How to Market Emu Oil Products

Emu farmers are learning that the best way to get a good return on their investment in these large birds is through the oil. The health and beauty industry continues to grow each year, and by offering a variety of products containing emu oil, emu producers can snag some of those dollars for themselves. Although a lot of emu producers sell pure emu oil, many of them also package and sell a number of emu-oil-based products that appeal to a wider audience. The more products you produce and promote, the more markets you will find.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Marketing plan
• Advertising material
• Unique labeling
• Large variety of products

1. Utilize a marketing plan to help you line up your strategy and monetary needs for promoting your emu oil products. Determine the costs of packaging and labeling each product, including the cost to design these labels if you are unable to do this yourself. Decide which markets would be best to pursue to learn what type of products you should develop. Research market trends and evaluate similar products promoted by other emu farmers to see which have been more successful for them.

2. Develop a website where customers can see photos of your product, read usage and ingredient information and hopefully peruse testimonials from past clients. The website should be visually appealing yet easy to use for novice Internet visitors. Add a shopping cart feature to the site so customers can buy online.

3. Design and print brochures containing photos and details about each of your emu oil products. If you aren't comfortable designing your own promotional materials, hire someone to do it for you. Be sure any advertising material includes your contact information and a list of all the products you have available, even if you can't go into detail on each one.

4. Talk to small retail shops, especially those specializing in health- and beauty-related products. They might be interested in carrying your line of emu-oil-based items. Provide each potential retail outlet with detailed information on your products and the properties of emu oil itself, any testimonials you have and possibly samples of products you think would sell best for them. Depending on the type of products you have to offer, you can contact beauty suppliers, salons, drugstores and other stores that might draw new customers.

5. Contact local health food stores that may also offer health-related products. Some people may overlook these types of businesses, but they can be a very strong resource since their clientele are always looking for the latest products in the industry. Supplements, ointments and pure emu oil are usually popular choices with these stores, but with customer interest they may branch out to other products, as well.

6. Find distributors who will set up your products in their stores for a portion of the proceeds. Although you are paying them to sell your items, it saves you the time and expense of opening your own shop and gets your product in the hands of the most consumers. Also, the person selling your items will help with promotion because it's just as much in their interest as it is yours to let shoppers know what's available.

7. Join the Emu Farming Information Group on Yahoo! to talk with other emu farmers. This is good place to ask advice and learn what's working for other individuals and possibly even learn about emerging markets that have been discovered. There's no charge to become a member of this group. If you want to connect with even more emu farmers, for a fee, you can become a member of the American Emu Association, which also offers a forum for discussion among members.

Tips & Warnings

• The number of products you can produce is enormous, with new ideas being introduced every year. You'll find emu oil in everything from dog treats, shampoos, lotions, facial creams, lip balms and ointments for insect bites, cuts, burns, diaper rash and other skin irritations.
• When starting out, you don't have to offer a ton of products if you can't afford to package and promote a lot. You can always add new products to your line as you determine which products would most likely sell better than others.
• Avoid labeling an emu oil product that claims to cure everything from athlete's foot to cancer, because skeptical shoppers will assume it's a con like the "snake oil" of days gone by.
• The Food and Drug Administration has specific rules on the wording required on labels. Always follow these rules explicitly to avoid potential legal ramifications.

Resources

• Emu Today and Tomorrow
• American Emu Association
• Emu Farming Information Group on Yahoo!
• Emu's Zine
• Marketing advice from Emu Supply