 3: Determine how your product/ service sets you apart STEP 4: Identify your target market STEP 5: Determine your distribution strategy STEP 6: Choose your promotion strategy STEP 7: Develop a pricing strategy STEP 8: Marketing budget STEP 9: Measuring success Marketing worksheet.............................................13 References. ..............................................................16

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4When you think of what it means to be a Florida agriculture enterprise, you likely think of activities tied to production. You may imagine growing citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, avocados, or any of the 200-300 dierent agricultural commodities we grow in Florida (UF/IFAS, 2021). Activities such as selecting the best varieties and controlling pests and diseases may come to mind. Ranching and dairy operators may rst consider their breed selection, vaccination regimes, and nutrition management activities. A few others may consider aquaculture, such as building ponds and underwater harvesting. Then, there is beekeeping with establishing colonies, growing queens, pollinating, and collecting honey. In Florida, we cannot forget the ornamental plant sector that requires having knowledge in shade houses, greenhouses, and irrigation systems. Some of us will think of craft food enterprises that add value, recycle the waste from our agricultural products, and create alternative revenue streams. Activities related to these value-added enterprises include making baked goods and preserves, which require obtaining the proper food safety certications and choosing market stands. With the boom in agritourism, many will recognize the eort involved in establishing “u pick” operations, event spaces, farm stands, and farm-to-table restaurants. In addition to these production and processing activities, many would consider some aspects of business management, such as maintaining accurate records and budgets to make investment decisions, essential to running an agricultural enterprise. What they may overlook is the importance of marketing to an agricultural enterprise. You can produce the best products or provide a phenomenal services. However, if no one knows about what you are oering or how to access it, all your eort go to waste. To expand your business, you need to let potential customers know what you oer. Over the last few years, marketing has become more important in the agriculture and food industries. The multiplication of advertising venues, especially social media, allows growers to reach a much larger audience outside of local and regional markets and make online sales. There are also new marketing channels from community supported agriculture, farmers’ markets, direct contracts with the hospitality and retail industries, and online sales platforms. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service estimated the number of farmers’ markets increased by 180% between 2007 and 2014 and the number of regional food hubs increased by more than 288% (Low et al., 2015). In addition to these structural changes, consumers’ demand for food products has evolved too, with a growing demand for locally, sustainably produced goods, organic or otherwise, that are of the highest quality (Roper & Rumble, 2018). In fact, the sale of local agricultural products in the US increased by 3% from 2015 to 2017 totaling $11.8 billion, 3 percent of all agricultural sales (Martinez, 2021). This proliferation of niche and specialty markets are most accessible to small-scale growers who are focused on quality and diversity. Their small size makes them nimbler to meet a particular buyer’s requirements and obtain the premiums for meeting these requirements. The ability to participate in a variety of markets allows agribusinesses to have multiple revenue streams to diversify their risk so they can still earn an income when there is a disruption in one market.Those of us involved in the agricultural sector in Florida could especially take advantage of these changes because of highly sought after agricultural and food products from the state and an expanding customer base with the rapidly growing population and large tourism sector. The Florida agricultural industry needs to continually inform these new customers of the great products and services that the Florida agricultural Why should I create a marketing plan?

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5 industry has to oer (Visit Florida, 2020; Klas et al., 2021). Because of these factors, marketing strategies are even more critical in the Florida agricultural industry with its multitude of products destined for disparate and highly specialized markets (UF/IFAS, 2021). We wrote this manual to help remove the mystery in navigating dierent marketing channels to select a combination that is appropriate for you and your business. Additionally, this resource provides a general guide on how to utilize marketing; it also provides a general overview of the dierent distribution channels, and resources that are helpful in this process. This manual will guide you in creating a marketing plan and implementing the strategies you choose. We will provide you with some advice on how to evaluate the eectiveness of your marketing program in reaching your targeted customer base and how to make adjustments as needed. This marking plan is meant to be a supplement to your business plan, which includes the overall strategies for your agricultural or food enterprise. If you would like to learn more about creating a business plan, please refer to these resources oered by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences UF/IFAS and the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. While creating a marketing plan may seem daunting, it is a straightforward process when broken down into a few simple steps. We will walk you through nine steps to create your own marketing plan based on an Evans and Ballen publication (2015). At the end of this section, we have included a worksheet that you can complete to assist in the creation of your own personalized marketing plan. You need to have clear goals in your marketing plan. Initially, limiting the number of objectives to four or less keeps your plan focused and achievable. However, as your understanding of marketing and markets grows you can expand your objectives to coincide with business expansion. Utilizing SMART (specic, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) objectives helps you create denitive, achievable, and realistic goals within a schedule. The ability to measure and reect on results enables you to learn, adapt, and grow. With proper record keeping and measurement tools you can keep track of eectiveness, such as meeting a certain sales value, sales volume, market share, distribution channel, and greater brand recognition. Finally, you will need to set up a plan of implementation and establish a time frame to measure how well you have met these goals. (Refer to Farnsworth et al., 2020 for more detailed explanation on setting SMART objectives for your business). Examples: • In ve years, we will double the sales volume at our own farm store. • Within a year, we will make our rst online sale. • Within six months, our agritourism business will have an interactive website where clients can prepurchase their tickets. Identifying competitors is crucial because it helps you understand the business environment, the strengths and weaknesses of your competitor and how they promote their product, as well as their How do I make a marketing plan? 1Set clear objectives 2Identify your competition

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6 pricing strategy and if there is anything unique about the product they sell. This will help you understand what makes your product or service dierent from theirs. It will also help clarify the demand for your product and discern your competitive advantages. Undertaking this analysis might seem obvious, but many have little understanding of what sets them apart. Identifying and understanding your competition can be complex and time-consuming, but if you are planning to expand, it is crucial. Once you understand your competitive niche in relation to other businesses, you can leverage it to attract new consumers and strengthen the relationship with your existing customer base. A business needs customers to survive. This is why it is important to Give consumers a reason to buy what you are selling and eventually they will give you their loyalty in return. Based on your analysis of your competition in step 2, you can now discern what sets your product or service apart. To describe what you are selling to the consumer, consider the following questions: • What benets do customers receive from the product/service you oer? • How do customers perceive the benets of the product/service you are providing? • What do customers perceive as the special/unique features of your product/service? • Why do your customers purchase the product/service from you? • How are you going to present your product/service to these customers? These questions will help you to comprehend what the customers perceive about your product or service as well as what they value about it. It may be helpful to get rsthand knowledge about what draws consumers to your products and services. Understanding new customers’ interest in your product line-up would be particularly useful to learn what strategies were successful in gaining their business. You can informally ask customers as they make a purchase in your business to gauge their opinion. You can conduct written surveys with your customers while they shop, via phone interviews, or through online or email surveys. UF/IFAS Extension EDIS publications provide a wealth of information on how to conduct consumer interviews (Refer to Israel & Gouldthorpe, 2020; Khachatryan et al., 2020 ) or focus groups (Refer to Wysoki et al., 2019; GalindoGonzalez, 2020 ). Identifying the demographics of your target market consists of identifying individuals or businesses that would be most likely to purchase your product or service. These characteristics could include age, sex, profession, income level, education level, residency, individual, or business. By identifying the demographics of your ideal customer, you can eectively target them, and your marketing campaign will be more likely to reach them. Businesses undertake targeting because segmenting the audience helps you focus your eorts and resources on those who are more likely to purchase and help you grow. An eective way to identify who you should target is to understand your current customer base. By understanding the characteristics of your current customers, you can see opportunities to target this segment of the population or see if there is a group of potential customers you are missing. Then, you can investigate what tactics you should undertake to meet the needs of all the distinct types of consumers who frequent your business or how to attract future customers. 3Determine how your product/service sets you apart 4Identify your target market How can you conduct simple market research?

