AGRICULTURAL MARKETING BAG304

Do you own a farm business that produces animals or crops? Do you want to improve your ability to market and sell your produce?

This course will develop your ability to apply marketing strategies and concepts to your agricultural business, assisting you to improve your financial viability. Topics covered include:

  • Marketing Concepts and Strategies
  • Target Marketing
  • Handling Produce
  • Customer Relations
  • Market Research
  • Promotions
  • Managing Marketing

Very few non-rural businesses are presented with the continuing changes and variations that confront a rural business. The impact of climate means the rural manager has to continually consider, evaluate, assess (and reassess) often on a daily or even hourly basis, the numerous changes and types of information that may affect the rural business success.

This course will help you to develop your ability to understand, analyse and manage marketing problems in an agricultural enterprise.

 

COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS

This course is comprised of eight lessons, outlined below:

1. Agricultural Marketing Concepts
  • Marketing
  • Goods and Services
  • The Marketing Concept
  • Managing the Marketing Process
  • The Role of Marketing
  • Approaches to Marketing
  • The Goals of Marketing
  • Organising, analysing, and selecting target markets
  • Developing the Marketing Mix
  • Managing the Market Effort
2. Farm Marketing Objectives and Strategies
  • Supply and Demand
  • Developing the Farm Marketing Plan
  • Organising the Planning process
  • Reviewing the Business's Situation
  • Establishing Marketing Objectives
  • Developing Strategies
  • Market Penetration
  • Price Advantages
3. Target Marketing
  • Preliminary Research
  • Target Markets in Agriculture
  • Defining the Target
  • Resources
  • Analysing Market Opportunities
  • External Influences
  • General Economic Conditions
  • Government Policy and Regulations
  • Overseas influences
  • Demographic Patterns
  • Technological Change
  • Customer Values and Attitudes
  • Alternative Marketing Methods
  • Internal Influences
  • Selecting Target Markets
  • Market Segmentation
4. Handling Produce
  • Developing the Marketing Mix
  • The "Product" element of the Marketing Mix
  • Logos, packaging, positioning and image etc
  • The "Price" Element of the Marketing Mix
  • Pricing objectives and methods
  • The "Promotion" element of the marketing Mix
  • Publicity and Public Relations
  • Advertising, sales and personal selling
  • The "Place" element of the Marketing Mix
  • Market coverage
  • Determining Emphasis with the Marketing Mix
  • Impact of Product Life-cycle
5. Customer Relations
  • Customer Care Policy
  • Levels of Involvement
  • Effective Communication
  • Becoming an effective communicator
  • Dealing with complaints
  • Self evaluation
  • Maximising customer service
6. Market Research
  • The Importance Of Market Research
  • What to Research?
  • The Research process
  • Analysing Costs and Benefits
7. Promotions
  • Promoting Product
  • Creating customer awareness
  • Promotional Campaign Strategy
  • The Promotional Message
  • Promotional Material
  • Making Promotions Cost Effective
  • Channels of Communication
  • Publicity Marketing
  • Advertising
  • Structuring an Advertisement or Promotion
8. Managing Marketing
  • Market Retention
  • Balancing Strategy
  • Market Development
  • Market Growth
  • Managing the Marketing Plan
  • Sales and the Market
 
Duration : 100 Hours (Nominal Duration).

Start By Understanding How and Why Someone Buys Agricultural Produce

If we understand the mind of the customer; we are in a far better position to effectively sell agricultural products. It doesn't matter what the product is; nor whether it is bulk, raw produce straight from the farm, or processed (value added) products, further along the supply chain. When people buy; their thought processes tend to move through five classic stages, as follows.

1. They Recognise a Need
The buyer recognised that they have a want or need. If there is a sufficient gulf between what they have and what they need and it is considered important enough, then the consumer will recognise that they have a problem and will be motivated to do something about it. Their desire to improve their situation is stimulated.

2. Gathering Information
They seek information about alternative products and suppliers, that may satisfy their needs or wants. This may involve drawing on intrinsic knowledge e.g. past experiences, or it may involve consulting extrinsic sources of information such as the opinions of friends, literature, advertisements, websites, and so forth. Usually the information gathered is not complete before the consumer moves to the nest stage.

3. Evaluating Options
The buyer considers the gathered information; comparing options and characteristics of the different products or services they are considering. They may be more interested in prices, quality, or other factors. They might also be influenced by perceived risk, time, and finances. Generally, they will choose the product or service that has the characteristics that best meet their desires.

4. Making the Purchase
Unless something happens to change their mind; the buyer will next decide to make the purchase. At this stage, anything which makes the purchase smoother and easier such as clear labeling and signage, careful product positioning, and good customer service is likely to assist with the purchasing decision.

5. Post-Purchase Behaviour 
A buyer will assesses their purchase next, and decide if they are satisfied with it, whether they are unhappy with it. They may even experience buyer's remorse. The feelings the person has about the purchase will influence whether they return to buy the product again, and whether they tell others about it.  

Anyone working in agricultural marketing should be interested in all aspects of this process because understanding what a buyer thinks at each stage, represents opportunities to sway the buyer's purchasing behaviour. 

At the post-purchase stage marketers may seek to reduce any dissonance the purchaser has about the product by reinforcing the positive characteristics of the product or service.
 

 

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN MORE?

ENROL TODAY!
Just go to the top of this page for pricing and enrolment options. If you have any questions you can contact us now, by:
Phone (UK) 01384 44272, (International) +44 (0) 1384 442752, or

Email us at [email protected]