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the Farm Night and Hepler's sales for three days rose significantly. Fifteen days before last year's Farm Night, Hepler sent out an R.S.V.P. invi tation to select farm accounts. He then waited five days before he sent out a reminder card that briefly said when and where the event would be held, what kind of seminars would be given and which manufacturers would be represented. Three days before his Farm Night, Hepler called the invited farmers to further remind them of the event. By going through these steps, Hepler could guarantee exactly how many people would show up. Hepler then borrowed an idea used at NAPA's NBCs -- the walk-around cards -- to let farmers visit the various manufacturer booths. At each booth, the farmer had to get his card initialed. After getting his card completely filled, the farmer added his complete address and dropped it in a box. From this box, Hepler drew the winning name for the weekend trip sponsored by his store. At last year's Farm Night, Hepler had 21 NAPA manufacturer booths and 176 farm accounts. He reported that filters, batteries, lifting equipment and farm bearings were the biggest selling i> items at the event. V IMarshalltown Auto Parts also holds a Farm . Filter Sale rket both the fall and spring. This is a threeday sales event that is heavily advertis ed in local newspapers. But the above mentioned ideas aren't the only ways to reinforce the NAPA name and, more importantly, get farm ers into your store. You can also accom plish this through local advertising ef forts. Efforts that include advertising in your local newspaper, on your local radio station or through a direct mail program. Reach your farm customers through newspaper ads and radio spots. Check to see if there are any special farm newpapers in your area. If there aren't any specialized papers in your area, place your ads in the farm section of your local newpaper. The 1987 local promotional kits, in addition to in cluding merchandising and sales tips, will also include special ad materials geared specifically for the farm market. Plan your radio spots so that they will air on farm radio shows. Most of these broadcasts are aired early in the morn ing and, because of the demand, spots usually need to be placed months in ad vance. Research studies have shown that 94% of all U.S. farmers listen to daily farm broadcasts, so your radio spots will be reaching a large segment of your target audience. To give your messages added weight, utilize the farm spots on the radio tapes available to NAPA AUTO PARTS stores partici pating in the NAPA National Advertis ing Program. Your local advertising efforts should give the farmer a specific reason for coming into your store. Offering the farmer special discounted items, a coupon or the announcement of a spe cial promotion are good examples of things that will bring the farmer into your store. Marshalltown Auto Parts uses a "Farm Value Coupon" that is l7 VIA s* given out to those farmers attending the an nual Farm Night. The coupon gives farmers a discount on certain farm related items. And it is good for a one month period after the Farm Night event. Like local newspaper or radio adver tising, direct mail is another way to get farmers into your store. The main ad vantage direct mail has over other local advertising efforts is its person-toperson, direct approach to selling. Direct mail is similar to other local advertising efforts in that it must offer the customer something -- coupons or special promotions -- that will draw them into your store. Direct mail pieces can be of several varieties. You can send just a simple let ter that explains NAPA's farm coverage and offer the farmer a special discount if he comes into your store with the let ter. Or your direct mail program can be more elaborate and utilize flyers or circulars. NAPA AUTO PARTS stores serviced by NAPA Des Moines have joined to gether to form a local ad council and one of the things implemented by the council is a full circular program, of which three are devoted exclusively to farmers. A list of farmers was drawn from an authorized farm list furnished by Wal lace's Farm Magazine (an Iowa state ac credited agrimarket source). After the first circular was made, stores kept a record of those farmers who responded. This record then became the master list for future mailings. In addition to the mailing of the circulars, point-of-pur chase (P.O.P.) signage supporting the items in the circular was also used in the stores. The NAPA AUTO PARTS stores participating were very pleased with the program and reported a 20-60% in crease in their business for September, 1986 (the last month in which farm cir culars were mailed). Newspaper and radio advertising and direct mail programs aren't the only materials you can use to mount an ef fective local farm advertising campaign. Both the Real Deals Program and Bar gain Buys frequently feature products that are of prime interest to farmers. Also, be sure to include in your yellow pages listing that you carry parts for farm equipment. That will let farmers know immediately that you offer complete farm coverage. ; ts Farm equipment takes a great deal of abuse. And farmers, for the most ^ * part, are going to have to con tinue using .V existing equipment in < 1 kV Y 1987 because of the natural and eco- ^ 'ns ^*44; nomic disasters that they encountered in 1986. That means they'll be making more and more repairs. And that, in turn, means that the parts they use will have to be of high quality and very reliable. Knowing that they can get just those kinds of parts from your NAPA AUTO PARTS store will keep America's farmers coming back time and time again. 11