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7 One element often underestimated in the food and agricultural business sector is distribution. Distribution is the means and steps used to move the product/service from one point to another. Though it is often overlooked, distribution is particularly important because before you can sell a product, you need to transport it to where your customers need it. To dene your distribution strategy, you need to clarify several key factors. First, you need to determine if you are going to sell directly to your customers (i.e., farmers’ markets; farm stands; online; or direct contracting with the hospitality industry, store, or schools), indirectly to packing houses or retailers, or a combination. You will need to consider the transportation implications for each of these distribution channels. Many businesses choose to sell in more than one market to spread risk. If they face a challenge in one market, they can move product in another. You must determine which of these distribution channels will meet your customer base. Dening a geographical scope is also essential, whether you will supply local, regional, national, or international markets. For a startup, we encourage you to build up experience in the supply chain in local markets before expanding into larger markets with more stringent requirements and complicated distribution networks. Understanding which marketing channels you will use to distribute your products will allow you to determine the type of packaging required, if at all. For more information on how to access these dierent markets please refer to the Florida Direct Marketing Handbook available at UF/ IFAS Extension Bookstore or from your county extension agent . The Florida Farmers’ Market Association and the UF/IFAS page on direct marketing for small farmers and alternative enterprises has detailed information on dierent marketing opportunities. The proliferation of the world wide web has changed our lives over the last 20 years. One of these profound changes is the ability to seek out any product or service that we want from the comfort of our own homes. This change has enabled many small and medium sized agricultural and food businesses to compete with larger businesses by directly selling to customers. There is a wealth of website platforms that allow for the integration of ecommerce like WordPress , Weebly , Wix , Square , Shopify , and Amazon . Some things to consider when determining which site would be best for your business include costs of hosting and payment processing, inventory management options, customer payment options, scalability, and security of customer data. If you are considering developing more complex websites and sales platforms, there are several businesses that provide services for agricultural entrepreneurs, especially in providing assistance to manage CSAs. The National Young Farmers’ Coalition and CSA Innovation Network provide guidance in choosing one of the platforms and services that may best t your needs. 5Determine your distribution strategy How do I sell my product or service online? Closing the sale is the ultimate step in every transaction, and it does not have to be a complicated process for either you or your customers. Fortunately, there are several options that make the e-payment processing system easy. However, you need to do some research to decide which provider best suits your needs and consider the costs associated with each one of the dierent platforms available. In this manual, we provide you with an overview of your available options. If you would like more detailed information on touchless transactions, refer to the resources provided by the Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement.What are e-payments?

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8 Square was founded in 2009 and launched its rst payment platform in 2010. The most basic option to process debit and credit payments is the Square reader for Magstripe. It works with the free Square Point of Sale app which accepts payments on smartphones or tablets. You pay 2.6% + $0.10 per swipe for Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. So, for a $10.00 sale, your transaction fees would be $0.36 in Square total. You receive your money as fast as the next business day. For up-to-date pricing info please visit square reader. PayPal Zettle accepts payments on the go or at the counter. It can process both debit and credit card payments. The card reader costs $29.00. The transaction fee is 2.29%+$0.09 per transaction. For a $10.00 sale your transactions fees would be $0.32 in total. Money transfers into your PayPal account typically within one business day. For up-to-date pricing info please go to PayPal Zettle .PayPal MarketLink is a program of the National Association of Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs (NAFMNP). In partnership with the USDA and Novo Dia Group (NDG), it assists growers and local markets with the SNAP retailer application. It connects them with free app-based SNAP Electronic Benet Transfer (SNAP/EBT) processing equipment. In Florida, SNAP participants who buy directly from growers at farmers’ markets or other venues get their benets doubled by the Fresh Access Bucks (FAB) program. You can reach out to your county’s UF/IFAS Family, Youth and Community Sciences agent or Family Nutrition Program PSE for guidance in joining these programs. Eligibility: Generally, any direct marketing arrangement or farmers’ market that needs SNAP/EBT processing equipment is eligible to participate in the MarketLink program. In some cases, MarketLink may consider other business models if the grower/owner is selling their product directly to the consumer. How the Program Works: The MarketLink program guides you through the steps below to get your equipment.Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

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9 The transaction fee is $0 per transaction. TotilPay Go works only for SNAP payments. Growers and other small food and agricultural enterprises may qualify to get fees for the rst year waived. Prepaid annual subscriptions cost $19.95/month or $191.40/year (20% savings vs. month-to-month). A small agricultural or food enterprise that utilizes the TotilPay Go 1. Apply for the grant program to cover a reader, processing, and application fees. 2. Apply to get an authorized USDA SNAP FNS number . 3. Complete an EBT Processing Application to setup your EBT/SNAP payment account through Novo Dia Group (this link is provided after your application has been received). 4. Receive and set up your equipment (including credit/debit if you choose). 5. Start accepting SNAP and electronic sales! You may qualify to get the equipment needed to process SNAP sales (TotilPay Go ) for free as well as the associated fees waived for one year. You may also process debit and credit payments under this same platform by following additional steps. In case you don’t qualify for the free equipment but still want to process SNAP benets in addition to debit and credit payments, you may be able to purchase the equipment for TotilPay Go and follow some additional steps to process debit and credit sales, all under the same platform. TotilPay Go platform has two options for processing credit and debit card payments in addition to SNAP benets, either through the Square reader or WorldPay (see below for information on WorldPay). Both e-payment options are fully compatible with TotilPay Go software. After selecting one of these options, just a few extra steps are needed to be able to process debit and credit payments.The Square reader for chip and contactless cards can be integrated easily under the TotilPay Go platform. It can only process debit and credit payments. It does not process SNAP payments. SNAP payments would have to be processed separately through TotilPay Go. Transaction fees for debit and credit sales apply. The Square Reader costs $49.00. It can process chip cards, contactless cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. The Square Reader for contactless and chip transaction fee is 2.6% of the sale + $0.10 per transaction. For the latest fee information please visit Square reader contactless .

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10 If you want to process debit and credit card payments using WorldPay, you do not need a separate card reader. You may use the same hardware included with TotilPay Go. However, both transaction and annual fees apply. There is no need to buy special hardware. The transaction fee is $0.15 per transaction + 1.79% of the sale. A $120 annual maintenance fee is charged. For upto-date price info, please visit Totilpay Go.WorldPay Square reader for magstripeEquipment Costs Free $29.00 $49.00 Free $0.10 $0.09 $0.10 $0.15 2.6% 2.29% 2.6% 1.79% $3.60 $3.20 $3.60 $3.29 No No Yes Yes $0.36 $0.32 $0.36 $0.329 Annual Fee Cost of Transaction Fee Percent of Transaction Fee Fees for a $10 Sale Fee for a $100 Sale Compatible with Tortipay Go/SNAPPayPal Square reader for contacts & chips WorldPay 6Choose your promotion strategy Now that you have decided where you plan to sell your product or service, you need to promote it and dene a promotion strategy. Promotion is communicating with your customers to let them know about the desirable products and services you oer and how they can purchase them. Promotion is the set of activities you undertake to reach your target customer, to create interest in your product or service with new customers, and to interact with your current customers. The end goal of promotion is to gain visibility and familiarity with your product or service so that potential customers buy or prefer your product or service over your competitors’ products. One of the most important things to consider is to keep your communication simple and attractive; you need to be concise in what you say to attract and hold your customers’ attention. Promotion can take many forms: placing yers on bulletin boards or handing them out on the street; newspaper, radio, and television ads; road signs and billboards; and social media. Your promotional strategies will depend on where your target audience gets their information, with multiple strategies necessary to reach a wider audience. For information on promotion strategies please refer to Khachatryan et al. (2017) , which is targeted at the nursery industry but provides advice relevant to the entire agricultural and food sector.

