The ‘Marketing Process’ and Lego blocks

Many of you might already know I have been diligently plodding through some fascinating business courses in my ‘spare-time’.  The topic of the semester for me is Marketing. As I begin this adventure we learn the basics, “the marketing process”. They remind me of building with Lego blocks as they discuss the 5 steps to know and understand.

We had a lively discussion in class last week about what we thought marketing was all about. It will be interesting to see how it compares to the thoughts we will have in our last class. Will we all be marketing genius’ by then? Probably not. I am looking forward to learning enough to grasp a brief analysis when I see marketing in the world around me and how I respond to it, or how I see others respond. I also hope to gain enough practical understanding to apply the basics…surely I can find a test market to practice with.

The most important first concept that I am learning, is that to succeed, being customer focused is the key to successful marketing. It is imperative to discover the needs, wants and demands of the customer and then offer them value, irresistible value, in your product or service. These are the big blocks at the bottom of the plan….or is it reverse, does it start with a single block being the customer and then build upwards and outwards like a pyramid or like Maslow’s Hierarchy? Either view leads to, or should lead to, the same desired outcome. That is to build profitable relationships which lead to profitable returns for the company and equally content and satisfied customers.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this course will be lots of fun (and a lot of work). I hope you will stick around to hear how the journey progresses. If you are a marketing professional or guru and you have words of wisdom to share or even just a tidbit of insight, I welcome your comments and feedback. Even if you aren’t in the marketing profession, I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time…

Kimberley xx

Epicure’s Extraordinary Cheese Dip

If you have never heard of Epicure Selections before today, stay tuned and you are going to find out why it is the latest, most delicious, craze to hit the market…and it’s Canadian!! Hooray!

I learned about Epicure Selections from my dear friend Kelly who invited me to a tasting party at her home about a month ago. I figured I’d go along to ‘be nice’ and support my friend, and hey, there would be good food and some fun friends too. Can’t be all bad, right?! By the end of the party I was so excited to host a party in my home. This stuff was good! I wanted to know more.

One of my first favorites was the Epicure’s Extraordinary Cheese Dip (a  hot dip).  Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm….doesn’t that just look scrumptious!?! It’s warm and cheesey and ooey, gooey, good!  The best part, it is so easy to make. If  you serve this at your parties, you better have a second one ready to warm up because your guests will certainly be looking for more! It is low in sodium and there is a “light” version of the dip as well so it is great tasting and good for you too!

This is the first delectable temptation that I am going to share with you. Visit again soon for more tips and treats! If you want to know more, you can visit the Epicure Selections web site or give me a shout and I am happy to hook you up with my very own personal consultant Monica who is able to answer all your questions.

 

Fold up the mystery fitted sheet

I am so excited to tell you what I just discovered on Facebook. When I stumbled upon this video post from Style at Home.com on how to fold a fitted sheet, I knew immediately that I had to share it with you on my blog. If you are anything like me, this chore has been a constant source of frustration, feeling like an ancient mystery, never to be mastered. Well, mystery solved! Check out how easy it is!!

How to fold a fitted sheet

Thanks Style at Home for sharing this video and thanks Peggy Byron of Au Lit Fine Linens in Toronto for teaching us how to fold the dreaded fitted sheet!!

Mmmm, my morning cuppa tea and me

Good morning! I am curious. How different are our morning routines to that of 20 years ago, or 50, or 100? I get up, shuffle downstairs sill in my jammies, head for the kettle and make myself a cuppa tea. Then off to the living room, curled up on the corner of my couch with my laptop, I check on the events of last night. Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, bringing me my tweets, updates, messages and letters.

Only a few years ago, we lived in such ignorance of what hundreds of our ‘friends’ did just last night. Now we are sorely disappointed if we don’t catch a glimpse of photo updates via their iPhone or Blackberry. We must have been miserable not having a way to tell the world that we had too much to drink, or our noses are runny and we are coughing up something green…or is it yellow, or we have the latest case of some disgusting G.I. upset requiring a bottle of Pepto Bismol. How did we ever survive? Surely we have made a valuable contribution to today’s society by sharing these personal little tidbits. Really?

I often wonder what might happen, if we would all spontaneously combust, if someone waved their magic wand and poof, social media just up and disappeared. Well, it’s not going to happen, we all love social media and telling the world our stories way too much. We are a social group of people. Thank goodness!

Even though we often seem to forget our “online filters” (me too) and share things we probably shouldn’t, social media is just another medium to bring us all a little closer together. It helps us learn about each other and our neighbours, close and far away. It brings us to another level of awakening and understanding. Social media connects us as fellow citizens living in and looking after our communities be they intimate or global.  We can respond to a need or fight an injustice, in our own town, or halfway across the world, in minutes and hours, and not days and weeks or even months.

