Marketing and Public Relations - Food for thought - Marketing and Public Relations

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Marketing and Public Relations - Food for thought

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engelhk

Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2007 12:47:22 PM

Rank: Administration
Groups: Administration

Joined: 2/25/2007
Posts: 35
Points: -195

Wow! So far, there has not been any discussion of marketing one's ECE center or business in the Forum. Interesting. So I thought I would attempt to get the ball rolling with a response to the only comment on the July article on "Marketing and Public Relations" - thoughts, stepping outside the ECE field, building your business, branding (Part 1)"

Here is what one person had to say:

After reading this very dry article, I asked myself, What exactly is this saying? For someone who has not taken training or coursework in management, which unfortunately many ECE directors and administrators do not do, this article does not effectively provide readers with constructive ways or ideas to branding and marketing their center. Sure there are some key tag phrases that sound nice, but how do we put these words into actions? I look forward to reading the next article in this series...

The goal of the article was not to give anyone a step by step roadmap for how to market their center. It will vary with what your values are and what you want to offer as services.

One of the rules of engagement that the company I work for uses and a primary reason it is successful is "Tell the client the truth". So, here it is folks "there are no magic recipes and step by step processes of marketing", but there are proven principles. That is why I presented, three well researched principles.

Personally and professionally I am puzzled by the perception that the article was dry. For me it is inspiring and exciting to know that three basic principles can improve my odds of success.

o Provide an Overt Benefit
o Provide a Reason to Believe
o Offer a Dramatic Difference

If I am not providing an overt benefit to my customers, why am I in business? And why would anyone seek out my services? A reason to believe is demonstrated by all that I do for my customers. It means that I back up my claims through my actions. The dramatic difference just takes a little thinking out of the box.

For example:

If I think about the busy hectic schedules that modern parents have there are several value added services that I could add to my offerings as a child care center that provide a difference versus the competition. Since parent's morning schedules are often rushed and entail getting breakfast into themselves and their children (or not), rushing to get a cup of coffee from their local convenience center or Starbucks, why not meet that need?

If I have an on-staff cook, why not offer breakfast for the children and their parents? In stead of them rushing two or three places in the morning, they could come to the center have a nutritious breakfast, some more time with the children and then go to work. The type of breakfast could be from a continental breakfast offering to a more complete one. It can even be a teachable moment to teach children where foods come from (eggs from the farm etc.) or teach basic nutrition. It also builds community and relationships.

Why not get local book stores to donate books to your center’s lending library (in exchange for the recognition of the donation) so that you offer developmentally appropriate reading material to families. It encourages reading and parents can save a trip to the library. Again a value added service that differentiates you from the norm.

One could do a little research and provide a list of health care resources. New parents and parents that have just moved to the area are usually looking for such services. You could even partner with reliable pediatricians for extra income for referrals. Or have them come on site to offer immunizations. Again saving the parent’s time and offering a value added service, that differentiates you from the competition.

There are an infinite number of possibilities for providing a difference and an overt benefit. The point of the article was to get ECE providers to thinking about it. “What are the overt benefits that they can offer their clients?”, Are they clearly stated?”, “What reasons to believe (their marketing claim) can they offer their customers?”, and “What dramatic difference can they or do they offer their customers?” So often, the day to day challenges of running the business distracts them from doing so. Even when you don’t put in the effort to do marketing, by default you are. Customers are forming impressions and making value judgments about the services you offer, so why not take control of the process. If you haven’t taken a course in marketing that is no reason to hold you back, there are many free services provided by retired business persons, or organizations that provide free expertise such as SCORE http://www.score.org/. Also, why not get a book or two from your local library on the subject? Perhaps there are a few parents in the field that have children in your center that are willing to give advice or services. There is also this free forum to discuss ideas with other ECE professionals. Where are the postings and questions?

I am reminded of a phrase from a song: "If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." Even if you don’t market your business, you are marketing your business.

Food for thought.