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11 How can I use social media and the internet to promote my product? Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp, Pinterest, and others have become integral parts of our lives. In 2020, 240 million people in the United States, 72.3% of the population, used a social media site at least once a month (Dean 2021). Social media is now the way many people interact with the world. In fact, the average person spends 145 minutes (about 2 and a half hours) each day on social media (Statistica 2021). Social media can be a fantastic way to interact with your customers, and there are several online platforms that can be utilized. UF/IFAS has a series of publications to help growers and food businesses select the social media platforms that are best for them and learn how to best leverage these platforms to reach current and new clients. Social media platforms, due to their reach and easy audience interaction, are amazingly eective when promoting your business. These are also one of the most cost-ecient product and service promotion channels (Ainin et al. 2015). Pricing means determining the value of your product or service and the amount you should charge your customers. There are several ways to determine how much you should charge; these are called pricing strategies. Remember that your business cannot survive if you do not generate enough revenue to cover your costs and earn a prot. The principal pricing strategies are cost-oriented pricing, exible pricing, and relative pricing. The cost-oriented pricing strategy involves setting your price at a certain percentage level, say 25%, above your production cost. A exible pricing strategy is where you vary the price depending on the buyer or season (e.g. harvest or holidays). A relative pricing strategy is simply using the prevailing market price to set your own price whether it is above, below, or the same as your competitors. You should keep the prevailing price in mind when setting your pricing strategy, even if you do not employ a relative pricing strategy, as you should avoid pricing yourself out of the market. Before you set the sale price, it is critical to rst know how much it costs to produce the product or service to cover your costs. Remember that costs go beyond the farm gate and include marketing, packing, storage, distribution, and shipping costs. Conducting market research to learn how much your customers are willing to pay for your product or service and understand your competitors’ prices is important in developing a long-term pricing strategy and setting a price that will ensure you make a prot while still being attractive to your customers. The USDA’s Marketing Service’s Market News section is very helpful in providing price information. Of particular interest to Florida growers is the Specialty Crop Section, which provides wholesale pricing data of sales of much of the fresh produce grown in Florida at terminal markets around the country, including Miami. There is also data on prices received at select farmers’ markets across the country, for organic products, and for some products in retail markets. You may also look at research conducted by UF/IFAS on various Florida agricultural products. Recent research includes analysis of consumer preferences for various fruits particularly for citrus , ornamental plants , vegetables , seafood , and organic or locally produced agricultural products. Your l ocal county extension agent can assist you in nding research that would be pertinent to your business. 7Develop a pricing strategy Where do I nd pricing information and marketing research?

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12Marketing is not a production activity, but it does consume signicant time, eort, and money to be eective. Since you do not have unlimited resources, it is important to determine how much you can/ want to assign to advertising and marketing your product or service. You must estimate the cost of the marketing strategy you have proposed and make sure you stick to your budget. Consider your own labor costs to make and distribute the advertisement, how much a graphic designer or a public relations rm would charge to create the advertisements, and any costs to print the material or produce the radio or television spot. Even if your promotional strategy ts within your budget, you need to ask yourself if the current strategy is the best way to do marketing and consider alternatives to best reach the target market you identied in step 4. The cost of marketing your product can be dicult to estimate. In order to create an accurate budget, make estimates realistic as possible so you can see the true cost of marketing and decide how much you are willing and able to spend. You can nd information on the cost of advertising your product or service in Florida by looking at the following sources: radio advertising , newspaper advertising , and television advertising . A signicant advantage of digital advertising is that it’s much less expensive than traditional media. You may think that once you have your marketing plan you are done. However, your new marketing plan is a living document. It needs to be updated and evolve as you implement your marketing strategies and new marketing avenues become available. Who would have imagined 20 years ago that we would be so dependent on marketing and selling our products and services online? You want to be ahead of the curve and take advantage of new marketing opportunities rather than running behind your competition. Many businesses review their marketing plan on an annual or more frequent basis. You may wish to conduct additional market research to see how eective your marketing plan has been, if your customers see your advertising, and if it has been eective in bringing in new customers. You can use the results from your analysis to update your marketing plan to invest more in the most eective marketing channels for your business. Please do not forget that this marketing plan is meant to be a complement to your overall business plan and strategy. It does not replace a business plan, which is essential in sustaining your enterprise. If you are interested in creating a business plan, do not hesitate to contact your county extension agent . You can also refer to these guides oered by UF/IFAS and the U SDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. What does it cost to market my products in dierent mediums? 9Measuring success 8Marketing budget

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13 Marketing Plan Worksheet STEP ONEWhat are your marketing objectives? 1. 2. 3. 4. STEP TWOIdentify your competition. Who are your competitors? What is their specialty? 1. 2. 3. STEP THREEIdentify your product/service. What sets your product or service apart from your competitiors? (Adapted Evans and Ballen, 2015)

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14 STEP FOURIdentify your target market. What customers do you plan to target? Why do you plan to target these customers? 1. 2. 3. STEP FIVEDetermine your distribution strategy. How do you plan to promote (make people aware of) your business, product/service? Distribution channel (i.e., directly to customers or through a third party) Payment method (i.e., electronic, online, cash) Shipping/Packing needs 1. 2. 3. STEP SIXChoose your promotion strategy. 1. 2. 3.

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15What methods do you use to price your product (i.e., cost-oriented, exible, and/or relative pricing)?STEP SEVEN STEP EIGHT STEP NINEDevelop a pricing strategy. Marketing Budget. Measuring success. 1. 2. 3.How much time and money can you dedicate to marketing? What methods will you use to measure the eectiveness of your marketing strategies? What are the costs of advertising in the marketing channels you wish to target? When will you conduct this evaluation? 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3.

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16 References Ainin, S., Parveen, F., Moghavvemi, S., Jaafar, N. I., & Shuib, N. L. M. (2015). Factors inuencing the use of social media by SMEs and its performance outcomes. Industrial Management & Data Systems. Baker, L. M, Warwick, C. R., Fernandez, J. C., & Rumble, J. (2021). Getting the most out of social media: Successfully using social media. UF/IFAS EDIS, AEC560. Available at https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/ WC222 Baker, L. M., Warwick, C. R., Fernandez, J. C., & Rumble, J. (2021). Getting the most out of social media: Creating a social media plan. UF/IFAS EDIS, AEC559. Available at https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/ WC221 Dean, B. 2021 Social network usage & growth statistics: How many people use social media in 2021? Available at https://backlinko.com/social-media-users Evans, E. and Ballen, F. 2015 Eight steps to developing a simple marketing plan. Available at https://edis. ifas.u.edu/publication/FE967 Farnsworth, D., Clark, J., Cothran, H., and Wysocki, A. 2020 Developing smart goals for your organization. Available at https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/FE577 Farmers Market Federation of New York. 2021 SNAP for NYS Farmers Market. Available at https://www. nyfarmersmarket.com/snap-for-farmers-markets Feeding Florida. 2021 SNAP/EBT Authorization and implementation guide for farm-direct outlets. Available at https://cutt.ly/eEkcfxV Israel, G. and Galindo, S. 2020 Using focus group interviews for planning or evaluating extension programs. Available at https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/PD036 Israel, G. D. and Gouldthorpe, J. 2020. L Savvy Survey Series. Available at https://edis.ifas.u.edu/entity/ topic/series_savvy_survey Kachatryan, H; Rhin, A., and Wei, X. 2020 Consumer and producer perceptions and preferences for pollinator-friendly labeling practices in the US green industry. Available at https://edis.ifas.u.edu/ publication/FE1083 Klas, E. Dasgupta, S. and Wang, K. (2021) Census: Florida dees decline in population growth; nation becomes more diverse. Available at https://cutt.ly/nT6eaW0 Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. 2012. Marketing. 14 ed. Estado de Mxico, MX, Pearson educacin. 720 p. Low, Sarah A., Aaron Adalja, Elizabeth Beaulieu, Nigel Key, Steve Martinez, Alex Melton, Agnes Perez, Katherine Ralston, Hayden Stewart, Shellye Suttles, Stephen Vogel, and Becca B.R. Jablonski. Trends in U.S. Local and Regional Food Systems, AP-068, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research

