Souk el Tayeb Marketing Plan FINALMierau,!!Tina!Robiolle!&!Nathan!Stell! May!!2012!! Souk!el!Tayeb! ! Marketing!and!Communications!Plan! ! ! ! 2!!!! Table!of!Contents! Section%1! Section%2:%Fletcher%School%Final%Project%Goal!

The$Fletcher$School$$$$Tufts$University$$!

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Souk%el%Tayeb%Marketing%and%Communications%Plan%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Strategic%Marketing%for%Non:Profit%Organizations%Beth!Hatfield,!Paul!Maidowski,!

Rebekah!Mierau,!!Tina!Robiolle!&!Nathan!Stell!May!!2012!

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Souk!el!Tayeb! ! Marketing!and!Communications!Plan! ! ! !

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Table!of!Contents!Section%1:%Overview%.............................................................................................................................%4!

Section%2:%Fletcher%School%Final%Project%Goal%&%Objectives%....................................................%4!I.%Project%Goal%...................................................................................................................................................%4!II.%Project%Objectives%......................................................................................................................................%4!

Section%3:%Macro:Environment%Analysis%......................................................................................%4!I.%Political%...........................................................................................................................................................%4!II.%Economic%.......................................................................................................................................................%4!III.%Social/Cultural%...........................................................................................................................................%5!IV.%Technological%.............................................................................................................................................%5!

Section%4:%Micro:Environment%Analysis%.......................................................................................%5!I.%Customers%......................................................................................................................................................%5!II.%Competitors%..................................................................................................................................................%8!III.%Collaborators%...........................................................................................................................................%12!IV.%Channels%.....................................................................................................................................................%13!

Section%Four:%SWOT%Analysis%.........................................................................................................%17!

Section%5:%Challenges%and%Opportunities%...................................................................................%18!

Section%6:%Customer%Strategy%.........................................................................................................%20!

Section%7:%Brand%Strategy%................................................................................................................%22!I.! Positioning%...............................................................................................................................................%23!A.! Mission!and!Vision!..............................................................................................................................................!24!B.! Unique!Selling!Proposition!..............................................................................................................................!26!

II.! Marketing%Mix:%Promotion,%Place,%Product%&%Price%..................................................................%27!A.! Communications!Strategy!................................................................................................................................!28!B.! Leveraging!Farmers!Stories!............................................................................................................................!30!C.! Internal!Marketing!Activities!..........................................................................................................................!31!D.! Strategies!for!CrossSPromotion!.....................................................................................................................!34!

III.! Social%Outcomes%..................................................................................................................................%37!

Section%8:%Resources%and%Timeframe%..........................................................................................%39!

Section%9:%Summary%of%Recommendations%................................................................................%41!

Appendix%...............................................................................................................................................%42!Appendix%1:%Questionnaire%templates%for%institutions,%products%and%websites%......................%42!

1.!Common!introduction!..............................................................................................................................................!42!2.!Tawlet!/!Souk!questionnaire!...............................................................................................................................!42!


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3.!Dekenet!questionnaire!.............................................................................................................................................!45!4.!Website!questionnaire!...........................................................................................................................................!46!

Appendix%2:%Internal%Marketing:%Zappos%unleashes%the%power%of%brand%ambassadors%.......%48!Appendix%3:%Internal%Marketing:%The%Starbucks%“Green%Apron%Book”%.......................................%49!Appendix%4:%Benchmarking%Presentation%.............................................................................................%51!

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!Section%1:%Overview%Souk!el!Tayeb!is!Lebanon’s!first!farmers’!market,!created!in!2004!to!bring!people!of!differSent!regions!and!traditions!together!to!celebrate!food!and!food!traditions.1!Since!then,!it!has!grown!into!a!social!enterprise!that!coordinates!a!farmers’!market!(Souk),!a!restaurant!with!farmer!chefs!(Tawlet),!a!private!label!food!product!(Dekenet),!regional!food!festivals,!and!educational! activities.! Souk!el!Tayeb! (SET)! is!well!known!among!certain! segments!of! the!Lebanese! population,! and! is! even!hailed! as! a!model! for! reviving! food! traditions! in! other!countries.!With!so!many!activities!and!a!rapidly!expanding!set!of!goals,!SET!sought!a!marSketing!and!communications!strategy!support!and!enhance!its!work.!%Section%2:%Fletcher%School%Final%Project%Goal%&%Objectives%I.%Project%Goal%

Develop! an! effective! marketing! and! communications! plan! to! help! Souk! el! Tayeb!achieve!its!ambitions!to!grow!and!better!serve!its!mission.!

II.%Project%Objectives%• Solicit!and!utilize! input! for! the!development!of!a!marketing!plan!and!strategy!

for!Souk!el!Tayeb.!• Develop!key!marketing! strategies!designed! to!achieve! the!organization’s!marS

keting!goals.!!• Develop!communications!recommendations!to!operationalize!marketing!strateS

gies.!!

Section%3:%Macro:Environment%Analysis%I.%Political%

• Domestic:!After!the!collapse!of!the!government!in!January!2011,!a!new!governSment!was!formed.!This!came!after!five!months!of!power!struggle!with!HezbolSlah,!which!dominated!the!conflict.!Created!in!1978,!the!United!Nations!Interim!Force! in! Lebanon! is! still! active! and! was! notably! reinforced! following! the! JuSly/August!2006!crisis!with!Israel.!

• Regional:!Across!the!border,!the!Syrian!conflict!raises!concerns!of!possible!ripSple!effects!to!Lebanon.!

II.%Economic%• Lebanon!was! the! third! fastest!growing!economy!of! the!region! in!2011,!with!a!

projected!economic!growth!at!3.8%! in!2012,! compared! to!growth!of!2.5%! for!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!Rabeh!Ghadban!and!Nathalie!LaidlerSKaylander,!“Souk!el!Tayeb:!Defying!the!Lines!Between!Business!and!NonSProfit,”!The!Fletcher!School,!Case!Study,!2011.!


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the! Middle! East/North! Africa! (MENA)! region's! oilSimporting! countries,! and!3.4%!for!countries!in!the!region!with!poor!resources!and!abundant!labor.2!

• However,!poverty!in!Lebanon!is!still!a!reality!with!28.5%!of!the!population!livSing!below!the!upper!poverty!line.3!

• Agriculture! represents! only! 6%! of! the! Gross! Domestic! Product! but! employs!15%!of!the!population.!Arable!agricultural!land!represents!almost!70%!of!total!land!area.4!

• The!government’s!economic!policies!aim!to!increase!the!contribution!of!agriculSture!to!the!economy.5!

III.%Social/Cultural%• The!population!in!Lebanon!is!very!urban!(87%)!and!young!(50%!of!the!populaS

tion!is!under!30!years!old).6!• There!is!a!great!traditional!mercantile!culture!and!a!high!literacy!rate!(90%).7!• Lebanon!has!a!Ministry!of!Culture!that!is!concerned!with!Lebanese!heritage!and!

cultural!industries.8!IV.%Technological%

• The!Lebanese! young!urban!population! is! very!plugged! into! the!web! and!uses!social!media!websites!such!as!Facebook!extensively.9!

