IN THIS ISSUE: pgs 6-14 pgs 24-37 pgs 38-42 SEE YOU AT: - ariLIST

What is the
FRG and
AOBA Leads
Program
The first point to make is that the
FRG Program, national advertising,
and the AOBA Leads Program are all
inextricably linked to one another.
The FRG is a program that encompasses
both a written (hard-copy) publication,
as well as a subscriber-based
website. Approximately 30,000 copies
of the FRG are distributed each year
to people who express an interest in
alpacas and specifically request additional
written materials (either telephonically,
via e-mail, or via telephone).
The two primary goals of the FRG
program are: (1) to generate visits to
AOBA member alpaca farms; and (2) to
generate revenue for the national alpaca
ad campaign (primarily television and
print media). The ad campaign will
instill interest in alpacas, and that
will result in interested individuals to
request information. As so, the process
begins anew.
Using revenue generated by the FRG
program, AOBA runs national television
ads to targeted audiences, year-round.
These ads direct interested people to
our 800 toll-free number or to our
www.alpacainfo.com website. If an
individual would like additional information
(and about 30,000 contacts
per year DO ask for additional, written
information), that person can request
what we call a “fulfillment package.”
This package includes the FRG and
welcoming information.
So the alpacainfo website and FRG
are the two initial resources for interested
individuals to browse. Armed with
website locator information and/or the
FRG, those interested people call local
8
?
Are you new to the alpaca industry and are a little confused about the
AOBA Farm & Ranch Guide (FRG), national advertising, and the AOBA
Leads Program? Or maybe you’re an “old-timer” and need a little
refreshment on the details of these three pillars of the national marketing
program? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Please read on!
and distant farms for information. All
of these contact names are incorporated
into the AOBA lead database (which
we’ll discuss momentarily).
We have had spectacular results in
assisting a high percentage of these individuals
to purchase alpacas and become
members of AOBA. We designed the
FRG so that large and small farms are
treated equally. All display ads are 1/3rd
page – so everyone who participates is
on an equal footing. For example, we
mail out approximately 30,000 FRGs
each year and receive about 300,000
web site visitors (not just “hits,” but
actual visitors!), resulting in over 1,000
new AOBA members each year. Recent
marketing surveys indicate that this new
membership equates to approximately
3,000 alpacas being sold annually!
To participate in the FRG program,
you must be an AOBA Farm/Ranch
member. Once a year – usually in
August or September – Farm/Ranch
members receive a solicitation letter
explaining the three levels of participation,
as well as the cost involved.
Currently, the three levels of participation,
associated benefits, and associated
costs are as follows:
■ Platinum Membership ($645): 1/3
page color ad in the FRG; separate
text-only listing in the FRG; oneyear
appearance on the searchable
www.alpacainfo.com Website; and
access to the AOBA Leads Program
within 30 days.
■ Gold Membership ($395): text-only
listing in the FRG; one-year appearance
on the www.alpacainfo.com
website; and access to the Leads
Program within 60 days.
■ Silver Membership ($295):
www.alpacainfo.com listing only and
access to the Leads Program within
90 days. Please note that you may
join the FRG Program as a “Silver
Member” (Website listing only)
at any time during the year on a
pro-rated basis.
(Note: all AOBA farm/ranch members
may purchase leads from the
AOBA Leads Program database after
120 days as a benefit of membership).
But wait – there’s MORE! Let me
explain the AOBA Leads Program in
more detail. The Leads Program is a
database retrievable system that is accessible
for a nominal administrative fee of
21 cents per name. Names and addresses
can be provided in a variety of ways: as
an Excel file transmitted via e-mail; on
a floppy disk; or on pre-printed address
labels. There is a minimum $10 order.
We hope you will consider joining
the FRG program at any time – so you
can leverage the remarkable benefits of
AOBA’s national marketing program to
the fullest extent! To do so, just contact
Shannon Ashe at the AOBA office.
POINTS OF CONTACT
Shannon Ashe
AOBA Staff FRG Liaison
sashe@ahint.com, 856-642-4211
Dave Belt, alpacapubs@yahoo.com
Erin McCarthy, 704-503-7369
mccarthys@belleauwood.com