Adding Value Worksheet
Eye Spy
The secret to successful
marketing of specialty and value added products is listening and watching
for clues which tell us what the customer wants and values. Be a marketing
detective. The next time you travel to another part of the country,
particularly larger cities or urban areas, go shopping for ideas.
Go into specialty stores. Those in large airports are good examples.
Search for clues for potential product and marketing opportunities.
1. Look at the products
on the shelves. What products could have been made in North Dakota
with North Dakota products or resources?
2. Talk to a sales clerk
or store manager. Ask them what kinds of products sell best. (Make
notes.) Ask them what kinds of products they would like to have more
of or have difficulty getting.
3. Read the specialty gift
catalogs you receive in the mail. Observe what kinds of products they
carry, how they are packaged and what words and pictures are used
to capture your attention. Could products similar, but more distinctive,
be developed and produced here in North Dakota?