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17 Service, January 2015. Available at https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/42805/51173_ ap068.pdf?v=6801 Market Link. 2021 Handbook 2021. Available at https://cutt.ly/YEkcvpw Martinez, R. (2021) Local Food Sales Continue to Grow Through a Variety of Marketing Channels. Available at https://cutt.ly/8T6qwMd Roper, C & Rumble, J. (2018) TALKING LOCAL: FLORIDA CONSUMERS’ REASONS FOR PURCHASING LOCAL FOOD. Available at https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/WC176 https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/FE948 Statista Research Department. 2021 Daily time spent on social networking by internet users worldwide from 2012 to 2020. Available at https://cutt.ly/BEkx0I3 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 2018 SNAP EBT Third party processor (TPP) list and guidance to retailers. Available at https://cutt.ly/bEkcobV University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). (2021) FLORIDA’S Agriculture and Food System FAST FACTS 2021. Available at https://sfyl.ifas.u.edu/media/sfylifasuedu/orange/agnat-res/docs/pdf/Florida-Agriculture-and-Food-Systems-Fast-Facts-2021.pdf Visit Florida. 2020 T OURISM IS VITAL TO FLORIDA. Available at https://www.visitorida.org/media/5166/ power_of_orida_tourism.pdf Warwick, C. R., Baker, L. M., Fernandez, J. C., & Rumble, J. (2021). Getting the most out of social media: What is social media?. UF/IFAS EDIS, AEC558. Available at https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/WC220 Warwick, C. R., Baker, L. M., Fernandez, J. C., & Rumble, J. (2021). Getting the most out of social media: Strategic practices when using social media. UF/IFAS EDIS, AEC561. Available at https://edis.ifas.u.edu/ publication/WC223 Wysocki, A. F. House, L., and Messina, W. A. 2019 Seafood perceptions among people aged 55 and above: summary of focus groups results. Available at https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/FE821

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1 Trent Blare, Fredy Ballen, Victor Contreras, Lauri Baker, David Outerbridge, Yvette Goodiel, Je Wasielewski, Vanessa Vassilaros, Jessica Ryals, Jonael Bosques-Mendez, Lourdes Prez Cordero, and Luis Rodriguez Rosado

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2 Contenido Por qu debera crear un plan de mercadeo?.......4 Cmo hago un plan de mercadeo?........... ........... .5 PASO 1: Establecer objetivos claros PASO 2: Identicar la competencia PASO 3: Determinar como tu producto servicio te distingue PASO 4: Identicar el mercado objetivo PASO 5: Determinar la estrategia de distribucin PASO 6: Elegir la estrategia de promocin PASO 7: Desarrollar una estrategia de precios PASO 8: Estimar el presupuesto de Mercadeo PASO 9: Medir el xito Hoja de trabajo de un plan de mercadeo ........ .. ..13 Referencias. ......... ....... ........ ......... ...... ........ ............ .16

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4 Cuando se piensa en lo que signica ser una empresa agrcola en la Florida, generalmente se piensa en actividades relacionadas a la produccin, ya sea cultivo de ctricos, fresas, tomates, aguacate o cualquiera de los casi 300 diferentes productos agrcolas cultivados en el estado (UF/IFAS 2021). Actividades como la seleccin de variedades, control de plagas y enfermedades se vienen a la mente de los agricultores mientras que los operadores ganaderos y lecheros consideraran actividades como la seleccin gentica, regmenes de vacunacin y manejo de la nutricin. La acuacultura se suele relacionar con la construccin de estanques y recoleccin submarina; la apicultura con el establecimiento de colonias, cultivo de reinas, polinizacin y la recoleccin de miel. Si hablamos de la actividad agrcola en Florida, no podemos olvidar el sector de las plantas ornamentales que requiere el uso de casas de sombra, invernaderos y sistemas de riego. Algunos inclusive podran pensar en las empresas de alimentos artesanales que agregan valor, o empresas que reciclan ciertos desechos de los productos agrcolas y crean fuentes de ingreso alternativo, o empresas dedicadas a la elaboracin de productos horneados y conservas para las cuales son necesarias certicaciones de seguridad alimentaria, as como la seleccin de puestos de distribucin. Con el reciente auge del agroturismo se reconoce el esfuerzo involucrado en el establecimiento de operaciones “U pick”, espacios para eventos, puestos de granjas y restaurantes de la granja a la mesa. En adicin a las actividades de produccin y procesamiento, muchos tambin consideran algunos aspectos de la administracin de empresas como el mantener registros y presupuestos precisos para la toma de decisiones de inversin como parte esencial en la administracin de una empresa agrcola. El mercadeo es una actividad de suma importancia que muchas veces se ve subestimada en las empresas agrcolas, las cuales generalmente se enfocan en la produccin. Es posible producir los mejores productos o dar el mejor servicio, pero este esfuerzo no servir de nada si las personas no conocen el producto/servicio que se ofrece o como obtenerlo. Durante los ltimos aos, el marketing o mercadeo se ha vuelto ms importante en la industria agrcola y alimentaria, debido a que para poder expandir el negocio es necesario poder comunicar a los clientes potenciales el producto y/o servicio que se ofrece. La multiplicacin de espacios publicitarios, en especial las redes sociales, ha permitido que los productores puedan alcanzar una audiencia ms amplia fuera de los mercados locales y regionales gracias a las ventas en lnea. Tambin existen nuevos canales de comercializacin que van desde la agricultura apoyada por la comunidad, mercados de agricultores, contratos directos con la industria hotelera y vendedores minoristas, as como tambin plataformas de ventas en lnea. El servicio de investigacin econmica del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA) estima que el nmero de mercados de agricultores se ha incrementado un 180% entre el 2007 y el 2014. El nmero de centros regionales ha aumentado en ms del 288% (Low et al. 2015). Adems de estos cambios estructurales, la demanda de productos alimenticios por parte de los consumidores ha evolucionado con una creciente demanda por productos locales, sostenibles, orgnicos o de mayor calidad (Roper & Rumble 2018). De hecho, la venta de productos agrcolas locales en EE. UU increment un 3% del 2015 al 2017 alcanzando $11.8 billones, representando aproximadamente el 3% de todas las ventas agrcolas (Martnez 2021). Los mercados especiales y de nicho son ms accesibles a los pequeos productores que se centran en la calidad y diversidad; adems su pequea escala y tamao los vuelve ms rpidos y adaptables a satisfacer los requerimientos de compradores particulares, siendo elegibles para obtener bonos por cumplimiento. La habilidad de los agro-negocios de poder participar en varios mercados supone una gran ventaja, puesto que esto les permite tener mltiples fuentes de ingresos Por qu debera crear un plan de mercadeo?

