The 4 P's of Marketing

By -
This past February, F2F Volunteer, Jo Anne Cohn helped women of the Pinos Fabrettino Cooperative in San Jose de Cusmapa, Nicaragua, build their business skills to help them increase their bottom line. The women were not only taught the 4 P's of marketing (Product, Price, Place and Promotion) they also learned customer satisfaction sales techniques which will make them more successful when selling baskets both in their showroom and at local fairs.

The women of the Pinos Fabrettino Cooperative make exquisite baskets out of fallen pine needles. They gather the pine needles and sew them into beautifully made baskets using colorful thread. They've been working on standardizing the baskets so that there is consistency in the quality of their products. Last year the women made more than 5,000 baskets with almost of all their sales going to one vendor. This year they would like to branch out and find more places where their baskets can be sold.

During the 3-day workshop, the women learned not only the technical aspects of marketing and customer satisfaction, they had the opportunity to practice these techniques in role plays which will be useful when they market to potential customers locally. And this is not just theoretical learning! As a result of this workshop, the women of the cooperative now have contacts in a local hotel, a gift shop and a travel agency where they will make sales call.



Jo Anne Cohn is an experienced business professional with over 30 years working in international small enterprise development, community outreach, government affairs, marketing, and finance. She received her MBA from the San Jose State University. This was her second F2F assignment in the region.

If you are interested in learning more about the women in the Pinos Fabrettino Cooperative - and maybe even buying some of their beautifully made baskets - be sure to visit the Feed My Starving Children Marketplace (www.fmscmarketplace.org)!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Better Marketing and Communications to Showcase the Work of our Hosts in Colombia

By -
Image
Salva Terra Foundation has focused on supporting vulnerable communities through sustainable agriculture. They work with impoverished populations and victims of violence in Medellin and aim to promote farming and develop local skills to work in the agricultural industry in an ecological manner. This process of bringing together concepts such as social impact, sustainable development, environmental protection, and food security requires excellent outreach and promotion. Therefore, they requested a F2F volunteer to help them develop a communication and marketing plan. The chosen volunteer for this assignment was Dr. Sindy Chapa. She has a B.A. in Mass Media Communications, with a Minor in Television and Art Design, an MBA, and Ph.D. in International Business/Marketing. She is the Director and Associate Professor at the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University and has won several communications awards. Dr. Chapa decided to use Salva Terra as one of the case ...
Read more

Digital Marketing in Colombia

By -
Image
Digital Marketing is one way that entrepreneurs and producers across the globe can reach new markets and increase sales. But what is digital marketing and how can a small Colombian business use it to maximize the number of people who come across its brand? These are the questions that Zen Naturals was asking itself. Zen Naturals is a natural cosmetic manufacturing company based in Cali, Colombia. Zen Naturals develops natural cosmetics made from exotic ingredients from Colombia’s outstanding biodiversity. Through ethical manufacturing and fair trade practices, they are also taking a leadership role in re-investing in the communities that grow the ingredients used in their products. Currently, Zen Naturals supports more than 95 Colombian quinoa farming communities through Fair-Trade Practices and technical assistance on their production. Zen Naturals is preparing to launch their quinoa facial care products in Whole Foods Markets in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. in 2017....
Read more

Supporting Anti-Child Labor Projects in Ecuador and Panama

By -
Image
EducaFuturo is a program currently being implemented by Partners of the Americas in Ecuador and Panama. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), EducaFuturo seeks to combat child labor in both countries through educational programs, vocational training, and livelihood services. F2F has partnered with EducaFuturo on numerous occasions over the past 5 years, sending 7 volunteers to support their efforts in improving the educational outcomes of youth involved in child labor, while also increasing the income opportunities of households to reduce reliance on child labor. Volunteers have provided training on a range of topics, including sustainable production practices, processing, business management, and marketing. In January 2016, F2F volunteer Carmen Pacheco-Borden traveled to Panama to work with native Ngabe-Bugle women’s groups in the tomato farming communities of Hato Chami and Boca de Monte to make value-added products from their harvests and consequently increase their hous...
Read more