How to Market Emu Oil

The uses for emu oil would fill a list from A to Z. Its versatility has enabled it to become the most common avenue for emu farmers to earn a living in their industry. Emu farmers market their oil a number of ways, with help from a variety of sources.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Marketing plan
• Advertising material

1. Start by drawing up a marketing plan. Think about the type of companies you want to market your oil to, and how you can also sell to individual consumers. You'll want to figure in the costs for having oil processed and for packaging and labeling the end product. Also consider the sizes you want to offer, with smaller sizes more affordable to small retailers and consumers and larger quantities needed for pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies. You may also want to manufacture different grades so you can offer various pricing options.
2. Print brochures containing research and findings on emu oil. You can gather this information and have it printed at most copy centers, or you can purchase brochures available from Schatz Publishing, which publishes "Emu Today and Tomorrow" magazine. Include your contact information and details on the sizes and types of emu oil you have available for sale on any flyers or brochures you distribute.
3. Promote all the health-related materials you can find regarding the benefits of emu oil. There's a plethora of articles and testimonials about the many uses for and beneficial properties of the oil that you can use to your advantage. Many of these articles can be reprinted with permission from the copyright holder for use in brochures, on websites and in other advertising material.
4. Design a website featuring your emu oil and other products you have available. Utilizing the Internet can be a cost-effective avenue to reach a large number of potential clients. Compare prices of several website-hosting companies to get the most for your advertising dollars. If you don't have experience building websites, many hosting companies offer easy-to-use tools to help you with the endeavor, or you can hire a website designer.
5. Receive members-only literature from national organizations like the American Emu Association (AEA), which helps its members promote their farms and products. The AEA provides a whole library of articles specifically on emu oil research and information on trade rules for emu oil. There are also state organizations associated with the AEA that can provide further assistance to individual farmers in their areas.
6. Take part in the AEA Oil Certification Program. This program offers a testing procedure for your refined emu oil, which, when completed, will allow you to put an official seal on your oil guaranteeing its quality through certification. The program is designed for only pure emu oil that is tested by an American Oil Chemistry Society chemist and meets all of the AEA fully refined trade rules.
7. Contact pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies that might be interested in purchasing bulk quantities of your oil for use in their products. Some drug companies may be hesitant to use it in some products without Food and Drug Administration approval, but some emu farmers have found a lot of interest in the supplements and beauty products arenas.
8. Talk to local health food stores that offer health-related products as well as food. Provide them with all the data you have available about the benefits of the oil to encourage them to start carrying small quantities of emu oil to determine customer interest. If the oil becomes popular with their regular customers, then they might eventually order larger quantities, and it provides you a location to promote the oil by leaving brochures with them for potential clientele.