!Section%4:%Micro:Environment%Analysis%I.%Customers%

%• Souk:!Farmers,!Lebanese!couples!in!their!30s!and!40s,!consumers!with!medical!conditions,!

expatriates,!tourists!• Tawlet:!Farmers,!disenfranchised!women,!Lebanese!families,!expatriates,!tourists!• Dekenet:!Supermarket!patrons,!souk!patrons!• Souk%at%School:!Children,!parents!• Potential:!Urban!youth!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2!“Lebanon!Real!GDP!growth!projected!at!3.8%!in!2012,!third!highest!in!MENA!region,”,Lebanon,This,Week,,iloubnan.info!(January!23,!2012).!Available!at:!http://www.iloubnan.info/en/detail/15/71959.!3!“Lebanon,”!United,Nations,Development,Programme,(UNDP).!!Available!at:!http://www.undp.org.lb/WhatWeDo/poverty.cfm.!4!“Agriculture,!value!added!(%!of!GDP),”!The,World,Bank.!!Available!at:!http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS/countries/LBSXQSXT?display=graph!!5!“Lebanon!S!Country!Fact!Sheet!(2011),”!International,Fund,for,Agricultural,Development,(IFAD).!!Available!at:!http://www.ifad.org/events/gc/34/nen/factsheet/lebanon.pdf!6!“MidSyear!Population!by!Five!Year!Age!Groups!and!Sex!S!Custom!Region!–!Lebanon,”!United,States,Census,Bureau.,AvailaSble!at:!http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/region.php!(accessed!May!6,!2012).!7!“At!a!glance:!Lebanon,”!UNICEF.!Available!at:!http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/lebanon_statistics.html.!!8!“The!Minsitry,”!Ministry!of!Culture,!Government!of!Lebanon.!Available!at:!http://www.culture.gov.lb/home.php.!!9!“Lebanon!Facebook!Statistics,”!Socialbakers:,The,recipe,for,social,marketing,success.,,Available!at:!http://www.socialbakers.com/facebookSstatistics/lebanon.!


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There! are!different! spectrums!of! audiences!who!have! a! stake! in! Souk! el! Tayeb’s! distinct!programs.!The! following!provides!a!very!brief!overview,!and!requires! further!market! reSsearch!to!understand!their!motivations,!interests,!and!preferences!in!the!products!and!serSvices!of!the!Souk,!Dekenet,!and!Tawlet.!%Farmers’%Market,%Tawlet,%and%Dekenet:%Rural&small)scale&farmers:&Farmers!are!located!throughout!Lebanon,!some!living!close!to!Beirut!and!others!needing!to!travel!hours!if!they!want!to!sell!products!in!the!capital.!Fifteen!percent!of!the!Lebanese!population!are!farmers,!and!include!both!men!and!women.!Their!products!and!availability!are!influenced!by!seasons!and!weather,!particularly!the!region’s!dry!climate.!As!customers,!their!interests!include:!!

• Access!to!markets/income.!!• Becoming!competitive!in!organic!market.!!• Skills! and! training! in! marketing! their! products.! Some! have! awareness! of! how! to!

market!their!products!(bringing!their!own!communication!materials,! for!example),!while!others!do!not!have!knowShow!on!what!buyers!are!looking!for.!

%Souk%el%Tayeb%Farmers’%Market:%Higher&income&urban&population:!They!are!exposed!to!other!cultures!and!are!aware!of!the!importance!of!an!organic!lifestyle.!They!are!seeking!quality.!They!are!willing!to!invest!time!and!money!to!differentiate! themselves!and!support! the!Lebanese! farmers!and!producers.!Most!of!them!are!familiar!with!the!Souk!and!have!a!personal!relationship!with!the!farmers.!Some!may!also!be!members!of!the!Lebanese!Diaspora!who!are!visiting!and!are!interested!in!supporting!their!cultural!heritage!and!farmers’!livelihoods.10!!They!include:!!

• Young&and&middle&aged&Lebanese&couples!who!come!to!the!souk!with!family.!• Consumers&with&medical&conditions!who!actively!seek!organic!products.!• Expatriates&who!live!in!Beirut!due!to!business,!development!work,!etc.!These!may!

fall!in!short!term!or!long!term!categories!and!reflect!different!age!ranges.!!They!may!be!more!committed!to!supporting!cultural!assets!and!buying!local.&

• Tourists&who!are!only!in!Beirut!for!a!short!time!and!may!be!looking!for!an!authentic!cultural!experience.!!They!may!have!heard!of!the!Souk!in!tourist!guides!and!are!inSterested!in!buying!traditional!food!and!artisanal!products.!!&

!Tawlet:!Higher&income&urban&population:!Has!similar!interests!as!listed!above,!in!addition!to!difSferentiating!themselves!with!a!“sophisticated!palette.”!

• Lebanese&couples! [age!30S40]!who!come! to! the! restaurant!with! their! families,! inScluding!children.!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!10!Based!on!iLevel,research,report.!


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• Expatriates&who!live!in!Beirut!due!to!business,!development!work,!etc.!These!may!fall!in!short!term!or!long!term!categories!and!reflect!different!age!ranges.!!They!may!be!more!committed!to!supporting!local!farmers!who!are!cooking!at!the!restaurant.&

• Tourists&who!are!only!in!Beirut!for!a!short!time!and!may!be!looking!for!an!cultural!authentic!experience.!!They!may!have!heard!of!the!restaurant!in!tourist!guides!and!are!interested!in!meeting!farmers!who!are!cooking.&

o Some!may!also!be!members!of! the!Lebanese!Diaspora!who!are!visiting!and!are!interested!in!supporting!their!cultural!heritage!and!farmers’!livelihoods.!

%Disenfranchised&women:!Have!been!marginalized!from!other!economic!sectors.!With!unSemployment!high!and!many!living!in!the!city!of!Beirut,!they!are!in!need!of!employment!opStions.!Their!interests!include:!!

• Access!to!markets/income.!!• Becoming!competitive!in!organic!market.!!• Skills!and!training!in!marketing!themselves.!They!are!able!to!build!skills!and!pracS

tice!these!in!the!formal!sector!(giving!them!social!and!economic!recognition).!• Able!to!compete!as!women!in!difficult!market.!

!Dekenet:%Shoppers&at&supermarket:!General!shoppers!at!supermarket!range!from!lowerSmid!to!high!income!and!are!looking!for!convenience!and!low!prices.!They!are!most!likely!women!doing!food!shopping!for!their!families.!Those!who!frequent!the!supermarket!and!buy!these!prodSucts!want!to!be!socially!responsible!through!buying!organic,! locally!grown!products,!perShaps!reflecting!some!national!pride!while!still!having!the!scope!and!convenience!of!the!suSpermarket!options!and!relatively!lower!prices.!!Souk%at%School:%Children:!Primary!school!age!children!who!are!open!to!educational!messages,!such!as!eatSing!healthfully!and! the!benefits!of! “going!organic.”! !They!have! the!ear!of! their!parents! to!spread!this!information.!They!are!interested!in!fun,!innovative!approaches!to!subjects,!and!practical!application!of!messages.!Parents:%They!may!be!interested!in!encouraging!their!child’s! interests! in!these!areas!and!looking!for!ease!of!access!to!apply!messages!learned!to!shopping!and!eating.%

!Potential%at%Souk,%Tawlet,%and%Dekenet%Urban&Youth:%This!audience!encompasses!those!age!18S35,!living!in!Beirut!or!internationSally!as!members!of!the!diaspora.!They!are!technologically!savvy!and!plugged!into!social!media!sites.!However,!they!may!be!lower!income,!completing!their!education!as!university!students!or!starting!as!young!professionals.!Their!interests!include:!%

• Social! causes! around! social! justice,! sustainable! livelihoods,! organic! food,! and! fair!trade.!

• “Getting!their!hands!dirty”!and!volunteering!in!practical!ways!to!support!what!they!believe!in.!


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• May!not!be!attracted!to!the!high!prices!of!organic!foods!or!drawn!to!“elite”!nature!of!that!market.!!

II.%Competitors%%!