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5 y diversicar su riesgo para que puedan seguir generando ingresos cuando un mercado sufra una interrupcin. Aquellos de nosotros involucrados con el sector agrcola de Florida podramos tomar ventaja de los cambios en el mercado, ya que existe una gran demanda por productos agrcolas cultivados en el estado, adems de un incremento en el nmero de consumidores resultante debido al aumento en la poblacin y la actividad turstica. La industria agrcola de Florida necesita proveer informacin continua, a los nuevos clientes, acerca de los productos y servicios ofrecidos (Visit Florida 2020; Klas et al. 2021). Debido a esto, las estrategias de mercadeo juegan un papel crtico en la industria agrcola de Florida por su multitud de productos destinados para mercados altamente especializados y diferenciados (UF/IFAS 2021). Escribimos este manual para eliminar el misterio de navegar en diferentes canales de mercadeo y para ayudarte a seleccionar los canales que se adapten mejor a tu negocio. Adicionalmente este recurso provee una gua general de cmo utilizar el mercadeo, as como tambin provee una descripcin general de los diferentes canales de distribucin y otros recursos que te puedan ser tiles en este proceso. Este manual te guiar en la creacin de un plan de mercadeo y en cmo implementar esas estrategias. Tambin te daremos ciertas tcnicas de cmo evaluar la efectividad de tu plan de mercadeo para llegar a clientes potenciales y te indicaremos cmo realizar los ajustes necesarios. Este plan de mercadeo est destinado a complementar tu plan de negocios, el cual incluye las estrategias generales para tu empresa alimenticia o agrcola. Si quisieras aprender ms acerca de cmo crear un plan de trabajo, por favor consulta los recursos ofrecidos por el Instituto de Alimentos y Ciencias Agrcolas de la Universidad de Florida (UF/IFAS) y el Programa de Educacin e Investigacin de Agricultura Sostenible (USDA). Si bien la creacin de un plan de mercadeo puede parecer abrumadora, es un proceso sencillo cuando se divide en unos simples pasos. A continuacin, se expondrn los nueve pasos necesarios para crear tu propio plan de mercadeo basado en Evans y Ballen (2015). Al nal de esta publicacin, hemos incluido una hoja de trabajo que puedes completar para crear un plan de mercadeo personalizado. Es necesario tener objetivos claros en el plan de mercadeo. En un inicio, limitar el nmero de objetivos a cuatro o menos ayuda a mantener el plan centrado y alcanzable, sin embargo, a medida que tu comprensin de mercadeo y del mercado aumentan puedes ampliar tus objetivos para que estos coincidan con la expansin empresarial. La utilizacin de objetivos que sean especcos, medibles, alcanzables, relevantes y con lmite de tiempo, u objetivos SMART (por sus siglas en ingls) ayudan a crear metas denitivas, alcanzables y realistas. La habilidad de medir y reexionar sobre los resultados obtenidos te permitir aprender, adaptarte y crecer; esto en conjunto con el mantenimiento de registros y el uso de herramientas de medicin adecuadas ayudarn a realizar un seguimiento de la efectividad ya sea determinando el valor y volumen de ventas, participacin en el mercado, canal de distribucin o un mayor reconocimiento de marca. Finalmente, despus de haber establecido los objetivos debers crear un plan para su implementacin, as como tambin un marco de tiempo para evaluar el cumplimiento de objetivos. (Para obtener una explicacin ms detallada sobre como establecer objetivos SMART para tu negocio consulta Farnsworth et al., 2020). Cmo hago un plan de mercadeo? 1 Establecer objetivos claros

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6 Ejemplos: • En cinco aos, duplicaremos el volumen de ventas en nuestra propia tienda agrcola. • Dentro de un ao, realizaremos nuestra primera venta en lnea. • Dentro de seis meses, nuestro negocio de agroturismo tendr un sitio “web” interactivo donde los clientes pueden comprar por adelantado sus boletos. Identicar la competencia es crucial debido a que esto te ayuda a entender el entorno empresarial, las fortalezas y debilidades de la competencia, cmo ellos promocionan el producto, su estrategia de mercadeo y tambin ayuda a saber si hay algo nico en el producto que ellos venden. Esto te ayudar a entender lo que distingue tu producto o servicio del de ellos. Tambin ayudar a aclarar la demanda de tu producto y a discernir tus ventajas competitivas. La realizacin de este anlisis puede parecer obvio, pero muchos no tienen claro las cualidades que distinguen sus negocios. Identicar y analizar la competencia puede ser complejo y tomar tiempo, pero si ests planeando expandir tu negocio, esto es crucial. Una vez que comprendas tu nicho competitivo en relacin con los otros negocios, puedes aprovecharlo para atraer nuevos clientes y fortalecer las relaciones con tu base de clientes existente. Un negocio o empresa necesita clientes para sobrevivir, debido a esto es importante brindarles a los consumidores una razn para comprar lo que estas vendiendo y que ellos, a largo plazo, sean eles a la marca. Basado en el anlisis de la competencia, realizado en el paso 2, ahora puedes discernir qu es lo que diferencia tu producto o servicio. Para poder describirle tu producto al cliente, puedes considerar las siguientes preguntas: • Qu benecios reciben los consumidores del producto o servicio que ofreces? • Cmo perciben los clientes los benecios del producto/servicio que ests ofreciendo? • Qu es lo que perciben los clientes como caractersticas nicas o especiales de tu producto/ servicio? • Por qu los clientes te compraran ese producto/servicio? • Cmo vas a presentar este producto/servicio a los clientes? Estas preguntas te ayudarn a comprender la percepcin de los clientes sobre tu producto o servicio, as como lo que ellos valoran del mismo. Puede resultar de mucha utilidad obtener un conocimiento de primera mano acerca de que es lo que les atrae a los consumidores de tus productos y servicios. Comprender el inters de los clientes nuevos es particularmente til para establecer si las estrategias usadas fueron exitosas en la expansin del negocio. Puedes preguntar de manera informal a tus clientes para conocer su opinin, tambin puedes realizar entrevistas telefnicas, encuestas en lnea o por medio de correo electrnico. Varias publicaciones de UF/IFAS Extensin brindan una gran cantidad de informacin sobre cmo realizar entrevistas a los consumidores (consulta Israel & Gouldthorpe 2020; Khachatryan et al.2020) o grupos focales (consulta Wysoki et al., 2019; Galindo-Gonzalez, 2020). 3 Determinar cmo tu producto/servicio te distingue Cmo puedes realizar una investigacin de mercados sencilla? 2 Identicar la competencia

