Dallas L. Holmes EdD, USU Extension Adapted from an article by Lisa A. Guion, Heather Kent, and David C. Diehl Florida State University Cooperative Extension, Relationship Marketing: A Strategy for Marketing Programs to Diverse Audiences

Relationship Marketing: How it differs from Personal and Ethnic Marketing Personal Marketing Direct Marketing practices Booths at community fairs Visit community events Phone calls to key individuals in the community Cultural guides Partnership with other community programs Ethnic Marketing: Consider ethnic diversity of the target group Determine the level of ethnicity Develop and implement your campaign based on those two factors

Relationship Marketing Relationship Marketing differs from the other two marketing strategies identified in this series in a number of ways. It is the process of attracting, maintaining and enhancing relationships with key individuals over time. Uses one-on-one communication to earn the loyalty of your target audience. High-touch, person-to-person communication The most powerful and the most time-consuming.

Relationship Marketing The success of Extension programs is due to the loyalty of committed participants, volunteers and lay leaders. Since its inception, Extension has been fostering those relationships with its core constituency. Those core groups often did not include people from ethnic communities, or limited-resource communities. Therefore, these relationships need to be made with people from those groups as well.

Relationship Marketing A key to relationship marketing is to make it clear that your program is going to last for a long time. Diverse communities are accustomed to the short attention span of programs that come in, make promises, then lose their funding and leave. Explain how Extension is different, and that you are committed for the long term.

Customer Retention Marketing within Relationship Marketing Customer Retention Marketing (CRM) is the foundation of relationship marketing. The goal is to convert the target audience into loyalists, loyalists into enthusiasts, advocates and donors.

Customer Retention Marketing within Relationship Marketing Step 1: Identify the audience with whom you wish to build a relationship. What does this audience know about Extension and/or your program? How does this audience feel about Extension and/or your program (positive or negative)? What needs does this audience have that your program can meet?

Customer Retention Marketing within Relationship Marketing Step 2: If they know about Extension and feel positively about it, maintain a good relationship by keeping in contact through impersonal marketing techniques, such as mailings, brochures, etc. If they know about Extension and feel negatively or indifferently about it, use the Six “P’s” from the Personal Marketing program. The Six P's represent people, partnership, product, place, promotion, and price. Emphasize Promotion and Price If the audience does not know much about Extension, inform them. Again, apply the Six “P’s” technique.

Customer Retention Marketing within Relationship Marketing Step 3: Identify assets of individuals or institutions in the target audience. Use the assets of these individuals and institutions to help carry out your programs Having volunteers for short- or long-term assignments will help build program ownership and foster even more participation

Customer Retention Marketing within Relationship Marketing Step 4: Actively solicit the increased participation and involvement of community members. This will build greater loyalty to the program. The community will be able to identify on-going benefits of the program leading to potentially increased involvement.

Customer Retention Marketing within Relationship Marketing Step 5: Encourage greater support from community members. Loyal individuals are more likely to advocate for the program and/or donate resources to the program.

Relationship Marketing Relationship marketing is a process, not a one-time event. Clientele must understand that you are committed for a long time and that they can depend on you to provide your program. These connections will help Extension build strong community networks, rather than relying on the limited scope of small workshops and community meetings.

Tribal Departments Conferences and Workshops on the Ute Reservation Boyd Kitchen, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Uintah County works regularly with the Ute Tribe Tribal Departments and has developed many conferences/workshops with Ute agricultural producers.

Tribal Departments Conferences and Workshops His experience with Relationship marketing has evolved over his many years of association with the Tribal Water Settlement Department, the Farm Board, Farm Coop, Tribal Education Department and Tribal Natural Resource Department. 1. The Tribal Departments request educational programs. He regularly discusses potential educational programs with members of the board. 2. Tribal representatives participated in the planning. 3. The conferences and workshops have been held at the Tribal Education department.

Tribal Departments Conferences and Workshops 4. The Tribal Public Relations department advertise programs in the Ute Bulletin and on the weekly radio program (which is given in English and Ute) as well as in local newspapers. 5. Dr. Kitchen keeps the programs planned flexible, adjusting presentations to the interests and needs of the participants. 6. Incentives for attending include prizes, support publications and often lunch.

Tribal Departments Conferences and Workshops Boyd Kitchen used relationship marketing strategies to gain trust in leaders of the target audience, create a positive image of Extension, and offers programs that are both applicable and congruent with Native American needs and traditions.

References DeYoung, B., & Boldt, W. (1998). Relationship marketing: Putting relationships to work. Ithaca, NY: Cornell Cooperative Extension Marketing Manual. Guion, L.A., Goddard, H.W., Broadwater, G., Chattaraj, S., & Sullivan-Lytle, S. (2003). Strengthening programs to reach diverse audiences. Gainesville, FL: Florida Cooperative Extension, University of Florida.