Personal Marketing: A Strategy for Marketing Programs to Diverse Audiences Dallas L. Holmes, USU Extension Adapted from an article by Lisa A. Guion, Florida State University Cooperative Extension

Marketing Techniques For many people who use Extension, their connection with Extension reaches back to their grandparents, or their own involvement with 4-H. Many ethnically diverse communities do not share the same connection with Extension. They should be contacted in a different way.

Direct Marketing Impersonal Marketing Strategies Personal Marketing Strategies Mail a letterRun a booth at a community fair Have an announcement sent to a community meeting/event Visit a community meeting or event to market the program. IMPORTANT: Be sure to stay until the end to meet people.

Impersonal Marketing StrategiesPersonal Marketing Strategies Mail a brochureMake phone calls to key individuals in the community. Post a flyerCultural Guides provide information on your program Send an announcement to a radio station, or TV station that serves ethnically diverse audiences Have the program sponsored and direct- marketed by a grassroots community organization which is trusted by the target audience.

Benefits of Using Personal Marketing Techniques Personal marketing assists in bridging the gap between you and your audiences. Personalizing your message will help you to strike the right chord with your audience. For ethnically diverse populations, a personal marketing strategy may be more useful than an impersonal one, since it customizes marketing with individual values and preferences. Takes into account the unique value systems of different ethnic groups.

Marketing Using the 6 “P”s

The Six “P”s People “Who is this product for?” What message will be most effective in reaching this audience? Which message is based on the value and belief system of this group?

The Six “P”s Partnership Are there other organizations with similar programs? Do they have a better rapport with the target audience? Can they help you “sell” your program? Often grassroots organizations are perceived in the community as having their best interests in mind.

The Six “P”s Product Your program! What will your program do for the audience? Highlight culturally relevant components of your program as you market it.

The Six “P”s Place Geographical area or location where you want to market your product. Use non-traditional venues to reach non-traditional audiences. Where does the target group congregate?

The Six “P”s Promotion First, YOU need to be clear about the exact benefits and purposes of your program. Then you can motivate others to participate by highlighting that what you offer is important to them

The Six “P”s Price What will people have to do to participate in your programs? Money Effort Time The benefits of the program must outweigh the costs.

Pachanga Carolyn Washburn, a Family and Consumer Science agent in Washington County organized a Pachanga for the Latino community in St. George.

Pachanga People: “Washington County Extension staff organized a Pachanga for the Latino Community... The purpose of the event was to provide knowledge about educational and support programs that are offered by Extension.”

Pachanga Partnership: “Partnering with the Learning Center was important in that the director introduced me to the potential participant and took me to the housing areas to deliver invitations. The Learning Center staff’s involvement facilitated participation from members of the Latino community. The Learning Center is viewed as a trusted service organization.”

Pachanga Product: “There has been a need for our Extension staff to network and provide services to this growing population. I needed a way to reach this population and networking with the Learning Center gave me a great avenue to introduce our organization to the Latino community.”

Pachanga Place: “The event was scheduled in a community park, close to a community which has a large Latino population... Bringing the Pachanga to the community where people lived was important. Many families could walk to the park and we were in their community.”

Pachanga Promotion: “Flyers were designed and distributed to the Learning Center, the Latino Market, and several workplaces that have large numbers of Latino employees.”

Personal Marketing “In extension, a program’s success depends on the level of involvement from the target audience and their participation in the program. In order to make your program a success, it is crucial for you to reach out to your target audience effectively. Marketing is one of the key ways by which Extension educators engage and inform their target audiences of educational programs, events, and other opportunities for involvement.” --Lisa A. Guion

References Lipe, J. (n.d.). 5 tips to add spice to your marketing. aystoAddSpicetoyourMarketing.pdf aystoAddSpicetoyourMarketing.pdf Rossman, M.L. (2000). Multicultural marketing: Selling to a diverse America. NY: AMACOM