• Souk:!Farmers!markets,!organic!grocers,!!conventional!grocers,!online!organic!delivery!services!• Tawlet:!Organic!restaurants!• Dekenet:%LocallySsourced!organic!processed!foods%Each!of!the!SET!brands!face!direct!and!indirect!competition!within!their!respective!market!spaces.! A! selection! of! the! competitors! to! SET’s! three! primary! revenue! centers! S! Souk! el!Tayeb,! Tawlet,! and! Dekenet! S! are! described! below,! along!with! some! cursory! analysis! of!their!relative!marketing!strengths!and!weaknesses.!

!Souk%el%Tayeb%Farmers%Market%Competitors!Souk!el!Tayeb’s!competitors!include:!1)!other!farmer!markets,!2)!organic!grocers,!3)!conSventional!green!grocers,!5)!supermarkets,!and!4)!online!organic!delivery!services.!!

• On! the!whole,! the!primary!advantages! these! competitors!possess!are! convenience!and!price.!!

• Souk!el!Tayeb’s!advantages!come!from!social!interaction!with!farmers!and!the!creaStion!of!a!community,!the!freshness!and!variety!of! its!offerings,!as!well!as!a!reputaStion!as!a!“cool”!locale!due!to!an!impressive!track!record!of!glowing!press!coverage!in!local!and!international!media.!

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Other&farmers&markets:&These,are,the,most,obvious,and,direct,form,of,competition,for,SET,,due,to,the,similarity,of,format.!Key!competitors!in!this!space!include:!

• Earth,Market,/,Souk,el,Ard:!!The!only!other!farmers’!market!in!Beirut.!Founded!on!a!philosophy! to!promote!good,!clean,!healthy! food.!Similar! to!SET’s!mission,!Souk!el!Ard!seeks!to!preserve!local!food!traditions!and!forge!connections!between!customSers!and!producers,!and!aims!to!pilot!a!program!for!school!children!focused!on!garSden!education!and!agriculture.!One!thing!the!Earth!market!does!well!is!that!it!proSmotes!the!stories!and!images!of! its!producers.! Its!website!has!a!“Meet!the!ProducSers”!section!with!photos!and!short!biographies!written!of!each!producer!participatSing!in!the!market.!!

Organic&grocers:& Indoor,stores,offering,organic,produce,,often,alongside,conventional,proMduce,and,other,products.!Key!competitors!in!this!space!include:&

• Beit,el,Soha:!!Lebanon’s!oldest!organic!shop!has!been!open!since!the!early!2000s.!• A,New,Earth:!!Beirut’s!first!organic!grocery!store,!which!aims!to!have!everything!one!

can!find!in!a!typical!grocery!store.!The!company!positions!itself!as!the!only!oneSstop!


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shop! for!all! things!organic! in!Lebanon,!and! its!daily!operations!make! it!more!conSvenient!than!onceSweekly!markets.!

• The,Healthy,Basket,(in!Hamra),,Organically!(in!Jal!el!Dib),!The,Natural,Shop!(in!MazSraat!Yacho),!Naturalia!(in!Hazmieh),!Healthy,Corner!(in!Ghobeiri)!!

Relative! advantages! of! indoor! grocers! over! SET! include! the! convenience! of! being! open!throughout! the!week,!protection! from! the!elements,! and!additional!product!offerings!beSyond!produce!and!artisanal!foods.!SET’s!advantages,!on!the!other!hand,!include!the!opporStunity!to!interact!faceStoSface!with!producers,!an!outdoor!shopping!experience!on!pleasant!weather!days,!and!perhaps!fresher!and!higher!quality!produce!due!to!competition!amongst!the!Souk’s!producers.!Additionally,! the!seeming!disadvantage!of! inconvenience!could!also!be!framed!to!work!in!SET’s!favor!S!they!can!portray!everyday!markets!as!mundane!and!orSdinary,!and!SET’s!weekly!market!as!an!event!worth!waiting!for.!

!Green& grocers:& Conventionally, grown, produce, sold, in, shops, and, souks, and, grocery, stores,throughout,Beirut.!!!While!not!a!competitor!for!SET’s!current!target!consumers!(middle!to!high!income!families!who!are!conscientious!about!where!their!food!comes!from),!conventional!green!grocers!are!the! single! biggest! competitor! for! most! prospective! target! audiences,! especially! those! of!lesser!financial!means.!!

!The! greatest! advantages! these! outlets! have! over! SET! and! all! organic! and! smallSfarming!producers! are! convenience/availability! and! price.! Conventionally! grown! produce! can! be!found!much!more!easily!than!organic!produce,!so!the!effort!required!of!consumers!is!relaStively!minimal.! Because! of! the! scale! at!which! conventional! produce! is! grown,! significant!cost!efficiencies!have!been!reached!that!are!reflected!in!its!relatively!lower!end!consumer!cost.!Due!to!the!fact!that!food!accounts!for!such!a!large!percentage!of!household!expendiStures,! as!well! as! low!general! awareness!about! the! relative!benefits!of!organic! and! smallSfarmed!produce,!conventional!massSmarket!produce!is!the!preferred!choice!by!the!vast!maSjority! of! the! Lebanese! population.! There! is! a! socioeconomic! dimension! to! this! as! well,!where!some!poor!to!middle!income!families!are!less!likely!than!wealthy!families!to!prefer!the!more!expensive!organic!or!smallSfarmed!produce.!!

!The!disadvantage!of!low!awareness!about!the!benefits!of!preserving!small!farmers!is!also!an! opportunity! for! SET.! SET! could! increase! its!market! penetration! by! raising! awareness!through!its!various!projects,!thereby!influencing!consumers’!purchasing!priorities.&

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Supermarkets:! !These,outlets,, such,as,TSC,and,Golden,Star,,offer,greater, convenience,and,variety,to,customers,,with,both,conventional,and,organic,produce,,as,well,as,a,larger,selecMtion,of,other,product,offerings.!!

%SET’s!relative!strengths!are!the!personStoSperson!interactions!with!the!producers,!outdoor!venue! (weather!dependent),! and! fresher! and!higher!quality!produce! compared! to! superSmarkets.!

!Organic&produce&home&delivery:! !The,convenience,of,these,services,lowers,some,of,the,adMvantage,that,conventional,souks,have,over,vendors,of,organic,and,smallMfarmed,produce.,In!that! regard,! this! service!has!an!advantage!over!organic! stores!and!markets! like!SET.!Key!competitors!in!this!space!include:!

• BioBox:! !Lebanon’s! first!online!market! for! fresh!and!processed!organic!goods.!The!online! shopping! portal! is! easy! to! navigate.! Site! design! gives! the! impression! of! a!purely! commercial! operation.! Though! the! “about! us”! page! mentions! that! organic!produce!helps!health,! the!environment,!and! farmers,! the!social!and!environmental!messages!on!this!website!are!not!pervasive!and!are!presented!less!as!statements!of!purpose!than!as!an!advertisement!for!why!one!should!buy!organic.!Range!of!offerSings! includes! fruits,! vegetables,! juice,! tea! and! coffee,! herbs,! beans.! BioBox! is! partSnered! with! a! sustainable! development! NGO,! though! the! nature! and! extent! of! the!partnership!is!unclear.!

• The,Healthy,Basket:,!Online!shopping!portal!where!customers!are!delivered!a!basket!of! fresh!organic! fruits!and!vegetables!weekly.!There!are! three!available! sizes!with!offerings!varying!by!season.!There!is!also!a!"pickSyourSown"!option!where!the!cusStomer!can!choose!which!items!s/he!would!like!delivered.!The!web!portal!appears!to!have!a!greater!variety!of!offerings!than!BioBox,!with!additional!items!such!as!chickSen,! eggs,! soaps! and! personal! hygiene! goods,! and! bread,! in! addition! to! their! other!produce!and!processed! foods.!Similar! to!SET,!The!Healthy!Basket!started!with! the!mission!to!improve!Lebanese!farmers’!livelihoods,!preserving!the!environment!and!protecting! human!health! through! the!promotion! of! organic! agriculture.!Unlike!BiSoBox,!this!mission!is!presented!on!The!Healthy!Basket’s!homepage,!which!bespeaks!of!a!greater!commitment!to!the!dual!mission!of!social!responsibility!and!commercial!viability.!