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7 Identicar la informacin demogrca de tu mercado objetivo consiste en identicar las caractersticas de las personas o empresas con mayor probabilidad de comprar tu producto o servicio. Caractersticas que servirn para ese propsito incluyen edad, sexo, profesin, ingreso econmico, nivel educativo, lugar de residencia, entre otras. Al identicar las caractersticas demogrcas de tu cliente ideal, ser ms fcil dirigirse a ellos y tu campaa promocional tendr ms probabilidades de llegar a ellos. La segmentacin es de suma importancia para las empresas debido a que esta ayuda a enfocar esfuerzos y recursos hacia aquellas empresas o personas que tienen ms probabilidad de comprar tu producto/servicio. Una forma muy fcil y ecaz de identicar a quienes debes dirigirte es analizar tu base de clientes actual. Al comprender las caractersticas de tus clientes actuales, podras ver si an hay oportunidades en este segmento, o si hay un grupo de consumidores potenciales que estas ignorando. Luego de esto, podras investigar cuales tcticas tendras que implementar para poder satisfacer las necesidades de tus clientes. Una actividad muchas veces subestimada en la industria alimenticia y agrcola es la distribucin. Esta se reere a los medios y pasos usados para poder mover un producto/servicio de un punto a otro. A pesar de ser subestimada, la distribucin es particularmente importante debido a que previo a la venta de un producto, hay que transportarlo a donde los clientes lo necesiten. Para poder denir la estrategia de distribucin, es necesario aclarar ciertos factores. Primero, hay que determinar si el producto se vende directamente a los clientes (ejemplo: mercados de agricultores, puestos agrcolas, ventas en lnea o contrato con la industria hotelera, minoristas o escuelas), o indirectamente a las empacadoras o minoristas, o una combinacin de estos. Es necesario considerar las implicaciones de transporte para cada uno de estos canales de distribucin. Muchos negocios eligen vender en varios mercados para distribuir el riesgo, en caso de presentarse problemas en un mercado, existen alternativas. Es importante determinar cul de los diferentes canales de distribucin ser el apropiado para la base de clientes. Denir un alcance geogrco tambin es esencial para abastecer un mercado ya sea local, regional, nacional o internacional. Para comenzar un negocio, recomendamos adquirir experiencia en la cadena de suministros en los mercados locales, antes de expandirse a mercados ms grandes con requisitos ms estrictos y redes de distribucin ms complejas. Entender qu canales de mercadeo vas a utilizar para distribuir el producto te permitir determinar el tipo de empaque requerido y otros aspectos. Para obtener ms informacin sobre cmo acceder a estos diferentes mercados, consulta el manual de mercadeo directo de Florida disponible en la librera de extensin de UF/IFAS o consulta a un agente de extensin del condado. La asociacin de mercados agrcolas de Florida y la pgina de UF/IFAS sobre mercadeo directo para pequeos agricultores y empresas alternativas tienen informacin detallada sobre diferentes oportunidades de mercadeo. La proliferacin de la internet ha cambiado nuestras vidas en los ltimos aos, uno de estos cambios profundos es la capacidad de buscar cualquier producto o servicio que queramos desde la comodidad de nuestras casas. Este cambio ha permitido a muchas pequeas y medianas empresas del sector agrcola o alimenticio poder competir con empresas ms grandes mediante la venta directa. Existe una gran cantidad de plataformas “web” que permiten la integracin del comercio electrnico como WordPress, Weebly, Wix, Square, Shopify y Amazon entre otros. Algunos aspectos a considerar para determinar el mejor sitio “web” para tu negocio incluyen costos de procesamientos de pagos, opciones de administracin de inventario, opciones de pago del cliente, escalabilidad y seguridad de los datos del cliente, entre otros. Si ests considerando plataformas de ventas ms complejas, existen diferentes 5 Determinar tu estrategia de distribucin Cmo vendo mis productos o servicios en lnea? 4 Identicar el mercado objetivo

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8 Square fue fundada en el ao 2009 y lanz su primera plataforma de pago en el 2010. La opcin ms bsica para procesar pagos de dbito o crdito es el lector de banda magntica “Square Reader”, el cual funciona con la aplicacin gratuita “Square Point”. “Square Reader” acepta pagos desde telfonos inteligentes o tabletas y tiene un costo de 2.6% + $0.10 por cada transaccin usando Visa, MasterCard, Discover y American Express. Square Esto signica que por una venta de $10.00 hay una tarifa de transaccin total de $0.36. Despus de la transaccin, el dinero estar disponible al siguiente da de negocios; para obtener informacin actualizada sobre precios, puedes visitar Square Reader. “PayPal Zettle” acepta pagos mviles o en el mostrador, el equipo puede procesar pagos con tarjetas de dbitos o crdito. El lector de tarjeta cuesta $29.00, la tarifa por transaccin es de 2.29% + $0.09. Por una venta de $10.00, la tarifa de transaccin sera de $0.32. Despus de una transaccin, el dinero se transere a tu cuenta de PayPal en un da de negocios. Para obtener informacin ms actualizada sobre los precios visite PayPal Zettle. PayPal “MarketLink” es parte de la asociacin nacional de programas de mercado de agricultores, (NAFMNP) asociada con el USDA y Novo Da Group (NDG), que asiste a productores y mercados locales con la aplicacin para minoristas SNAP. Este programa los conecta con el equipo de procesamiento “SNAP Electronic Benet Transfer” (SNAP/EBT) basado en una aplicacin gratuita. En Florida, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) empresas que proveen servicios para los empresarios agrcolas, algunas brindan asistencia para el manejo de agricultura apoyada por la comunidad (CSA), y otros servicios. La Coalicin Nacional de Agricultores Jvenes y CSA red de innovacin proveen una gua para elegir una de las plataformas y servicios que mejor se adapten a tus necesidades. Qu son pagos electrnicos? El ltimo paso de cada transaccin es cerrar la venta, la cual no tiene que ser un proceso complicado para tus clientes. Afortunadamente, existen varias opciones que hacen ms fcil el sistema de procesamiento de pagos electrnicos. Sin embargo, es necesario investigar para elegir el proveedor que se adapte mejor a tus necesidades y adems considerar los costos asociados con cada una de las plataformas disponibles. En este manual te proporcionaremos una descripcin general de algunas opciones disponibles; si deseas informacin acerca de transacciones usando la tecnologa sin contacto, puedes consultar los recursos proporcionados por el centro para la participacin de empresas rurales.

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9 “TotilPay GO” funciona solo para pagos SNAP, no hay costo por cada transaccin, pero si hay un costo jo mensual. Los productores y otras pequeas empresas agrcolas y alimentarias pueden calicar para obtener exencin de tarifas durante el primer ao. Las subscripciones anuales pre-pagadas cuestan $19.95/ mes o $191.40/ao (20% de ahorro en comparacin mes a mes). TotilPay Go los participantes de SNAP que compran directamente a los agricultores obtienen sus benecios duplicados por el programa “Fresh Access Bucks” (FAB). Para obtener orientacin sobre cmo unirse a estos programas, puedes contactar a un agente de Ciencias de la Familia, la Juventud y la Comunidad de UF/IFAS de su condado o el Programa de Nutricin Familiar PSE. Elegibilidad: Generalmente cualquier arreglo de mercadeo directo o mercado de agricultores que necesite el equipo de procesamiento de pago SNAP/EBT es elegible para participar en el Programa “MarketLink”. En ciertas ocasiones “MarketLink” puede considerar otros modelos de negocios si el agricultor/dueo vende tu producto directamente al consumidor. Cmo trabaja el programa? El programa “MarketLink” te gua a travs de los siguientes pasos para obtener el equipo. 1. Solicita el programa de apoyo para cubrir las tarifas de lectura, procesamiento y solicitud. 2. Aplica para obtener un nmero autorizado de USDA SNAP FNS. 3. Completa una solicitud de procesamiento de EBT para congurar tu cuenta de pago EBT/ SNAP a travs de Novo Da Group (este enlace se proporciona despus de que se hayas ha procesado tu solicitud). 4. Recibe y congura tu equipo (incluido crdito / dbito si lo deseas). 5. Comienza a aceptar SNAP y ventas electrnicas. Es posible calicar para obtener de manera gratuita el equipo necesario para procesar las ventas de SNAP (TotilPay Go). De la misma manera, las tarifas asociadas no se aplicaran por un ao. En la misma plataforma se pueden procesar pagos de dbito y crdito siguiendo ciertos pasos adicionales. En caso de no calicar para el equipo gratuito, pero si aun deseas procesar benecios SNAP y pagos de dbito/crdito, es posible comprar el equipo “TotilPay Go” y seguir ciertos pasos adicionales para procesar ventas bajo la misma plataforma. Una pequea empresa que utilice la plataforma “TotilPay Go”, adems de procesar los benecios SNAP, tiene dos opciones para procesar pagos con tarjetas de crdito o dbito. Puede utilizar el lector de Square o WorldPay (consulta abajo para informacin acerca de WorldPay). Las dos opciones de pagos electrnicos son completamente compatibles con el software “TotilPay Go”, despus de haber seleccionado una de estas opciones, solo se necesitan unos pasos extra para poder procesar pagos de dbito y crdito.

