What is marketing?

Marketing is more than the process of promoting, selling and distributing a product or service. It's about giving value. It's about identifying what customers want and selling it to them at the right price when they want it.

The word marketing is used in a variety of ways in agriculture and business: To some, it means just finding a buyer; others think of it mostly in terms of advertising. In this course, marketing means something much broader and, we think, more exciting.  

Marketing is the process of 1) identifying what makes your products, services and farm unique; 2) determining who your customers are and understanding their motivations and needs; 3) finding the best way to connect your products and your customers; and then 4) creatively communicating all of this in as many ways as you can.

You can be effective at marketing no matter what you produce or how big your farm. It all comes down to how well you know what makes your product valuable and how well you communicate that value to others through your actions, information, image, relationships and products themselves.  

A good business plan is built on a solid understanding of your product and what it takes to produce it (your Organic System Plan); the market, which includes the market environment, competition, customers and communication (your marketing plan); and your cost to produce and market successfully (your financial plan).

By combining these, you have the basic ingredients of a solid business plan. You will also have a strong grasp of what you are doing in your business that you can adapt and revise as you go.