Marie kicks January 08 off

Jeanne's new Beirut cafe in Kigali hosts Marie's workshop

But is Marie launching a Rwandan skin care line or teaching branding?

Marie and Cass Greener arrived just in time to set the stage for this "all about marketing mission", leading a workshop which answers that important question:

Just to whom am I marketing?

Marie's first impressions
“As you walk and drive around Kigali you can’t help but notice the chaos of business signage. There are thousands of small businesses and storefronts. Most of them are located in boxy concrete or plaster buildings. Visual litter of hand painted signs stating the business name and what is offered inside. There are layers and layers of signs, with mostly words and phrases and little in the way of graphics. Your eye has a hard time focusing since there is so much verbal chaos. On the other hand, some businesses have no signage at all since they have to pay a fee to put one up and owners don't have a sense that it is worth the cost. It all feels very shoestring. The other thing you notice is the construction. Kigali is a boom town. There are multistory glass buildings going up all over. Many of the older business sections are slated for demolition. Clearly a more modern way of life is coming. How will the small businesses compete when the moneyed people come into town to take advantage of the boom?

Getting started
“This coming week, we hope to help our Associates understand the importance and power of good branding. We will be visiting them and helping with logos, business plans, brochures and so forth. To get them started thinking like brands I came into town early to hold a workshop on Understanding Your Target Consumer. Since we know that many small businesses fail by focusing on their own needs, I wanted to help the Associates understand that they need to put the consumer or customer at the heart of everything they do.”

Awakening brand building in Rwanda
“The workshop was held at one of our Associates businesses – a new Lebanese restaurant on the outskirts of town. The women arrived and as we started they seemed a bit wary as I started to explain the difference between a product and a brand. I demonstrated the concept of the difference between emotional and functional brand benefits. This was sinking in and I could see the lights going on. We then talked about the different kinds or “segments” of women there are in Kigali. The idea of consumer segmentation seemed very new to them. So I provided the group with some unlabeled bottles of lotion and soap, let them choose stickers, markers and typography, and had them create brands that were targeted against one of the segments they had described. There was a lot of laughter in the room as they created their brands presented the functional and emotional benefits each offered their target consumer.

Love your business!
“Looking back on the work session while there is much work ahead, I feel really good that the concepts registered with the Associates. The Associates clearly love being in business. As the competitive marketplace becomes more sophisticated their passion and better branding practices will be key. This workshop was a first step in that direction.”