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10 Worldpay puede procesar pagos con tarjetas de dbito y crdito, sin la necesidad de un lector de tarjetas separado. Puedes usar el mismo equipo incluido en “TotilPay GO”, sin embargo, las tarifas anuales y por transaccin aplican. La tarifa es $0.15 por transaccin + 1.79% de la venta, mientras que la tarifa anual de mantenimiento es de $120. Para obtener informacin ms actualizada sobre precios puedes visitar TotilPay GO. WorldPay Square Reader por banda magntica Costo de Equipo Free $29.00 $49.00 No aplica $120.0 $0.10 $0.09 $0.10 $0.15 2.6% 2.29% 2.6% 1.79% $3.60 $3.20 $3.60 $3.29 No No Si Si $0.36 $0.32 $0.36 $0.329 Tarifa de mantenimiento anual Tarifa por transaccin Porcentaje por transaccin Tarifas por venta de $10 Tarifas por venta de $100 Compatible con Tortipay Go/SNAP PayPal Zettle Square reader WorldPay 6 Elegir la estrategia de promocin Ahora que ya has decidido en qu lugar planeas vender tu producto o servicio, es necesario denir una estrategia de promocin para dar a conocer el producto. La promocin es el conjunto de actividades que El “square reader” puede procesar pagos de tarjetas con chip y sin contacto. Este puede ser integrado fcilmente en la plataforma “TotilPay Go”, y puede procesar pagos de dbito o crdito. Los pagos SNAP no se pueden procesar por el “square reader”; estos tienen que ser procesados por separado por “TotilPay”. Tarifas por cada transaccin aplican para ventas de dbito y crdito. El costo por transaccin es 2.6% de la venta Square reader para pagos por medio de chip y sin contacto + $0.10. El costo de adquirir un “square reader” es de $49.00 y puede procesar tarjetas con chip, tarjetas sin contacto, Apple Pay y Google Pay. Para ms informacin visita Square Reader Contactless.

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11 Cmo puedo usar las redes sociales y la internet para promover mi producto? Las plataformas de redes sociales como Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp y Pinterest entre otros, se han vuelto parte integral de nuestras vidas. En el 2021, 240 millones de personas, aproximadamente 72.3% de la poblacin en EE.UU, hacia uso de alguna de las redes sociales por lo menos una vez al mes (Dean, 2021). Las redes sociales son una de las formas que la gente usa en la actualidad para interactuar con el resto del mundo; de hecho, se estima que una persona pasa en promedio 145 minutos cada da en las redes sociales (Statistica 2021). Las redes sociales pueden ser un excelente medio para interactuar con los clientes y hay muchas plataformas en lnea que pueden ser utilizadas. UF/IFAS tiene una serie de publicaciones para ayudar a la industria agrcola y alimenticia a elegir cul de las plataformas en lnea sera la ms adecuada. Adems, estas publicaciones contienen informacin de cmo aprovechar estas plataformas para interactuar con clientes habituales y a su vez como atraer nuevos clientes. Las plataformas de redes sociales, debido a su gran alcance y facilidad de interaccin con la audiencia, son increblemente efectivas al momento de promocionar un negocio. Estas tambin son uno de los canales de promocin de productos y servicios ms rentables (Ainin et al., 2015). Fijar precios signica determinar el valor de tu producto o servicio y la cantidad que debes cobrar. Hay varias formas de determinar cunto debes cobrar; estas se denominan estrategias de precios. Recuerda que el negocio no puede sobrevivir si no genera sucientes ingresos para cubrir sus costos y obtener ganancias. Las principales estrategias incluyen precios orientados a los costos, precios exibles y precios relativos. La estrategia de precios orientada a los costos implica establecer un precio en un cierto nivel porcentual; por ejemplo, un 25%, por encima de su costo de produccin. Una estrategia de precios exible consiste en variar el precio segn el comprador o la temporada (por ejemplo, cosecha o vacaciones). Una estrategia de precios relativos consiste simplemente en utilizar el precio de mercado prevalente para establecer tu precio, ya sea mayor, menor o igual que el de los competidores. Debes tener en cuenta el precio prevalente al establecer una estrategia de precios, incluso si no empleas precios relativos, ya que debes evitar jar valores fuera del rango del mercado. Antes de establecer el precio de venta, es fundamental saber primero cunto cuesta producir el producto o servicio para cubrir sus costos. Recuerda que adems de los costos de produccin, es necesario incluir costos de comercializacin, empaque, almacenamiento, distribucin y envo. Es importante llevar a cabo 7 Desarrollar una estrategia de precios se realizan para dar a conocer y crear inters en el producto o servicio que ofreces. Tambin sirve para interactuar con tus clientes habituales. El objetivo principal de la promocin es ganar visibilidad para que clientes potenciales se interesen y compren tu producto o servicio por encima del de la competencia. Una de las cosas ms importantes a considerar es mantener la comunicacin simple y atractiva. Tienes que ser conciso en lo que dices para atraer y mantener la atencin de tus clientes. La promocin puede tomar muchas formas tales como volantes o folletos en un tablero de anuncios o distribuirlos en la calle; anuncios en el peridico, radio y televisin; vallas publicitarias y medios sociales. Las estrategias de promocin dependen de la manera como tu cliente potencial obtiene informacin y las mltiples estrategias necesarias para poder llegar a un pblico amplio. Para ms informacin acerca de las estrategias de promocin puedes consultar a Khachatryan et al. (2017), el cual est dirigido especcamente a la industria de plantas ornamentales, pero brinda informacin relevante para todo el sector alimenticio y agrcola.

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12 El mercadeo no es una actividad de produccin, pero requiere mucho tiempo, esfuerzo y dinero para ser ecaz. Dado que no se dispone de recursos ilimitados, es importante determinar cunto se podra asignar a publicidad y mercadeo de tu producto o servicio. Es importante estimar el costo de la estrategia de mercadeo propuesta y asegurarse de ajustarla al presupuesto. Tambin hay que considerar el costo laboral si decides hacer y distribuir un anuncio. Si decides delegarlo hay que considerar cunto cobrara un diseador grco o una empresa por crear los anuncios, imprimir el material o reproducirlo en la radio o televisin. Incluso si tu estrategia de promocin se ajusta al presupuesto, habra que preguntarse si la estrategia actual es la mejor manera de hacer mercadeo y considerar alternativas para alcanzar el mercado u objetivo identicado en el paso 4. El costo de comercializacin puede ser difcil de estimar, para hacer un presupuesto preciso, hay que hacer estimaciones lo ms realistas posible para identicar el costo nal y decidir cunto se podra gastar. Puedes encontrar informacin sobre el costo de promocionar tu producto o servicio en Florida consultando las siguientes fuentes, publicidad en radio, publicidad en peridicos y publicidad en televisin. Podras pensar que una vez nalizado el plan de mercadeo habrs terminado, sin embargo, el plan de mercadeo es un documento vivo el cual debe actualizarse y evolucionar a medida que se implementan estrategias diferentes y se abren nuevas vas de mercadeo. Quin hubiera imaginado hace 20 aos que dependeramos tanto del mercadeo y la venta de nuestros productos y servicios en lnea? Si deseas estar a la vanguardia y aprovechar las nuevas oportunidades de mercadeo en lugar de ir detrs de la competencia, es importante revisar el plan de mercadeo anualmente o con mayor frecuencia. Es posible que desees realizar una investigacin de mercado adicional para ver qu tan efectivo ha sido tu plan de mercadeo, si tus clientes ven tu publicidad y si esta ha sido efectiva para atraer nuevos clientes. Puedes utilizar los resultados de este anlisis para actualizar el plan de mercadeo, e invertir ms en los canales de Cunto cuesta comercializar mis productos en diferentes medios? 9 Midiendo el xito La seccin Market News del Servicio de Mercadeo del USDA es muy til para obtener informacin sobre precios. De particular inters para los productores de Florida es la Seccin de cultivos especializados. Esta proporciona gran cantidad de informacin incluyendo precios mayoristas de muchos de los productos cultivados en Florida que forman parte de los principales mercados del pas, incluyendo Miami. Adicionalmente, es posible encontrar informacin acerca de precios recibidos en algunos mercados de agricultores, precios recibidos por productos orgnicos, y precios en los mercados minoristas. Una investigacin reciente de UF/IFAS sobre varios productos agrcolas de Florida incluye el anlisis de las preferencias de los consumidores por diversos productos, en particular ctricos, plantas ornamentales, vegetales, mariscos y productos orgnicos o de produccin local. El agente de extensin de tu condado puede ayudarte a encontrar una publicacin que sea pertinente para tu negocio. Dnde encuentro informacin sobre precios e investigacin de mercados? 8 Estimar el presupuesto de Mercadeo una investigacin de mercado para saber cunto estaran dispuestos a pagar los clientes nuevos por tu producto o servicio. Tambin debes identicar los precios de los competidores para desarrollar una estrategia de precios a largo plazo y establecer un precio que te asegure obtener ganancias sin dejar de ser atractivo para el consumidor.

