Catalogs: our best marketing tool
By Debby Weitzel, Colorado State University
Extension Outreach Communications and Technology
February 1999
It's time to reprint the Extension publications catalog, and we are feverishly working to update it with new publications and fact sheets.
What a great marketing tool the catalog is for all of us! It's free to counties and the public alike. More than any of us can say in 25 words or less, it says who we are and what we do. When you think of it, our catalog represents what lies at the heart of our land-grant mission: specialists and agents who labor long and hard to provide up-to-date research-based information.
We hope all our county offices prominently display the catalog. Or, in the case of one of our agents, carry a supply in the trunk of a car.
The Word Is Out
In December, OCT participated in the Rocky Mountain Book Expo in Denver and we were pleasantly surprised to have our booth tucked in between some of the better names in Colorado publishing.
Better yet were the comments and praise that came from the people who stopped by our display. When asked, "Have you ever heard of Extension?" about 75 percent of them had not only heard of Extension but were grateful for the experience they had with us and were happy to take a catalog.
Use That Catalog
So, the next time someone calls your office to ask for a fact sheet or to ask what will grow in your county, take their name and address and send them a catalog. Not only do you promote both the organization and your office, but you are building a mailing list of customers.
Sure, it costs $.77 for every catalog you mail -- but this collection of names represents a specific target audience, people who are interested in what you do and what you have to say. These are the people who will come to your next workshop, sign up their children for 4-H, or respond to your survey. You will possess what so many people in the direct mail business wish they could offer their clients when they sell mailing lists: a guarantee that the people on your lists are interested in what you have to say or sell.
More Marketing Ideas
If you really want to target your mailing lists, track what each caller asks about and save the name and address on a specific mailing list.
For example, if you get a call on caring for the elderly, file that name in a "Family" mailing list. This person represents more than just another name on a newsletter list. He or she will be part of a refined customer list for future mailings, promotions, or surveys on needs in the community.
If every county did this, what a great resource that would be for everyone. The opportunities go on and on. How about promoting your office when you send out a catalog? Design a coupon or flyer that offers a consultation with an agent, a free workshop, or a free or discounted publication. Use this promotion as a test to see how effective direct mail can be. You will never know until you try it.
The best marketing advice I ever received from a marketing executive was "Try it, try it, try it!"
For more information, contact the
Communications and Technology staff.
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