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Millions and millions of consumers. Billions of their dollars that they could spend in YOUR place of business. The question is, who are these consumers? Where do they shop? What do they eat? What is it that they want, exactly? That's where market research comes in. Figuring out who they are and what they want is one of the first steps in defining your target audience. The target audience is the targeted group that marketers aim to sell their products. Who is the ideal customer for your place of business?
A well-defined, clear target audience is absolutely imperative in today's business world. Target audience marketing provides you with a way to connect with your customers. If you know who they are, where they shop and how they live you can better cater to their needs. It's much easier to hit your target if you know exactly what it is. You need to know everything about them! Having an idea of an "ideal customer" is a way to identify what market you are catering to. If you understand who the ideal customer is, and what it is they like to do, you can find better ways to market to this segment, or how you can help them to appreciate your store more.
The VALS survey is a way to put consumers into a specific market segment. You can cater to these certain segments better if you know all that they fundamentally stand on. When I took the quiz I was labeled as an experiencer and an innovator. An experiencer is someone motivated by self-expression. Image is very important because it is an expression of their tastes and personality. Innovators are successful sophisticated and take chage people. I completely agree with the results of the survey. These two labels described me very well, and helped me to better understand myself!
Established in 1995, The Piedmont Triad Farmers Market has been serving our area for almost 15 years! The establishment is conveniently located on Sandy Ridge Road, just off of Interstate 40. It is positioned in the center of the greater triad area, enabling residents from Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point to frequent the business. It is owned and operated by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. The property sits on approximately 5 acres of land and calls itself home to a variety of businesses. A.B. Seed & Co (the garden center) is located here and sells items such as lawn care(fertilizers), mulch, yard ornaments, fountains, and other nursery items.
The Moose Cafe is a little restaurant on the property that offers a menu of country cooking and fresh vegetables.The marketing team utilized the location because there are farmers on site selling their home-grown vegetables, and the restaurant cooks and serves them! It has also been featured in Southern Living magazine and have a solid reputation for their commitment to quality. They also sell baked goods and cater for events as well.
The 21.000 square foot retail shelter is where the heart of the market lies. Local growers come in mass numbers to set up shop, and sell their goods. Fresh fruits and vegetables that are sold much cheaper than local grocery stores, are why most people come! Not just farmers set up here, however. Vendors set up shop selling items such as soaps, pottery, candles, cooking oils, cheeses, exotic meats and eggs, and even bonsai trees! Across the parking lot from the long retail shelter, is an overflow shelter which often fills up before the other!
There is an enclosed retail space that is open year round and has six separate vendors set up within, along with an ice cream shop. It is heated in the winter and open throughout the summer. These vendors offer items that may not be in season locally, however costs are often much cheaper than grocery stores, still. One vendor specializes in only organic products and sells a variety of dry grocery items that are organic as well.
The market offers many promotional events throughout the year, including Watermelon Day, Pumpkin Day, Easter Egg hunts and craft fairs. For these events, bands and local food vendors will also come in along with radio stations doing remotes. Theses events draw large crowds, generating more business for these local growers! Along with a great shopping experience, the market plays into the green lifestyle that has become so mainstream today. With more people looking to become more eco-friendly, I believe that there are only good things in the future for this business!