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13 Hoja de trabajo de un plan de mercadeo Paso 1 Establecer objetivos claros 1. 2. 3. 4. Paso 2 Identica a la competencia Quin es tu competencia? Cul es su especialidad? 1. 2. 3. (Adaptado de Evans y Ballen, 2015) mercadeo que demuestren ser ms ecaces. No olvides que este plan de mercadeo est destinado a ser un complemento de tu estrategia empresarial general. El plan de mercadeo no reemplaza un plan de negocios, que es esencial para sostener tu empresa. Si estas interesado en crear un plan de negocios, no dudes en comunicarte con el agente de extensin de tu condado. Tambin puedes consultar estas publicaciones del UF/IFAS y el programa de Educacin e Investigacin Agrcola Sostenible del USDA.

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14 Paso 4 Identicar el mercado objetivo A qu clientes planeas dirigirte? Por qu planeas dirigirte a estos clientes? 1. 2. 3. Paso 5 Determinar la estrategia de distribucin Canales de distribucin (por ejemplo, directamente a los clientes o por medio de un tercero) Mtodo de pago (electrnico, en lnea, en efectivo) Necesidades de envo/ empaque 1. 2. 3. Paso 3 Determinar como tu producto servicio te distingue Qu diferencia tu producto/servicio del de la competencia?

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15 Qu mtodos utilizas para jar el precio de tu producto (precio orientado a costos, exible y/o relativo? Paso 7 Desarrollar una estrategia para jar precios 1. 2. 3. Cmo planeas promover (hacer que la gente reconozca) tu negocio, producto o servicio? Paso 6 Elegir la estrategia de promocin 1. 2. 3.

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16 Paso 8 Paso 9 Estimar el presupuesto de mercadeo Medir el xito Qu tanto tiempo y dinero puedes dedicar al marketing? Qu mtodos usars para medir la efectividad de tus estrategias? Cules son los costos de la publicidad en los canales de marketing a los que deseas dirigirte? En qu momento realizars esta evaluacin? 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3.

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17 Referencias Ainin, S., Parveen, F., Moghavvemi, S., Jaafar, N. I., & Shuib, N. L. M. (2015). Factors inuencing the use of social media by SMEs and its performance outcomes. Industrial Management & Data Systems. Baker, L. M, Warwick, C. R., Fernandez, J. C., & Rumble, J. (2021). Getting the most out of social media: Successfully using social media. UF/IFAS EDIS, AEC560. https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/WC222 Baker, L. M., Warwick, C. R., Fernandez, J. C., & Rumble, J. (2021). Getting the most out of social media: Creating a social media plan. UF/IFAS EDIS, AEC559. https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/WC221 Dean, B. 2021 Social network usage & growth statistics: How many people use social media in 2021? https://backlinko.com/social-media-users Evans, E. and Ballen, F. 2015 Eight steps to developing a simple marketing plan. https://edis.ifas.u.edu/ publication/FE967 Farnsworth, D., Clark, J., Cothran, H., and Wysocki, A. 2020 Developing smart goals for your organization. https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/FE577 Farmers Market Federation of New York. 2021 SNAP for NYS Farmers Market. https://www. nyfarmersmarket.com/snap-for-farmers-markets Feeding Florida. 2021 SNAP/EBT Authorization and implementation guide for farm-direct outlets. https:// cutt.ly/eEkcfxV Israel, G. and Galindo, S. 2020 Using focus group interviews for planning or evaluating extension programs. https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/PD036 Israel, G. D. and Gouldthorpe, J. 2020. L Savvy Survey Series. https://edis.ifas.u.edu/entity/topic/ series_savvy_survey Kachatryan, H; Rhin, A., and Wei, X. 2020 Consumer and producer perceptions and preferences for pollinator-friendly labeling practices in the US green industry. https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/ FE1083 Klas, E. Dasgupta, S. and Wang, K. (2021) Census: Florida dees decline in population growth; nation becomes more diverse. https://cutt.ly/nT6eaW0 Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. 2012. Marketing. 14 ed. Estado de Mxico, MX, Pearson educacin. 720 p. Low, Sarah A., Aaron Adalja, Elizabeth Beaulieu, Nigel Key, Steve Martinez, Alex Melton, Agnes Perez, Katherine Ralston, Hayden Stewart, Shellye Suttles, Stephen Vogel, and Becca B.R. Jablonski. Trends in U.S. Local and Regional Food Systems, AP-068, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, January 2015. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/42805/51173_ap068. pdf?v=6801

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18 Market Link. 2021 Handbook 2021. https://cutt.ly/YEkcvpw Martinez, R. (2021) Local Food Sales Continue to Grow Through a Variety of Marketing Channels. https:// cutt.ly/8T6qwMd Roper, C & Rumble, J. (2018) TALKING LOCAL: FLORIDA CONSUMERS’ REASONS FOR PURCHASING LOCAL FOOD. https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/WC176 https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/FE948 Statista Research Department. 2021 Daily time spent on social networking by internet users worldwide from 2012 to 2020. https://cutt.ly/BEkx0I3 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 2018 SNAP EBT Third party processor (TPP) list and guidance to retailers. https://cutt.ly/bEkcobV University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). (2021) FLORIDA’S Agriculture and Food System FAST FACTS 2021. https://sfyl.ifas.u.edu/media/sfylifasuedu/orange/ag-nat-res/ docs/pdf/Florida-Agriculture-and-Food-Systems-Fast-Facts-2021.pdf Visit Florida. 2020 T OURISM IS VITAL TO FLORIDA. https://www.visitorida.org/media/5166/power_of_ orida_tourism.pdf Warwick, C. R., Baker, L. M., Fernandez, J. C., & Rumble, J. (2021). Getting the most out of social media: What is social media?. UF/IFAS EDIS, AEC558. https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/WC220 Warwick, C. R., Baker, L. M., Fernandez, J. C., & Rumble, J. (2021). Getting the most out of social media: Strategic practices when using social media. UF/IFAS EDIS, AEC561. https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/ WC223 Wysocki, A. F. House, L., and Messina, W. A. 2019 Seafood perceptions among people aged 55 and above: summary of focus groups results. https://edis.ifas.u.edu/publication/FE821

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19 Notas

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