Play The Community Game

In my White Paper that was released in August and is available for our webpage I have mentioned that retailers in the future need to be seen as part of the community and engaging the community. I was recently in Ontario giving a presentation at Niagara Falls Convention Centre, the chair to my meeting was the owner of Country Baskets Garden Centre in the city and when I discussed community partnership, he gave me a brochure from his business. His garden and food retail outlet organises the Niagara Falls Schools in Bloom Competition. He has the support of the local college, Home Depot and a few other local businesses and has set up a competition with the local schools. The competition is for each school to create a garden which will be judged. In 2011 he has 5 Elementary Schools and 5 Secondary Schools involved in the competition. He organised an opening ceremony involving all the schools and the community where a Councillor opened the competition and various speakers provide ideas and encouragement. This promotion involves all the community as the children promoted it to their parents, grandparents and friends, plus the word of mouth marketing is tremendous. It is a wonderful example of involving the whole community. What can you achieve in your part of the world? It needs to be seen as benefitting the community, rather than benefiting your business. Businesses that give will also get from the community. It is a marketing tool we will see more of in the future.