Marketing Tools – Hugh McPherson

17 Jan 2023

No free lunch – Part 2 Deploying The [NEW] Guiding Principle.

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Marketing Tools, Seasonal Business

The [NEW] Guiding Principle. You can't make money unless people get onsite, but they are ready to spend once they arrive. In Part 1, "Back on your game," we reviewed how the Free Lunch of marketing due to artificial scarcity is over. We have to get back on our marketing 'game' and promote like it's 2019 all over again. Part 2 Deploying The [NEW] Guiding Principle. You can't make money unless people get onsite. The driving goal is to get people through the door. DUH, right? It goes a bit deeper on three focused levels. Focus #1: Differentiation. My buddy John Schallert, who runs an excellent workshop,…

12 Jan 2023

No free lunch – Part 1 – Back on your game.

Agritourism, Marketing Tools, Seasonal Business

I love the saying, "There's no such thing as a free lunch." You know how it goes... You get invited to coffee with an old friend, which turns out to be an MLM or Amway pitch.You think you got a steal of a deal on that tractor on Facebook Marketplace, and it needs a new 3-point hitch two days after bringing it home.A friend helps you move, then needs your pick-up for three days while she moves. The good news is: You've been eating free lunches for 2-3 years. In 2020, our outdoor businesses were the only attractions open. Drive-thru festivals helped the…

13 Dec 2022

Eliminate, first, your self-induced suffering. Part 1 – Relationships

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Marketing Tools, Seasonal Business

Are you lighting the fuse then complaining about the burn? Eliminate, first, your self-induced suffering. Part 1 - Relationships This blog is not the classic trope of "Put on your oxygen mask before you help others," but instead, a more inward-looking exercise. One of my current favorite motivational speakers is Duke University's women's basketball coach, Kara Lawson, who proposes that [her players] / [you] / [me] spend most of our lives waiting for things to get easy, to be easier, when in fact we should "handle hard better." (Click here for her whole speech) I'm all in, that's me 100%, and if you have kids or…

31 Jul 2022

I took my eyes off the ball (or disc in this case.)

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Maple Lawn Farms, Marketing Tools, Seasonal Business

Ouch. I took my eyes off the ball (or disc in this case.) If you've ever played sports, you've got a story like this: I was on a fastbreak across the field after dropping a short pass to our Ultimate Frisbee team's "Handler." Think of Adam as the roving quarterback to whom midfielders like me pass a catch until he can launch it downfield for a goal. I dropped him the pass, took off, cutting behind the player guarding me, and struck out across the field. Adam saw me and flicked the disc a little high, but right on the money.…

26 May 2022

Stop beating yourself up Part 2 – A big enough carcass on which to feed.

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Maple Lawn Farms, Marketing Tools, Seasonal Business

The cheetah only sprints for 38secs per hunt - She either catches the prey or gives up in that amount of time. Stop beating yourself up Part 2 - A big enough carcass on which to feed. In sales (and we're all in the world of selling products, events, experiences, and food to people), they say, "You eat what you kill." Isn't that why we love this business? Our efforts directly affect our income. You are more profitable if you hold a great event, host a great wedding, launch an excellent tulip festival, and care for your guests. You went out and made the sale. You…

15 Mar 2022

“You might be tired of it.” – Energy Growth Part 1 of 3

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Marketing Tools, Seasonal Business

$175 a day to sleep in the stroller:-) "You might be tired of it." Life is really a game of energy management. Have you ever experienced a time when... You went on vacation but found yourself too tired to do anything?You were working on a new idea and lost track of time into the wee hours?You had to put on a happy face to get through a child's birthday party?You were firing on all cylinders all day and came home refreshed from all the action, still not tired?You found everything exhausting, even the good things around you, and you couldn't wait…

02 Mar 2022

“Activate the 5 Senses” – What I learned at NAFDMA Part 3 of 3

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Marketing Tools, Seasonal Business

Super practical for this final NAFDMA follow-up blog today! I was a presenter in the "Events Panel" and came away with one of the most valuable models from my fellow presenter, Jenny Ferels. It's so fun to see how our presentation as a panel came together. Hugh - The big picture: Should you choose to do this event? What are your goals? What does success look like in real numbers and actions by guests? Is what you propose an event, or is it an attraction or activity? Jen - Model for structuring an event you have chosen to do using Hugh's criteria. Actual templates for modeling…

17 Aug 2021

Register for “How to be ready for anything.”

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Marketing Tools, Seasonal Business

We ARE recording, so if you can't make it LIVE you won't miss out - Listen, learn, absorb and share with each other during this important meeting. You're invited to participate in this webinar, even BEFORE the webinar! Please reply to me and let me know your thoughts, biggest fears & plans for adapting and I'll make sure to work it into the presentation. Hey gang, I am NOT a "Worst Case Scenario" kinda guy, but after last year, I realized that planning is an exercise in preventing emergencies. If you think through all the possibilities, and plan for them, you can't…

16 Aug 2021

Proactive Fall Season Prep: How to be ready for anything.

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Marketing Tools, Seasonal Business

Listen, learn, absorb and share with each other during this important meeting. You're invited to participate in this webinar, even BEFORE the webinar! Please reply to me and let me know your thoughts, biggest fears & plans for adapting and I'll make sure to work it into the presentation. Hey gang, My daughter wants to play clarinet for her life's work. When I played trumpet so many years ago, I used to shake like a leaf during auditions. Annie is a rock, in fact, she once famously said, "I love auditions because they have to listen to me." The difference between the two of…

03 Mar 2020

Part 3: “Conspicuous Leisure” or “Doing it for the ‘Gram”

Agritourism, Family Business, Marketing Tools, Seasonal Business

This lady routinely issues the Parent Veto. WHAT I LEARNED AT NAFDMA 2020 – PART 3 OF 3 Hey, [[ contact.first_name | default: 'Friend' ]], Lessons from NAFDMA, the International Association for Agritourism convention in 3 Parts. Your marketing image is entrapping you.Wine, beer & food veto the “Parent Veto”[CHANGED] "Conspicuous Leisure" or "Doing it for the 'Gram" "Conspicuous Leisure" or "Doing it for the 'Gram" You noticed at the Strawberry Festival. Three 20-somethings, dressed to the nines, sauntered out to the patch with a single quart box. They were out there for hours, and came back with 13 strawberries, full…