A Marketing Focus for Foster Licensing. 2.4.16--Burl Sheldon

WORKING TITLE:

Raising the competitive position of foster licensing to better serve Alaska’s teens and children

A---Some Basic Marketing Questions

1.  What is your brand and do prospective “customers” understand the brand?

2.  What is the product you’re trying to sell?

3.  Who is the target market (customers) and are you consistently engaging them?

4.  What are the characteristics of your marketing outreach: media diversity, continuous or stop-start, etc.

5.  Are those marketing tools effective and are there long-term, “dashboard” metrics useful in tracking our effect?

6.  Are there co-marketing partners who can help leverage stronger, more creative, more persistent media and messaging at no or low cost?

B—Observations from Haines

In Haines, you can find information about foster licensing and the OCS website is easy to use, but there is little in the way of an overt effort to get more inquiries/hits. The online information seems to principally deal with “training” and “orientation.” I have to assume that there are other communities in Alaska that are like Haines.

C—Recruiting Social Sector Clientele in a Competitive Marketplace

In the backdrop of the James Bond film we see the “Coca-Cola” brand which Coke had to pay big bucks to have in the film. Coke knows that if their brand isn’t featured, the film maker will contract for the competitor’s brand. Whether it’s beverage company competition, or the competition between social entrepreneurs, the market for new customers is competitive.

Haines is a micro-example: a robust, active non-profit sector is always working every angle. The competition is truly awesome and good causes are everywhere! The availability of other social sector competition as highly influential in the ability of a group to win new “customers”—new Big Brothers or Big Sisters, Hospice volunteers, SAIL donations, foster families, etc. Are you winning hearts and minds to: Your Products/Your Brand/Your Service Opportunity? The answer seems to be yes and no, depending on the region.

D—Marketing Questions to Consider

o  What would a strong, efficient marketing plan look like?

o  How will we know if/when it’s effective?

o  How much would it cost?

o  Who will fund the plan?

o  Are there natural funding partners with whom you can co-brand?

E---Visualizing New Partners: What if…

o  When I drove into a Tesoro, statewide, or stopped at the IGA or Fred Meyers I saw the durable banner featuring a new foster family and the number to call?

o  New commercial partners provided an outlet to put marketing information (fliers) directly in the hands of prospective foster parents?

o  When I listened to APRN, I received a weekly, occasional “touch” about helping a vulnerable Alaskan child and that spot was underwritten by an Alaska-wide firm or the Rasmuson Foundation?

…over time, more safe foster homes would be created and more diverse opportunities would mean children getting better foster placements.

Yurii, the other question I asked was “What constitutes a “Foster Friendly Community?” I’m sure that others are better able to answer that question. I’d be shooting in the dark. I’m glad to see that there are foster parents on the boards. While I am not able to be a foster parent, I see the need and want to play a role in helping. I view this synopsis as a working draft that discusses some keys to strengthening your social sector competitive position—and helping more teens children get the life-changing support they need.

Let me know what you think and how I can help. I look forward to talking more.

Cheers!

Burl Sheldon, Haines

h) 907-314-3439

w) 907-766-2151