Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

In this age of "try-vertising". consumers really like to test things out. Here are a couple of ideas that will help you attract customers and media attention:
1) Host some Seafood Tastings: cook up some sample recipes and let people come in and sample different dishes - all centered around one particular "star" seafood.
2) Partner with local vineyards and pair seafood with different wines.
3) Has a Seafood Festival -- bring in different chefs to cook up their favorite seafood.
4) Sponsor a seafood recipe contest
5) Write a press release for each and every event and send to your local media
6) Become a guest columnist for the food section of the local papers.
7) Is your seafood local -- play the locavore angle
8) Give your customers loyalty cards -- like coffee cards, but with a real value.
9) Host private tasting dinners for a local charity.

Who are you targeting in your area of 28,000-130,000? Who is your competition? What makes your retail fish shop worth stopping at? Is it fresher? Better selection? Convenience?

You mentioned that most people don't buy fresh. Why? Is it price? Habit? Selection?

Why should people buy fresh fish? Is it healthier? Taste better? Supporting small fishing families?

Before you spend $ on more advertising, figure out who exactly you're targeting. Male or female? Single or Married? Working or at-home? White- or Blue-collar? The target market + your targeted message is what you need first.

You need traffic to your door. That could be anything from family events, to a casting pool, to a cooking demo. It all depends upon your budget and your target market.

If you haven't already, start making friends with food columnists in your local newspapers. See if you can get them to write a blurb (a targeted press release could only help) about the "new" fresh fish place, and why it's so much better than frozen.

They don't seafood is expensive-- they think its mysterious. That is a stall, not a real objection. They don't know how to cook it and they think they'll still be hungry after it.

I was at a major grocer standing next to someone who ordered a fish that isn't "ordinary"/ and asked "how do I cook it". The seafood manager was called in. I stood there as I was next in line-- who suggested deep frying it With a shrug that said "I don't know".

I (remember I brag I am a foody) said how about-- and gave them several ideas.

Major grocers give these managers plenty of leeway and talk about their expertise in their ads. But its all smoke and mirrors.

If you are selling at these prices you need to look at other issues. Its not all about price. Look at premium grocers like Whole Foods. We can buy for less. Not everything is organic or even healthy. But they make a biz out of it/ They have made themselves a resource. And to a specialty store, that is what you need to be! You are a resource to the community you serve.

Cindy - keep your chin up, it is a special calling actually be an entrepreneur and something most can only dream of doing!

There are some really good nuggets above and I am hesitant to add to such a great list. That said, there is one place I do not see mentioned that much and it is taking the 8 to 10 shoppers you are getting each week and getting more of their dollars, share of wallet.

Unlike Carol I am not a foodie, but I do enjoy a good meal. My wife and I are both professionals and therefore stay pretty "safe" when it comes to cooking as we do not want to be frustrated and waste our time.

I have always wanted to have someone provide us with some options for a menu each week. So for example you could use email to reach me each Tuesday or Wednesday as we are going to cook a nice meal on Thurs, Fri, or Sat evening. Show us 3 options, something easy, something relatively easy, but with a couple of twits, and then something for a more advanced household. Offer us a one stop shop for what we are going to need in preparation and have some ideas in the event we want a slight variation. I think of this as Mass Customization in your buiness.

In this way you create a brand, you expand your share of my spend, you are providing value to me and my family, and if you do it even moderately well we will become your advertising.

Just thoughts...hope you are able to pull something out of this to drive your business. BTW - I say hang in there until at least after the holidays since you know you will have more traffic...just convert that traffic into regular consumers!!

Yea Cindy, if you are that close to breaking even in 8 months you are ahead of the pack. I have started several businesses and coached others on their own-- 2 years is definitely the norm. Take pride in your success -- keep at task, but do take pride in what you have accomplished. Every time I (and my clients) have thought this is a waste of time-- its a place you push thru-- and you get the break you need-- and you know why you did what you did. I just negotiated a sweet deal and heard all the nay sayers I was doing something that couldn't be done -- when I hear that (and its not the first) I say, "I didn't come here to fail, so lets just do what we came here to do."

I'm not saying its luck, its not the Secret, or any of that-- its hard work - but luck is when planning meets preparation.