Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

I'm still feeling my way about what questions I should be asking.

I will eventually start up offering a gardening product.

I can appreciate that if I at first consider my resources only, I will have a range of production levels that is possible, and it is my decision at what level I choose production to be. Of course, one would eventually take in marketing data to make that production level decision.

Once that production level decision is made I have the task of ensuring that it is likely I can sell the production.

I stress the word - likely.

Now, what I'm trying to elicite from folks, is, in general what should I do in a practical sense, that would tend to ensure I could sell the production?

The issue seems to be a matter of reach, exposure, whether the market share is known or not.

Now it's obvious that I need to figure out how the market segment is to be reached. I see that in my case, reach will be a matter of placing my product in retail stores, horticultural centres, DIY stores. Then there are advertisements in the gardening magazines. Also adverts on TV and radio.

Okay, so I can see where, in a practical sense, I can achieve reach/ exposure.

But, what I have little knowledge of is what it might take to ensure production is likely sold. All I know is that I have some appreciation of the places my product can achieve exposure.

What I feel I need is someone who has had my same problem, of being a start-up, knowing more-or-less the places where the product can achieve exposure, but unsure at first how to ensure production is likely sold.

I don't know what might help me, hints, techniques, a process - whatever. But whatever help I do need, it's got to be practical and have a bearing on my task of making suitable arrangements such that production is likely sold/shifted.

Do I need to know a forcasted market share in order to achieve my task?

How does any start-up know that their production will likely be sold? To me, that must involve reach/exposure. Because it seems that what is sold will be entirely down to reach/exposure. Knowing that production will likely be sold cannot be gained from simply knowing where exposure takes place. It needs more than that. But what?

Take magazines. If my product is advertised in a gardening magazine, I'll achieve some exposure. But, how can I get to know that my production will likely be sold given that exposure? And I could repeat that question for every place that could expose my product. (I think technically I might need an estimate of market share.)

Of course, total sales of a segment/market represents the case where 100% of customers were reached. In theory, if I knew what market share my product could achieve, then I could work out what percentage reach I'd need to shift all my production.

I'd have no idea though what percentage of reach a magazine had, or a retail outlet. That seems to be important. If I knew what share of reach any place had, then I might begin to be able to establish whether my production can be likely sold or not.

尽管我有一些理论comprehension, it is the case that my not having any experiece of dealing with magazines or retailers, I just don't know how I can get to establish I could likely sell my start-up-period production. It seems achieving that task must involve dealings with those places offering product exposure.

我认为我想要一个答案,说点什么like : If I were you I'd contact a, b, c. And I'd ask them to tell you x, y, z. And I'd apply techniques 1,2,3. And I'd draw up x type of plan. But anyway, please let me know what you think.

Thanks. Rich

P.S. You must assume I have proven a demand for the product.