The Alpaca Guy

I received a press release the other day announcing the founding of ‘The North American Alpaca Federation’. Self-described as “an Alpaca-related sales and marketing initiative”.

Below is a manuscript of their goals, and ask for the general public’s opinion on how their efforts can best be maximized.

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The North American Alpaca Federation

Letter of Intent

We, the undersigned, wish to introduce you to a new and exciting alpaca-related sales and marketing initiative. The North American Alpaca Federation is an alpaca marketing livestock association.

The current economic, social, political and environmental issues impacting all of us in this ‘Third Decade of the Alpaca’ have opened our eyes to a vital need for a fundamental adjustment as to how we market and sell our alpacas, our alpaca businesses and related end products.  We believe this ‘new economy’ mandates a focused approach to sales and marketing which is critical not only to thrive, as alpaca owners/breeders but also survive.  In today’s challenging economy, the undersigned have been working diligently to bring the proper undertaking to fruition. Along with numerous alpaca owning volunteers scattered all over the US and Canada, we are a federation of like-minded alpaca owners who intend to focus exclusively on improving sales and marketing strategies, for all North American alpaca owners/breeders.

Our execution plans are straightforward. We will:

Ø Offer the opportunity to support every farm to increase sales while supporting an industry based on future productivity as well as creation of consumer goods, which we will infuse into the ‘Third Decade of the Alpaca’ in North America.

Ø Quickly roll out local face-to-face kitchen table breeder meetings addressing current economic conditions and showing breeders how to sell, increase sales, learn tried and true marketing strategies, and offer tools to manage/control costs and expenses.

Ø Participate as a value-added sales and marketing-focused organization to AOBA, ARI, AFCNA, AOBA affiliates, cooperatives and mills and especially the individual alpaca owner/breeder at the local level.

Ø Increase awareness, increase sales and build marketing and business know how through pen sales, educational programs and tools designed especially to address these topics. We offer NAAF liaisons to any and all organizations in the spirit of communication, sharing of ideas, and moving the alpaca livestock business forward.

Ø Attract and introduce potential new customers to alpacas, the business of alpacas and alpaca end products.

Ø Exploit the potential of any and all related financial benefits at the local level.

Ø Help sell new owners on alpacas.

Ø Facilitate growth of individual alpaca owner/breeder farms and herds, and thus grow our collective national herd. This strategy will increase sales for all, as well as increase the supply and demand for alpacas and their end products.

Our agenda is simple and clear – Make an immediate impact on sales.

Our strategies are clear:

Ø NAAF is about the alpaca owner.

Ø All alpaca owners are members of NAAF from day number one.

Ø NAAF will officially roll out our message, face to face, with alpaca owners by October 2009 with events like “Kitchen Table Talks”.

We, the undersigned of the North American Alpaca Federation, offer significant cumulative experience in virtually all aspects of alpaca breeding, sales, marketing and cost management. Our members include former AOBA board members, AOBA committee chairs, AOBA committee members, as well as active and experience ARI, AFCNA, affiliate, coops, and end product initiative volunteers. We, as a whole, represent over two hundred years of accumulated experience with alpaca breeding and sales and thousands of volunteer hours spent in various capacities in support of our industry. Our volunteers cast a large shadow on optimism and willingness to give of their time to build hope, growth and an expanded alpaca presence in North America.

Based on the results and analysis of the latest AOBA member’s survey, it has become clear to us that our industry is in a state of ‘crying out for direction’ and is begging for help with the closing of sales, refined and locally tweaked marketing strategies and cost containment.  We, the undersigned, have the skills to address these needs and have been working aggressively in the background with key groups of like-minded individuals scattered throughout America and Canada to bring these skills to the local alpaca breeder face-to-face. Plans have been drawn up, teams built and schedules put in place to visit each region of the US and Canada over the next several weeks, to offer hope, reveal a roadmap for success, do damage control, offer immediate results and listen to our breeders’ needs to fine tune our offerings and support.

We all intend to continue working to grow AOBA, ARI and the other alpaca organizations, but we ask for your assistance in this endeavor, since we are YOU.

Respectfully,

Jim Patrick          Steve Putney          David Moran          Jim Tomaszek          Yumi Vaught

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