Welcome to WRITING MATTERS, celebrating the value of good writing in the business world.

 

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VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2 – OCTOBER 2008

 

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This Month's Case Study – Nature’s Market

 

The Company

Nature’s Market was a successful health food store operating in a large metropolitan area.  Privately owned and operated, the market had been a neighborhood fixture for more than a decade and always thrived in the face of chain store competition.

 

The Challenge

Despite its success, the owner, John Barleycorn, wanted to stay proactive in a challenging economic climate.  Although business was good, he noticed a slight decline in new customers.  John figured if he didn’t implement some formal promotion of his store, he might be faced with problems later.

 

Without having to do much formal marketing over the years, John didn’t know where to begin.  His goal was simple: remind the neighborhood of what his store had to offer, and highlight what set it apart from the competition.

 

Thinking a brochure might be useful, John started writing one himself.  Soon after beginning the task, however, he realized he wasn’t much of a writer and couldn’t effectively articulate what he wanted to say.  He needed a professional writer to do the job properly.

 

The Solution

John didn’t know where to find a good writer, so he decided to visit some of his fellow merchants in the neighborhood.  After visiting the local coffeehouse (Jay’s Coffee Emporium), the store owner recommended Fred, a copywriter he had used in the past.  “He’s very fair and does excellent work,” Jay said, “He helped me tremendously last year after I opened my store.”  John gave Fred a call and set up a meeting.

 

At the meeting, John asked Fred for input on what should be done.  Familiar with the marketing needs of small businesses, Fred asked John a series of questions to narrow the focus and learn more about what set him apart from the competition.  The questions helped John better define his needs and determine which kind of marketing materials would work best.

 

Fred discovered the key to the store’s success was its locally grown organic foods. Combined with personalized service and a loyal customer base, Nature’s Market was the preferred choice in town for the health conscious consumer.

 

Fred felt two marketing pieces in particular would help enhance the store’s image and attract new customers: a brochure highlighting the benefits of shopping at Nature’s Market, and a quarterly newsletter promoting products and offering health tips and advice.  Quite pleased with Fred’s ideas, John was ready to move forward.

 

Fred explained how he worked and presented a project proposal, including any design work necessary.  After his discussion with Jay (the coffee guy), John knew what to expect in the way of cost, and it fit nicely within his budget.  John signed the project agreement and Fred began work.

 

The Outcome

With some design work required, Fred enlisted the help of his graphic designer and came up with a simple yet attractive design for the brochure that could be distributed to customers and potential business partners as well.  Fred then worked with John to develop a format for the newsletter – a four-page design with health tips, product profiles and a short column.  This would help reinforce the store’s stature in the community and present Mr. Barleycorn as an expert in his field.

 

In the months following completion of the two projects, sales increased and John established relationships with new suppliers.  Using Fred’s writing and marketing expertise, John had taken a proactive step in promoting his store and ensuring continued success.

 

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If you have a "writer-to-the-rescue" story to share, please let me know at JPT@spectrumcopywriting.com.

 

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Coming this month . . .

“Writing Matters: How a Freelance Copywriter Can Make Your Life Easier”

. . . an e-book compilation of the first year of issues. 

 

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The next issue of WRITING MATTERS will be out November 1st.

 

Have a great month!

 

 

John Paul Tancredi, Copywriter/Consultant

Spectrum Copywriting Services

JPT@spectrumcopywriting.com

www.spectrumcopywriting.com

 

 

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