!SET’s!advantages! include!a!greater!variety!of!offerings,!personStoSperson! interaction,!and!perhaps!price!(we!are!not!aware!of!the!pricing!for!SET!produce,!though!the!home!delivery!services!charge!a!premium!for!the!delivery).!!!Tawlet%Competitors%!


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Tawlet’s!key!competitors!are!those!marketed!as!purveyors!of!middle!to!high!end!traditionSal! Lebanese! cuisine!with! a! commitment! to! a! social! cause.! On! the!whole,! Tawlet! is! posiStioned!rather! favorably!compared! to! its! competition,!excelling!on!a!number!of! fronts.!On!the! popular! travel!website!TripAdvisor,! users! have! rated!Tawlet! as! the!#1! restaurant! in!Beirut!out!of!a!field!of!244.!Patrons!noted!the!restaurant’s!numerous!strengths:!the!variety!resulting!from!the!changing!daily!menu,!food!quality,!the!emphasis!on!organic,!the!restauSrant!concept!of!bringing!in!village!chefs!to!prepare!their!regional!specialties,!the!personal!magnetism!of!Kamal,!the!smokeSfree!environment!and!clean!interior,!the!favorable!internaStional!press,!and!the!star!power!of!its!patrons,!who!include!jet!setters,!international!celebriSties,!and!ambassadors.!!

!The!main! disadvantage!Tawlet! faces! relative! to! its! competitors! is! its! limited! availability;!only!lunch!is!served!on!weekdays.!Some!customers!also!bemoan!the!lack!of!full!wait!service,!though! this!was! a!minority! opinion.! Some!of! Tawlet’s! competitors! excel! in! their! interior!space!design/layouts,!such!as!Al!Falamanki’s!lavish,!traditional!Lebanese!decor!and!garden,!and! locations,! such! as!Mounir’s! site! overlooking! the! city.!Others! also! possess! social!misSsions,!such!as!Al!Saha,!which!directs!its!profit!to!an!orphanage.!!

!However,!as!Christine!Codsi!(Managing!Partner!of!SET)!noted,!no!restaurant!has!integrated!its!social!mission!into!its!operations!as!Tawlet!has,!where!all!activities!are!in!service!of!the!goal!to!promote!sustainable!livelihoods!for!small!farmers!and!strengthen!the!appreciation!for!traditional!culinary!cuisine.!!Dekenet%Competitors%!The!Dekenet!product!line!is!where!SET!faces!the!greatest!level!of!competition,!as!the!nature!of!this!market!restricts!the!amount!of!differentiation!a!brand!can!employ!to!improve!its!poSsitioning.!Most!often,!companies!succeed!on!price,!quality,!and!in!some!cases,!cause.!On!the!price!front,!Dekenet!is!at!a!disadvantage,!as!its!products!are!sold!in!venues!alongside!other,!less!expensive!organic!products!such!as!TSC’s!own!brand!of!organic!processed!foods.!ReSgarding!cause,!Dekenet!faces!another!challenge,!because!it!cannot! leverage!the!advantage!of!personStoSperson!interactions.!It!is!also!not!the!only!product!line!with!a!commitment!to!promoting!small!farmers,!organic!food,!and!Lebanese!food!heritage.!!

!Success!of!the!Dekenet!product!line!therefore!may!hinge!on!creative!marketing!and!promoStion!of!its!social!mission!and!superior!product!quality.!In!addition!to!TSC’s!own!line!of!orSganics,! the! following!are! some!key! competitors! in! the!market! for! locallySsourced!organic!processed!foods:!

• Campagnia:!An!organic! label! for!products!marketed!by!BioCoop!Lubnan.!Products!include!packaged!organic!vegetables,!fruits,!oils,!cereals.!These!are!then!distributed!to!local!supermarkets!under!the!brand!name!of!Campagnia®.!


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• Adonis,Valley,Organic,Products,Line:!Established!a!vision!very!similar!to!SET’s,!with!a!commitment!to!protecting!Lebanese!food!heritage!through!sustainable!agriculture!and!fair!trade!practices.!Adonis!products!include!tomato!sauce,!ketchup,!jams,!pickSles,!honey,!moussaka,!fleur!del!sel,!and!are!sold!in!specialty!shops!in!and!around!BeiSrut,! used! by! numerous! restaurants! and! caterers,! and! homeSdelivered! across! the!country.!It!has!established!its!tagline!as!“From!heart!of!nature.”!Adonis!promotes!its!efforts! to!bolster!small! farmers! through!providing! them!with!seeds,! technical!supSport,! organic! certification,! networking,! and! ensuring! them! a! fair! price! for! their!products.!

!III.%Collaborators%%

!• Farmers%and%farmer%chefs%• Governments%(Lebanon%and%Qatar)%• Grocery%stores,%tourist%sites,%and%local%shops%• Universities%

Souk!el!Tayeb!requires!several!collaborators!to!effectively!carry!out!its!work!and!to!fulfill!its!mission! to! provide! opportunities! to! smallSscale! farmers.! Collaborators! are! those!who!share!Souk!el!Tayeb’s!vision!and!who!can!help!facilitate!the!expansion!of!Souk!el!Tayeb’s!mission.!!!Souk&el&Tayeb’s&farmers&and&farmer&chefs:!These!are!SET’s!most!important!collaborators.!Nearly!every!decision!made!by!SET!impacts!the!farmers!with!whom!the!organization!works,!and! the! farmers! themselves! can!determine! the! success! or! failure! of! the! Souk,! Tawlet,! or!Dekenet.!They!are!already!involved!in!the!mission!of! the!organization,!but!could!be!cultiSvated!further!by!giving!them!decision!making!power!during!planning!and!evaluation!proScesses.! These! individuals! are! the! organization’s! key! partners! and!most! important! stakeSholders,!so!it!is!imperative!that!they!be!satisfied!throughout!the!evolution!of!the!organizaStion.!

!Governments:& If! the!Lebanese!government! in!Beirut!grants!Souk!el!Tayeb!space! to!build!the!EcoSouk,!Souk!el!Tayeb!becomes!a!partner!in!the!Lebanese!government’s!development!efforts!and!will!work!together! to! foster!Lebanese!culture.!Similarly,!SET’s!ability! to!repliScate!the!Souk!el!Tayeb!model! in!Qatar!hinges!on!a!symbiotic!relationship!with!the!Qatari!government.!Before! embarking!on! an! inSdepth!partnership!with!Qatar,! it! is! important! to!ensure!that!there!is!mission!alignment!between!what!Souk!el!Tayeb!seeks!to!achieve!and!what!the!Qatari!government!seeks!to!achieve.!The!European!Union!is!an!interesting!partner!because!it!provides!Souk!el!Tayeb!with!a!higher!level!of!credibility!when!it!uses!the!organiSzation!as!an!example!of!how!to!revive!farming!cultures!across!the!Mediterranean.!That!parS


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ticular!collaboration! is!an! indication!that!SET! is!on!the!right! track,!and!should! lend!some!additional!leverage!in!its!relationships!with!other!partners!and!collaborators.!

