Marketing Compost (EAWAG) - The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

Getting the wording right
The words you use to promote your product can have a strong effect on
people’s response. One of the mistakes made in compost marketing has
been to focus on the waste recycling aspects of compost instead of its
benefits to agriculture. For example, some compost producers simply describe
their product as:
‘A cheap product made from treated waste’.
Unless carefully communicated, this message could have negative connotations
for some customers. Farmers probably want to feel they are purchasing
a valuable and useful product for their land. Households may not
like the idea of getting their own waste back for use in their gardens.
Often, the same information about a product can be transformed into a
more positive message, for example:
‘This compost is a high-quality, valuable but low-cost gardening and agricultural
product. It helps preserve our environment by improving the condition
of your soil, and by recycling green waste carefully collected from
homes and markets. For centuries, farmers have been using compost – a
key component of sustainable agricultural practice.’
This may be an exaggerated example, but it serves to demonstrate the
various impacts product descriptions can have on your customers.
Keep your messages clear, consistent, concise, and well thought-out.
Convince your customers of your unique selling points and competitive
edge.
Remember that customers actually want a product to do something for them,
to solve a problem, reduce their workload or increase productivity and profitability.
Messages must clarify these benefits and reassure the customers that
they will see benefits.
Key considerations:
Revisit the ‘Customer Profiles’ developed in Chapter 4, as they contain useful
information on willingness and ability to pay, including attitudes and perceptions
of your products.
What negative attitudes toward compost do you need to address to gain
customers On what positive attitudes can you capitalise
Why do your current customers buy your product, and others not
What characteristic of compost does each market segment really care
about (e. g. environmentally friendly, appearance, colour)
Marketing Compost—Key principles of promotion 87