Elaine Parsons

Posted: Sunday, September 02, 2007 2:41:41 PM

Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member

Joined: 9/2/2007
Posts: 1
Points: 3

In the 1980s, I directed a child care center with a long waiting list. A marketing idea that worked well for me was to write articles for a local parent press. I wrote about child related topics, and at the end of the article, my name and the name of the center appeared. After I left the center, I continued to write for the newspaper. I was assigned to interview a new child care provider for a possible feature piece. On the way to the provider’s home, I noticed homemade cardboard signs advertising her childcare services, hastily made – scribbled and hard to read. Not very professional, I thought. I also walked through a weedy yard to get to the provider’s front door, and she greeted me dressed in sweats.

The front door opened into a large empty living room - there was only a desk and a crib in the room, I was shocked to see no other furniture and no toys. The provider had three little children in her care; one was an infant about ten months, jailed in a portacrib. He began crying, so the provider rolled him into another room and closed the door. I thought maybe it was his naptime or something. But then she ushered the other two children outside, through a sliding glass door, and she locked them out. They began to pound on glass, trying to get back in. The woman turned her back to them and began asking me questions about when the article would appear. I told her that I would rather that she tend to the children, and we could talk later, do a phone interview or something. I got the heck out of there and plans to feature this particular care provider in an article were abandoned! If the children had been happy and engaged, and had been obviously well care for by a cheerful caregiver, I may have overlooked, homemade signs, the weedy yard, and her unprofessional dress. Nowadays, more centers accept children under two, and parents have more of a choice and that provider would have more competition. I do believe that marketing is important.

Designing a logo is a great first step. The logo can appear on signs, brochures, ads, children’s T-shirts, etc. Our log was a teddy bear, and I choose that because it evokes warmth, cuddles and comfort. I had T-shirts printed with our logo (a teddy Bear) with the name of our center in small sizes, which were available for purchase by parents. I also gave adult size shirts to my staff and encouraged them to wear them, at least during work hours – so that the community would recognize our center as the one who regularly took children out for walks. I later regretted the colored of the t-shirts - the background was blue with white letters. Red shirts with cream letters would have been better. Because red ink on cream, had been used on our brochure. So learn from my mistake and think ahead about consistency…

diasgut

Posted: Sunday, September 02, 2007 6:13:08 PM

Rank: Administration
Groups: Member

Joined: 3/21/2007
Posts: 17
Points: 51
Location: Dayton OH

Elaine,

Thanks for responding. I have to agree with what you wrote. I did some of the same things as far as marketing the center I ran back in the 80’s.

I chuckled when I read your comment about “jailed in a Porto crib” as my son ( 32 years old) calls cribs and playpens, baby jails. He believes as I do that “containers” are for the adults to keep children out of trouble and then they require less supervision and interaction. They most definitely don’t contribute to stimulate growth and development.

Once again thanks for sharing.
Beth

engelhk

Posted: Monday, September 03, 2007 8:56:59 AM

Rank: Administration
Groups: Administration

Joined: 2/25/2007
Posts: 35
Points: -195

Elaine,

Great post! There are several examples in it that illustrate branding. Whether it is realized or not, everything done in a business markets it and brands it. The facilities, the service and the interaction with customers - they all communicate a marketing message and a brand, as well as one of the principles from part 1 of "Marketing and Public Relations" - thoughts, stepping outside the ECE field, building your business, branding"; a reason to believe. For example, if I have a tag line for a business of "Quality Childcare", would the experience you shared in your post give customers a reason to believe? Everything that is done in a business is marketing. Many businesses confuse marketing with advertising. Marketing and branding have more to do with every thing the customer experiences on a daily basis.

Another branding and marketing principle shared in your post is consistency - "...I later regretted the colored of the t-shirts - the background was blue with white letters. Red shirts with cream letters would have been better. Because red ink on cream, had been used on our brochure...." As you point out, the marketing message and brand needs to be consistent. More importantly, the service and customer interaction needs to be consistent. It will do more to market and brand a business that any logo can. It give customers a "Reason to believe" any marketing message.

Keith

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