!Grocery&Stores:&The!TSC!grocery!store!chain!provides!outlets!for!Dekenet!goods,!ultimately!facilitating!the!economic!empowerment!of!Souk!el!Tayeb’s!farmers.!Additionally,!by!providSing!farmer!profiles!next!to!their!products,!TSC!joins!Souk!el!Tayeb!in!breaking!down!barriSers!between!urban!and!rural!residents!and!creating!a!Lebanese!community!through!food.!Additional! collaborations! with! other! grocery! stores,! tourist! sites,! and! local! shops! could!support!the!expansion!of!the!Dekenet!product!line,!extending!the!reach!of!Souk!el!Tayeb’s!vision.!!Universities:!Educational! institutions!such!as!American!University! in!Beirut!have!profesSsors!and!students!who!can!offer!technical!expertise!in!customer!market!research,!monitorSing!and!evaluation.!This!option!will!be!discussed!in!later!sections!of!this!report,!though!it!is!worth!noting!here!that!universities!often!establish!partnerships!with!organizations,!and!it!is!not!uncommon!for!students!to!engage!in!projects!that!benefit!nonSprofits!and!businesses.!Students!are!also!a!source!of!volunteers,!and!may!be!interested!in!working!with!SET!farmSers!or!at!the!Souk.!!IV.%Channels%

!• Existing%channels:%Farmers’!markets,!restaurants,!grocery!stores!S!relatively!low!cost,!low!

risk,!but!also!low!growth!potential.%• Potential% channels% in% the% long% run:%Permanent!retail! space! S! interesting! longSterm!perS

spective!for!the!EcoSouk,!but!high!cost,!high!risk,!and!coherent!concept!necessary.!%• Potential%medium:term%channels:%Food!truck,!home!catering,!home!delivery!schemes!and!

wholesale!or!institutional!customers!–!low!cost,!medium!risk!and!high!growth!potential.%%The!weekly!Souk!and!now!two!Tawlets!are!currently!the!main!channels!that!Souk!el!Tayeb!uses!on!a!regular!basis.!Additionally,!Dekenet!produce! is!offered!at!or!near! the!Souk!and!the!Tawlets!and!through!thirdSparty!retailers.!Other!activities!such!as!regional! food!festiSvals!are!offered!periodically!and!some!programs!such!as!Souk@School!have!been!disconStinued.!However,!neither!these!periodic!activities!nor!the!consulting!work!in!Qatar!or!in!a!Palestinian!refugee!camp!are!currently!part!of!the!core!channels.!The!different!main!chanSnels!are!compared!on!the!basis!of!their!respective!costs,!risks!and!growth!potential.!

!Existing%channels!The!current!main!channels!face!challenges!that!call!for!creative!solutions!to!allow!Souk!el!Tayeb!to!continue!growing!successfully.!!

!


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Farmers%Market:%Souk!el!Tayeb!uses!a!farmers!market!as!its!primary!channel.!!Costs!and!risks!are!low!for!the!Souk,!but!so!is!growth!potential.!The!current!organization!of!the!marSket!with!independent!farmers!coordinated!by!a!SET!representative!seems!to!be!the!lowestScost!and!lowestSrisk!channel.!Very!few!investments!and!operating!costs!accrue,!and!most!of!the!logistics!such!as!sourcing!and!selling!produce!are!done!by!farmers!themselves.!!!Yet!four!key!factors!put!the!Souk!at!a!significant!disadvantage!to!a!traditional,!permanent!souk! because! they! lower! the! convenience! that! customers! can! expect:! First,! the! current!structure! limits! investment! opportunities! for! farmers,! as! higherSquality,! permanent!equipment!for!the!market!cannot!be!used.!Setting!up!and!clearing!the!market!every!single!day!consumes!significant!resources!that!could!be!better!invested!in!permanent!structures.!Second,!SET!is!affected!by!adverse!weather!as!an!openSair!market;!a!market!hall!would!be!preferable.!Third,!because! it!does!not! take!place!daily,! the!market!might! feel!more! like!a!weekly!event!than!a!traditional!farmers’!market!to!many!potential!customers.!Fourth,!this!impression! becomes! even! more! pronounced! due! to! the! frequent! and! often! shortSterm!changes!in!the!Souk’s!location!assigned!by!the!local!administration.!This!inconsistency!conSfuses!even!enthusiastic! and! loyal! customers!and!has! significantly! reduced! the!number!of!exhibitors!and!customers.!Taken!together,!these!four!disadvantages!limit!the!growth!potenStial!of!the!Souk!in!its!current!form.!Nevertheless,!the!Souk!remains!SET’s!key!channel!as!its!main!source!of!credibility!and!visibility.!!!

!Restaurants:%The!two!Tawlets!constitute!SET’s!second!main!channel!through!restaurants,!with!the!Beirut!Tawlet!organized!as!a!representative!restaurant!for!Lebanese!food!at!large.!Further!Tawlets!with!regional!focuses!are!planned!outside!Beirut,!and!Tawlet!Ammiq!just!opened! in! May.! These! two! Tawlets! seem! to! be! profitable! especially! because,! by! good!chance,! they! required! remarkably! little! initial! capital! investment.!Generally,! they!present!an! excellent! channel! for! selling! farmers’! produce!by! introducing! customers! to!disenfranSchised!women!and!regularly!showcasing!international!cooks.!The!chefs!then!receive!social!recognition!in!turn.!However,!the!costs!and!risks!are!higher!compared!to!the!Souk!even!if!few!capital!expenditures!were!necessary!in!the!first!place.!!!As!the!portfolio!of!Tawlets!expands!and!if!competition!with!other!restaurants!intensifies!or!the!‘buzz’!around!Tawlets!wanes,!these!higher!risks!and!costs!will!become!key!factors!for!SET!to!monitor!on!a!constant!basis.!For!example,!relatively!high!remuneration!for!farmers!reflects!good!quality!and!SET’s!production!values,!but!might!also!increase!costs!relative!to!many!competitors.!Prices!per!meal!are!already!relatively!high!(around!USD12!for!a!simple!meal! and! USD27! for! a! buffet! menu),! although! the! Beirut! Tawlet! only! opens! during!lunchtime!on!weekdays!and!offers!minimal!service.!!!


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The!growth!potential!of!Tawlets!is!limited!through!the!current!opening!hours!and!pricing!policy!in!particular,!although!this!business!model!currently!seems!to!work!well.!This!could,!for!example,!be!addressed!by!extending!opening!hours!and!targeting!a!broader!and!less!afSfluent! customer! base.! Extending! opening! hours! to! include! dinner! might! be! desirable! at!some!point!to!attract!dinner!customers!and!grow!Tawlets!into!fullSblown!restaurants,!but!might! require! raising! prices! to! cover! the! additional! investments! necessary.!Targeting! a!broader! and! less! affluent! customer! base! might! be! helpful! to! grow! Tawlets! into! a! more!comprehensive,!traditional! ‘restaurant!channel’!as!a!basis!for!SET’s!operations,!but!would!likely! require! scaling! operations! and! lowering! prices.! Thus,! one! out! of! several! different!models!needs!to!be!chosen!to!further!develop!the!Tawlet!channel.!!

!Grocery%Stores:!Selling!Dekenet!produce!in!thirdSparty!retail!stores,! in!addition!to!at!the!Souk!and!Tawlets,!is!a!complementary!channel!with!relatively!low!limited!costs!and!risks.!However,!this!is!the!channel!with!arguably!the!highest!level!of!competition!with!other!traSditional!or!organic!products!and!the!least!opportunities!to!communicate!SET’s!unique!misSsion!and!vision.!This!could!limit!the!growth!potential!of!third!party!retailing!significantly,!unless!operations!are!successfully!scaled!and!price!levels!lowered.!!