That brings me to my last thoughts, and then I am going to need a refill on my cuppa tea. I am glad that we are able to connect like this, that we can share between us. I hope you will continue to drop in with your cuppa tea, or coffee, and see what is new at Kimberley’s Place. You can share your thoughts in the comments space, I’d love to hear from you…sniffles, coughs, and all.  Learning about each other brings us together to care for the world, directly around us and further. I look forward to learning about you.

New Year, New Look, New Beginnings

Welcome back! Let me wish you a very happy 2011! I am so glad you dropped in to visit and check out the new look at kimberleychapman.com. I am hoping a fresh makeover will inspire me to ‘keep at it’ and post more often about lots of fun stuff.  I decided to open my focus and explore new concepts and ideas in social media so I hope you will join me and feel welcome to interact.

January 2011 is full to the brim with lots of new adventures for me and my family, some just around the corner and others that have just begun.  I am sure they will make for some interesting stories to share.  Stay tuned!

Happy New Year!

Kim

Seven Things I Learned from Tony Hsieh | Spin Sucks

Seven Things I Learned from Tony Hsieh | Spin Sucks

via Seven Things I Learned from Tony Hsieh | Spin Sucks.

Great read all about Community building from the ground up! Thanks Gini Dietrich

Good Neighbour Day

I am eager to tell you about a delightful community event that has occurred for more than a decade in our city.  Jean’s Flower Shop started “Good Neighbour Day”, 11 years ago, giving out 1 dozen free roses with the intention that you keep one and pass on 11 roses to a ‘neighbour’, whomever you so choose. 

#1, Brilliant marketing – 10, 000 free roses is a lot of word of mouth about a flower shop in one day! #2, this encourages people to share with each other, making your co-workers, friends, family, neighbours, or even a stranger you might give a rose to feel good and smile (hey, who wouldn’t smile when handed a beautiful rose just out of the blue).   #3, it’s a wonderful way to give back to their community as a local business. The event is one that has become anticipated by the local neighbourhood. Around Mid August as you drive by you start looking for the sign announcement and planning your time to work to include a quick stop in at Jean’s along the way.  They have also begun a food drive to give to Neighbour to Neighbour, the local community food bank.  So many people benefit from this wonderful event. 

You might be wondering why I am sharing this with you when I am ‘supposed’ to be talking about social media on this site.  It’s because I believe that this is a wonderful example of community building and year after year it develops and blossoms and affects more and more people in the community.  This is exactly what you can do with Social Media.  Use it to build and develop and blossom your local community.  Share, educate, support, build together and watch your business or organization grow, blossom and develop over time. 

I want to keep this post short and sweet, so I will just share one more comment and then close.  Remember this, as Ralph Waldo Emerson says “Earth laughs in flowers”

DC Goodwill Fashionista

DC Goodwill Fashionista

via DC Goodwill Fashionista.

This is an excellent example of how Goodwill has snapped up the world of social media and used it to cleverly promote their DC Goodwill store.  Fanastic and easy!  Kuddos to you DC Goodwill!

Inspiring Entrepreneurs

Today I posted a tweet asking people to tell me about a local business that inspired them.  I have found so many new businesses and entrepreneurs in Hamilton that are courageous, brilliant and driven by desire within to succed and grow and they just inspire me greatly.  It might be involving free trade coffee, a local hair salon, downtown marketing company, home daycare, photographer, eco-friendly business for kids/moms/dads such as re.diaper and Little Bird or antique shops and so many others.  These businesses make up our community. 

When we feel a connection to them we happily support them and their efforts. This creates an incredible bond and sense of unity.  That is what makes Hamilton, a city with over half a million people, a community and not just another Mega-city.  Part of the glue that sticks us together is evolving social media and how people are connecting and growing together.  Friends recommendations hold weight like no advertisement can match.  Products, restaurants, shops, “get liked” and are “shared” on walls and in tweets.  Business grows by the local buzz in a way that other media sources cannot duplicate.  Imagine, just for a moment, how that can translate and impact your non-profit organization. The tools are there, free for the most part, you just have to pick them up and use them. 

If you have a favorite business that inspires you please take a moment and share it with me in the comments.  I would love to hear from you.

CharityVillage Main Street

CharityVillage Main Street

via CharityVillage Main Street.

I chose to share this site with you because I have found it an information packed resource over the years of being involved with Non-profit organizations.  Charity Village has links to other organizations, education, library and resources, and so much more.  If you haven’t checked out all that this power packed site has to offer yet, I encourage you to do so now.  Bookmark it or add it to your Delicious collection and visit it often.  It is a true NPO community gem.