Marketing in the New Economy

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending "Marketing in the NEW Economy" in Greenville presented by WITN and Jim Doyle and Associates. Since the seminar, I have been thinking about what the presenter said and how it can be applied to more than just business. The main theme I took away was understanding your audience. Target to the right audience not the extreme. Who is your customer? If your customer (or target audience for non-profits) is the 45 year old, empty nester why are you marketing to the 23 year old college graduate? Is it because you want that customer? Look who is coming through your door, listen to who is calling you on the phone, who are the real demographics using your product?

I serve as the Havelock Chamber of Commerce representative on the Craven County Tourism Development Authority Board. On the agenda for the February meeting is a resolution to oppose Craven County Schools proposal to change the calendar. Some members of the TDA feels the school calendar has a correlation to tourism. Thinking back to the seminar yesterday my questions are: Who is visiting New Bern and Craven County? Are their families with school age children vacationing in New Bern and Craven County during the summer months? What percentage is this? Is there a larger percentage of empty nesters spending time here? If the larger percentage of visitors is empty nesters, why pass a resolution? Right now, I do not have those answers but I will be posing the questions.

One other interesting tidbit from yesterday's seminar: Women make 80% of the buying decisions. Um....something more to think about and ponder.

Pictured below is Diane Menger, Joni Thompson, Chaplain Koch and Mandy Kosner at the January 17 Business After Hours hosted by First Flight Federal Credit Union at Miller's Landing aboard MCAS Cherry Point. The next Business After Hours will be February 21 hosted by Trent Buick Cadillac GMC. This will be a joint After Hours with New Bern Chamber of Commerce, Havelock Chamber of Commerce and Pamlico County Chamber of Commerce.

I hope everyone is having a great week.

Don't forget to save the date: March 19 is the Annual Spelling Bee, April 26 is the Havelock Blues Festival and May 14 is Salute to Veterans.

Welcome to Havelock Chamber Today!

Welcome to Havelock Chamber Today! Hope we are able to keep you updated on the news and events in Havelock. Check back often for more information.

Stephanie
Executive Director
Havelock Chamber of Commerce