!Potential%further%channels!Permanent% Retail% Space:% The! emerging! idea! of! a! permanent! EcoSouk! of! about! 3000!square!meters,!three!times!the!size!of!the!current!Souk,!that!combines!several!ventures!inScluding! the! current! farmers’!market,!would! entail! a! host! of! new! challenges.! These! range!from! channels! in! permanent! retail! spaces,! financing! needs,! and! organizational! structure.!Capital!expenditures!and!operating!expenditures!would!likely!be!higher!than!for!all!current!ventures!combined,!leading!to!high!costs!and!risks.!The!question!of!how!to!acquire!the!necSessary! real! estate! and! capital! for! the! investments! necessary! under! preferential! terms! or!even!for!free!is!key.!Assuming!that!the!infrastructure!for!an!EcoSouk!can!be!built!in!the!fuSture,!the!concept!for!successfully!integrating!SET’s!various!activities!raises!exciting!opporStunities!and!many!questions.!!Other%channels%Other!promising!channel!ideas!exhibit!significantly!lower!costs!and!risks!than!the!current!design!of!an!EcoSouk,!and!possibly!also!significant!growth!potential.!They!should!have!priSority!over!and!be!pursued!alongside!longSterm!projects!such!as!EcoSouk.!!Food%truck:11%Probably!the!least!risk,!most!profitable,!and!highest!growthSpotential!among!new!channels!is!a!food!truck.!Little!investments!would!be!necessary!beyond!modifications!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11!Credit!for!coming!up!with!this!excellent!idea!goes!to!the!parallel!SET!group!in!our!course!at!Fletcher!School.!We!take!this!idea!up!here!because!we!believe!that!a!food!truck!might!indeed!enrich!SET’s!channels!and!operations,!with!little!risks!and!downside!potential.!Our!view!is!based!on!our!personal!experience!with!food!trucks!in!Boston,!and!on!another!class!at!


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to!an!existing!vehicle!to!handle!food!prepared!by!the!Beirut!Tawlet!and!probably!two!new!employees!as!a!cook!and!a!salesperson.!Cash!flows!from!this!new!channel!could!go!toward!SET’s! other! operations.! This! assessment! is! based!on! the! assumption! that! a! secondShand,!cheap!minivan!is!used!and!that!the!required!permits!can!be!secured!from!the!local!adminSistration.!Internationally,!food!trucks!offer!a!convincing!business!case!due!to!the!low!capital!investments!and!operating!costs! required,! and!have!been!vastly!popular!not! least!on! the!Harvard!and!MIT!campuses!in!Cambridge,!MA,!in!the!past!years.!!!For!example,!a!food!truck!parked!downtown!in!the!banking!area!during!lunchtime!would!offer!customers!who!are!pressed!for!time!and!currently!have!few!choices!for!a!quick!lunch!a!convenient!alternative.!SET!could!sell!food!sourced!from!its!current!farmers!for!customSers!to!take!away!or!eat!on!the!spot.!At!least!initially,!such!a!truck!would!be!the!first!of!its!kind! and! promise! SET! a! valuable! first! mover’s! advantage.! Not! much! promotion! beyond!word!of!mouth!would!be!necessary,!as!the!truck!would!be!obvious!to!customers.!The!truck!would!also!be!a!valuable!opportunity!for!crossSpromotion!for!the!farmers’!market!and!the!Tawlets,! as! it! could! introduce!a!new!customer!base! to! local!and!highSquality! food!and! to!SET’s!social!mission.!!!In!addition!to!increasing!SET’s!visibility!and!reach,!such!a!truck!could!also!present!a!valuaSble!strategic!tool.!The!truck!could!be!parked!in!different!neighborhoods!in!Beirut!or!other!cities!to!see!how!demand!develops!over!a!few!weeks!and!how!receptive!the!local!populaStion!is!to!SET’s!mission.!In!this!way,!SET!could!first!test!the!market!potential!before!decidSing!to!open!a!Tawlet!in!a!new!neighborhood,!effectively!lowering!risks.!Such!a!truck!could!even!become!a!permanent!offer!in!neighborhoods!where!demand!is!strong!but!where!SET!cannot!secure!space!or!the!investment!for!a!new!Tawlet.!This!would!reduce!SET’s!dependSence!on!donations!of!land!and!real!estate.!!!Of!course,! it! is! important! to!recognize! that!opportunity!costs!might!be!high!as!significant!time! and! resources! would! be! required! to! launch! such! a! new! venture.! Yet,! a! food! truck!would! probably! not! compete! with! SET’s! existing! operations,! but! could! instead! improve!crossSpromotion.!Special!attention!would!also!need! to!be!paid! to! telling!customers!about!SET’s!social!mission,!since!a!food!truck!prohibits!the!kind!of!community!building!that!ocScurs! in! a! Tawlet.! Overall! however,! it! would! fit! well! with! SET’s!mission! and! vision,! as! it!would!draw!in!new!customers!who!probably!could!or!would!not!frequent!the!Beirut!Tawlet!or!farmers’!market!to!SET.!!!Other!promising!but!higherSrisk!channels!are,! for!example,!home% catering% that!could!be!combined!with!cooking%classes,!home%delivery%schemes%that!could!be!initiated!in!coopS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Fletcher!School!(Starting!New!Ventures)!in!which!we!had!occasion!to!talk!to!one!of!the!founders!of!the!local!food!truck!scene.!!


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eration!with!schools!or!other!large!institutional!customers,!or!wholesale%customers%such!as!hotels,!restaurants!or!businesses.!!!Section%Four:%SWOT%Analysis%!

Strengths:!• Commitment!of!leaders!• Complementary!partnerS

ship/skills/personalities!of!the!foundSers!

• Personality!of!founder!is!strong!and!charismatic!

• Timing:!First!mover/gold!standard!!!advantage!against!competitors!!

• Brand!that!developed!trust!with!small!farmers!/!Brand!Loyalty!

• Network!of!small!producers/farmers!(a!loyal!base)!

• Unifying!force!• Donor!independence!gives!freedom!• Hybrid!structure!(forSprofit,!nonSprofit)!• Quality!of!the!products!• Complementarity!of!the!various!proS

jects!• Media!coverage!

Weaknesses:!• Personality!of!founder!is!strong!(what!

happens!if!he!leaves?)!• First!mover/gold!standard!(more!comS

petition!would!help!generate!demand,!lower!prices,!etc.!help!them!grow)!

• Limits!to!growth!• Portfolio!of!projects!!!lack!of!brand!

cohesion!• Lack!of!awareness!among!the!customS

ers!of!the!various!activities!of!SET!• Lack!of!knowledge!of!the!target!audiS

ence/current!customers’!(their!interSests,!perceptions!of!SET,!etc.)!

• Lack!of!budget!for!marketing!/!bugs!in!the!website!

• Hybrid!structure!(forSprofit,!nonSprofit)!

Opportunities:!• More!distribution!channels!for!Dekenet!!• Other!locations!for!Tawlet!• Growth!of!the!farmers’!market:!

*!more!space!(a!new!bigger!location,!or!an!additional!location!S!Eco!Souk)!*!more!farmers!*!more!time!(twice!a!week!for!instance)!

• Potential!new!audience!!!segment!of!youth!(urban)!

• International!expansion!!!business!opportunity!if!it!brings!additional!reveSnue!!

• Stronger!communication!(external!&!internal)!notably!through!social!media!

Threats:!• The!fragile!security!environment!of!

Lebanon!• International!expansion!!!risk!of!misS

sion!“creep”!• !“Burnout”!/!exhaustion!of!the!team,!

especially!the!founders!if!they!do!not!find!a!recurring!revenue!that!could!help!them!lead!all!their!current!projects!and!the!new!ones!

• !If!they!do!not!adapt!quickly,!risk!of!the!competition!

!


