| Lou Sansevero presents the marketing workshop. He is seen here with wife Jo, left and Corey Bluemel, Emery County Progress staffwriter. |
Lou Sansevero, resident of Ferron, was the facilitator for the marketing workshop at the Green River Summit. He has a successful career as a computer system engineer with UNISYS in California. He and his wife, Emery County native Jo Hess Sansevero, are also principal stakeholders in J-Tech, a California electronics firm. The Sanseveros moved to Ferron in 2000 and have both been active in community and church.
“Marketing is the business activity of presenting products or services to potential customers in such a way as to make them eager to buy,” said Sansevero. This is how he began the introduction to marketing. “Marketing is not advertising. It is a much more complex issue.”
The first step in the marketing process is completing a marketing plan. A marketing plan is the heart of the market research that must be completed before any successful venture begins. “For example, what are you planning to market here? The City of Green River,” asked Sansevero. As with any product, a description of that product must be obtained.
When marketing a city, two aspects should be taken into account when considering what it has to offer. First, the recreational and tourism opportunities that the city has to offer. The second is the services the city can offer a business to relocate there.
Whoever is contemplating the marketing should ask themselves, “What does this place have to offer business wishing to relocate to this area, and what makes us a destination point for tourists? After these questions are answered and the decisions are made, you can next determine your target market.
To determine your target market, you must consider all that the area has to offer. Are there incentives for businesses to move here? Do we have the workforce to support large or small industry? Do we have available housing to accommodate the influx of people that this business may bring? Are there sufficient recreational opportunities in this area to make us a destination? Are there sufficient restaurants and hotels/motels in the area to accommodate visitors? Do we have enough water?
Sansevero asked where the largest competition for Green River comes from? The group agreed that Moab and Lake Powell both play a part in the tourism in the area. He told them to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each of these places. Then consider the strengths and weaknesses of Green River, and compare the two.
Following the process to learn the target market, the next step will be to determine the budget constraints of the process. How much money will be available to do the marketing necessary for this project to succeed? There are grants available from the federal government, the state government and private entities. There are also grants available for every facet of the improvements that need to be made.
A complete listing of the grants available from the federal government can be found at The Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance, at http://12.46.245.173/cdfa/cdfa.html. The website to learn of Utah State government grants is http://dced.utah.gov/business. Money may also be available from chambers of commerce, individual businesses or a consortium of businesses.
When it comes to advertising, many types are available. One type is brochures. These brochures can be placed in strategic places in the target market area. Also, there are print mediums such as magazines and newspapers, and radio and television ads which can be effective. Two other types of advertising are road signs and direct mailings.
Sansevero also stressed that in the case of a city being the item marketed, the entire population of that city should be informed. Before the process, all the residents should be involved in and on board, with the project. A basic understanding of the goals to be met should be agreed upon by everyone.
Part II of Banking on Green River next week.