Last Saturday was the first day for my volunteering at the Arlington County weekly Farmer’s Market. I’m one of their roving reporters. My assignment for my first visit was to observe.
So I did.
I talked to the vendors, gathered names and ideas for stories and sat and watched buyers.
Strawberries is a big seller this time of year. So I sat on the lawn and watched the three vendors I could see who were selling them. Two had about 10 pints for sale. The third about 40 displayed. The one with more had a line of 30 or so people waiting to purchase. The other two no line at all. It was extremely fascinating to watch. I was so curious as to why the one had a line and the other’s weren’t making any sales. I was hoping to have enough guts to approach a few people in line to find out but never could get up the courage. I’m going to be watching for this again on my next visit.
I want to know was it because their pints looked fuller – and they did. Was it because their strawberries looked bigger – and they did. Was it the strawberries? Was it because they were under a tent and the other two were not? Was it because of the other items they were selling? I’m returning next week just to see what changed and to continue watching.
Across from the strawberry vendor with a line I saw this Happy Hen ad. It was on 6 x 9 white cardboard. I watched. Then I walked around to see who else was selling eggs and how they were selling them. No contenders. The vendor kept revolving the two cartons. Someone would purchase a dozen and the vendor would replace it with another dozen carton. Always having only two on display. They were selling well too!
When I looked at the eggs they weren’t even medium size. In the store they sell extra large, large and medium. Well these were even smaller than medium. And the price wasn’t a bargain for sure.
So why were they selling? Was it convenience? Could be. They could be thinking, “Well, now I don’t need to go to the market just for eggs.” I even thought this.
Actually, she was selling the story behind the product. She was implying that if the hens were happy you would be as well when you ate them. Cool huh! I asked one purchaser. She said she liked the idea she was buying from someone who took better care of her hens. Hmm, nothing in the sign said that. I actually heard this three times from different purchasers.
This proves many marketing principles. First, perception is created by the story people connect to it. Happy Hens paints a picture for the prospect immediately in just a few words. There was a implication that her hens were happy and the ones who lay the eggs that you purchase in the story weren’t – the differentiation.
I wonder if the other strawberry vendors could have added a sign “Happy Strawberries” or “Happy Strawberry Plants” and sold more?
Of course, there were many other marketing principles being worked here. Think about it and learn how to use the Happy Hen sign to your advantage.
I know I am . . . where can I place a Happy Hens sign?