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Section%5:%Challenges%and%Opportunities%&From!our!review!of!the!available!Souk!el!Tayeb!literature,!and!from!our!conversations!with!Christine,!we!have!distilled!two!crucial!challenges!standing!in!the!way!of!SET’s!ambitions!to!grow!and!more!effectively!serve!its!mission.! !Both!of!these!challenges!S! low!awareness!of!SET’s!various!projects!and!difficulty!expanding!beyond!SET’s!current!partner!base! S!have!important!marketing!dimensions,!so!that!is!where!we!have!focused!our!attentions.!!!!Our! core! recommendations! focus! on! fundamental! and! practical! steps! that! can! be! impleSmented!speedily!and!intuitively.!In!an!organization!with!such!an!expansive!range!of!activiSties!and!a! small! team! to!execute! them,! it! is! far!easier! to!achieve!progress!at! the!margins!than! through! introducing! radically! new! systems! or! practices.! That! is! why,! to! the! extent!possible,!we!focused!our!efforts!on!proposals!that!would!minimize!the!effort!to!implement.!Our! team! firmly!believes! that! the!basics!matter,! and! that! if! you!get! the! foundational! eleSments!right,!then!everything!else!becomes!much!easier,!less!demanding!on!your!time!and!energy,!and!more!costSeffective.!!!!The! following! section! includes! a! description! of! these! two! marketingSrelated! challenges,!their!underlying!causes,!and!our!suggested!strategies!for!overcoming!them.!!!!

Diagram%1:%Overview%of%key%marketing%challenges%and%opportunities%

!!!

Challenge&1:&Difficulty&expanding&beyond&SET’s&current&partner&base&

Christine!mentioned!that!SET’s!reach!is!currently!restricted!to!certain!circles!of!producers!and! especially! consumers,!whom! she! profiled! as! people! in! their! 30s! and! 40s,!with! kids,!


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midS!to!highSincome,!conscious!about!what!they!eat!and!not!interested!in!shopping!at!suSpermarkets.! !This!challenge,!and!how!it!is!managed,!could!have!profound!implications!for!SET’s!ability!to!tap!into!new!markets!in!Beirut!and!throughout!the!country.!!!!We! have! identified! two! key! issues! underlying! this! challenge:! 1)! the! lack! of! market!knowledge!of!SET’s!intended!target!audiences,!and!2)!resource!constraints!such!as!the!lack!of! a!marketing! budget! and! small! staff! with! limited! capacity! to! devote! to!marketing! and!communications.!Our!recommendations,! therefore,! focus!on!practices!SET!can! implement!with!minimal!resource!outlays!and!which!will!assist!SET’s!efforts!to!broaden!its!audience!base!in!the!most!time!and!cost!efficient!manner!possible.!!!!Note:!What!we!will!not,do!is!recommend!who!SET!should!target.!We!do!not!pretend!to!unSderstand! the!different! population! segments! in!Beirut! or! beyond,! and! therefore! are! in!no!position!to!make!recommendations!of!that!sort.!We!leave!that!job!to!you.!Rather,!our!recSommendations!and!examples!will!be!helpful!once!you!have! identified! the!specific!market!segments!you!wish!to!target.!They!will!help!you!gain!valuable!knowledge!about!audience!needs,!which!you!can!then!use!as!the!basis!for!your!marketing!campaigns.!!Challenge&2:&Low&awareness&of&the&organizations’&various&projects&and&their&intercon)

nections&

Christine!noted!that!on!occasion!she!will!speak!with!someone!who!has!been!involved!with!one!of!SET’s!projects!for!a!long!time,!only!to!find!out!to!their!surprise!later!on!that!there!are!numerous!other!SET!programs!and!activities!that!they!never!knew!about.!Similarly,! in!an!admittedly! limited! and! biased! customer! survey! conducted! by! our! team,! one! respondent!noted! that! she! had! attended! both! Souk! el! Tayeb! and!Tawlet! but!was! unaware! that! they!were! associated! with! one! another.! None! of! the! four! survey! respondents! had! heard! of!Dekenet!S!not!statistically!significant!results,!but!telling!anecdotal!evidence.!!!!The!consequence!of!this!disconnect!between!all!the!projects!is!that!all!partners!S!including!consumers!and!producers!S!have!an!incomplete!and!therefore!weaker!impression!of!SET’s!impact!and!brand!than!the!organization!deserves.!Underlying!this!challenge!is!the!absence!of!a!directed!brand!strategy,!as!manifest! in!the!low!level!of!brand!cohesiveness!across!all!the! aligned!SET!activities,! as!well! as! in! the! inconsistent! communication!of! SET’s!mission!and!vision.!!!!Therefore,!we!are!proposing!a!branding!strategy!for!SET,!which!is!a!set!integrated!activities!that!will!strengthen!the!impression!that!the!organization!makes!on!all!partners,!and!in!turn!increase! the! emotional! connection! they! feel! to! the! brand! and! improve! their! knowledge!about!SET’s!related!activities.!When!we!refer!to!brand,!it!is!important!to!note!that!we!are!


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not!referring!to!the!SET!name!itself.!Rather,!the!brand!refers!to!the!qualities!and!attributes!that! customers! and!producers! associate!with! your! organization.! In! other!words,! it! is! the!impression!that!your!organization!makes!on!people’s!hearts!and!minds.!!Section%6:%Customer%Strategy%!Strategic%Objective%1:%Broaden%and%Deepen%Target%Audience%%Recommendation%#1:%%Develop!and!Implement!Stakeholder!Analysis!Toolkit!!The!first!opportunity!area!for!Souk!el!Tayeb!is!to!implement!a!customer!strategy!that!adSdresses!underlying!challenges!in!order!to!achieve!the!strategic!objective!of!broadening!and!deepening! selected! target! audiences.! Through! several! examples! of! current! and! potential!target! audiences,!we! see! the!utility! of! SET!developing! the! tools! to! incorporate! audienceScentered!marketing!strategies.!!!Deepen%Relationships%with%Current%Target%Audience%SET!currently! targets!higher! income!urban!populations!who!value!healthy! living!and!are!interested!in!supporting!local!farmers!and!buying!healthy,!organic!products.!This!is!a!speScific!segment!of!the!population!based!on!shared!interests,!and!represents!relationships!that!can!be!deepened.!!The!following!represents!sample!positioning!around!specific!target!audiSences!to!achieve!this:!

● Positioning%around%high%income%partners:!If!personal!relationships!(and!perhaps!prestige)!are!something!these!stakeholders!value,!one!option!is!to!form!SET!memSberships.!!Those!who!become!a!partner/member!could!be!invited!to!an!annual!Souk!el!Tayeb!dinner!event! that! they!buy! tickets! for!and!are! treated! to! the!best!cuisine!from!local!farmers.!!It!can!function!as!a!fundraiser!and/or!awarenessSraising!event!where! they! can! invite! friends! to!hear! of! new!activities! and!how! they! can! support!SET’s!vision!in!the!future.%CrossSpromoting!can!also!conveniently!let!them!know!that!there!are!other!venues!and!products!about!which!they!can!tell!their!friends.!!%

● Positioning%around%lower%income%partners:!The!current!limits!to!the!growth!poStential!of!Tawlets!could,!for!example,!be!addressed!by!extending!opening!hours!and!targeting!a!broader!and!less!affluent!customer!base.!Extending!opening!hours!to!inSclude!dinner!might!be!desirable!at!some!point!to!attract!also!dinner!customers!and!grow!Tawlets!into!fullSblown!restaurants!(although!this!might!require!raising!prices!to!cover!the!additional! investments!necessary).!Targeting!a!broader!and!less!affluSent! customer! base!might! be! helpful! to! grow!Tawlets! into! a!more! comprehensive,!traditional!‘restaurant!channel’!as!a!basis!for!SET’s!operations,!but!would!likely!reSquire!scaling!operations!and!lowering!prices.!!


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● Positioning%around%expatriates:!This!population!often!values!local!traditions!and!culture!and!wants!their!lifestyle!to!reflect!their!values.!They!may!miss!their!commuSnity! at! home! because! they! live! away! from! their! families.! SET! can! emphasize! the!community!aspect!as!well!as!how!their!values!align!with!SET’s!commitment!to!farmSers’!sustainable! livelihoods.! !This!can! include! intentionally!emphasizing!the!mix!of!international! chefs! (interest! in! international! experiences)! and! local! farmer! chefs!(commitment!to!local).!Perhaps!they!are!interested!in!group!rates!for!cooking!clasSses!to!be!with!others!in!the!community.%

● Positioning%around%tourists:!They!have!seen!SET!media!coverage!and!want!to!exSperience!the!culture!and!support!local!farmers.!!SET!can!emphasize!the!importance!of!even!one!time!purchases!(and!perhaps!make!recommendations!on!some!specific!purchases!that!are!significant!in!a!farmer!families’!life).!This!can!help!them!feel!like!they!are!making!a!difference!while!still!experiencing!the!food!and!community!of!the!region.%

%Broaden%Relationships%with%New%Audiences%SET!is!interested!in!finding!people!who!are!influencers!in!their!community!and!can!spread!your! vision! further! afield.!A!potential! audience! segment!might!be! young!people!who!are!interested!in!social!causes,!are!linked!to!social!media,!and!want!to!be!involved!in!improving!their!world.!They!are!connected!to!family!members!who!may!be!interested!in!shopping!in!the!Souk!and!dining!at!Tawlet.!Those!based!in!international!locations!may!provide!a!way!to!start!connecting!to!the!diaspora,!who,!when!they!visit!Lebanon,!would!be!interested!in!visSiting!an!organization!with!whom!their!family!has!started!to!build!a!relationship.!!Based!on!some!limited!surveys!of!young!people!who!have!visited!the!SET!farmers!market,!we!understand!that!young!adults!may!be!turned!away!by!the!high!prices!and!more!excluSsive!atmosphere.!!But,!they!are!drawn!to!the!social!mission!of!the!organization!and!want!to!support!it.!

● Positioning%around%youth%and%young%adults:!They!may!be!drawn!to!volunteering!opportunities,!which!are!practical!ways!that! they!can!contribute!and! live!out! their!interests.!This!could! include!visits! to! farms!or!volunteering!at! the! farmers!market.!Urban!youth!also!are!plugged!in!to!social!media!and!are!quick!to!share!interesting!stories!that!they!can!send!to!their!friends!that!demonstrate!their!interests.!HarmoSnizing!online!sources!such!as!Facebook,!the!SET!website,!Twitter,!etc.!gives!them!a!way!to!show!support!for!SET’s!vision!and!encourage!others!to!join.%

● Also,!university!students!who!are!interested!in!agriculture!and!social!justice!issues!are!an!interesting!option!for!broadening!your!customer!base.!Sponsoring!a!universiSty!student!group!whose!members!are!advocating!around!the!same!issues!SET!proSmotes!would! be! a! great! awareness! raising! activity.! SET! could! offer! events! at! the!farmers!market!for!the!group,!providing!them!with!a!realSlife!example!of!the!issues!


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they! care! about.! Student! leaders! of! the! group! could! also! be! invited! to! Tawlet! for!dinner!with!SET!staff!once!a!semester,!creating!mentor!relationships!to!share!values!and!to!expand!SET’s!vision!on!campus.!This!added!layer!of!training!and!mentorship!is!attractive!to!young!social!entrepreneurs!and!gives!SET!exposure!to!a!rising!generSation!of!young!people.!

!!Customer/Stakeholder%Toolkit%These!are!just!several!examples!that!point!to!the!value!of!understanding!the!interests!and!motivations!of!audiences,!allowing!for!more!strategic!targeting!of!chosen!market!segments.!With!SET’s!innovations!and!expansion,!it!would!be!profitable!to!have!a!stakeholder!toolkit!with!strategies!for!uncovering!information!regarding!interests,!motivations,!etc.! Its!methSodology!can!be!relatively!simple,!with!survey!questions!given!at!existing!venues!and!then!expanding! to! potential! target! audiences! to! broaden! the! customer! base.! Simple! summary!reports! of! trends! in! responses! can!be! incorporated! in! regular! reporting! and! information!shared! in! team!strategy!meetings.! (Sample! surveys!with!questions! to! adapt! to!needs! are!included!in!Appendix!I).!!Existing%Venues:!!“How!are!we!doing?”!surveys!at!the!Tawlet!restaurants!when!people!pay!their!check!can!offer!useful!feedback.!Customers!can!either!fill!it!out!at!the!store!or!online,!and!doing!so!could!enter!them!to!win!a!prize!of!dinner! for! two!at!Tawlet.!At! the! farmers!market,!visitors!can!fill!out!exit!surveys!and!sign!up!to!an!email!listserv!to!receive!regular!SET!updates.!%Potential%Audiences:!If!looking!to!focus!on!young!people,!administering!surveys!at!univerSsities!and!offering!online!options!would!allow!SET!to!see!if!students!are!interested!in!your!mission!and!vision,!and!if!they!are!looking!for!ways!to!actively!engage.!%Section%7:%Brand%Strategy%!Clarifying!SET’s! vision!and!mission! statements,! in! addition! to!defining! the!unique! selling!proposition,!is!an!excellent!way!to!strategically!position!SET!for!growth!and!expansion.!InSternal!marketing! is!also! important!because! it!ensures!buySin! from!staff!and!key!partners.!Based!on!our!analysis!of!the!macro!and!micro!environments!and!the!organizational!SWOT!analysis,!we!offer!strategies!for!brand!promotion!and!brand!placing.!This!includes!a!comSmunication!strategy!that!emphasizes!the!importance!of!leveraging!farmers’!stories,!internal!marketing!recommendations!establishing!farmers!as!brand!ambassadors,!and!the!strategic!approach! of! crossSpromotion.! Finally,! this! section! concludes! with! a! recommendation! to!measure!social!outcomes,!to!ensure!that!SET!is!living!up!to!the!promise!defined!in!its!misSsion.!


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!I. Positioning%%

Recommendation%#2:%%Establish!a!clear!mission!statement,!a!vision!statement,!and!a!Unique!Selling!PropoSsition!(USP).!This!could!be!achieved!during!a!daySlong!staff/farmer!retreat.%

!!Once!SET!has!a!clear!understanding!of!the!motivations!of!its!partners,!customers,!and!comSpetitors,! it! can!more!effectively!position! itself!as!an!organization! in! the! food!and! farming!space! and! tailor! its! brand! to!meet! its! mission.! Our! recommended! branding! strategy! inScludes!many!fundamental!elements!that!are!necessary!to!market!SET!to!its!customers!and!stakeholders.! It! is! important! to!note! that!brand!management! is!not!only! about! favorable!external! positioning! and! how! SET! is! perceived,! but! also! “driving! broad,! longSterm! social!goals,! while! strengthening! internal! identity,! cohesion,! and! capacity.”12!By! conceiving! of!your!brand!in!this!way,!the!dividends!extend!beyond!fundraising!and!toward!greater!social!impact.!!Social%Enterprise:!As!a!social!enterprise,!Souk!el!Tayeb!is!in!a!unique!position!to!achieve!great!social!impact!while!also!contributing!to!the!business!and!restaurant!sectors!in!Beirut!and!in!other!towns!where!Tawlets!are!located.!However,!the!forSprofit!and!the!nonSprofit!sides! of! SET! must! be! considered! within! the! same! framework! and! mission! in! order! to!achieve!greater!strength!as!a!brand.!While!we!do!not!see!SET’s!dual!identity!as!a!problem,!it!is! something! to!be! aware!of! as! you!position! yourself! among! customers! and! competitors.!The!benefit! of! being! a! social! enterprise! is! that! you! can!position! SET! in! the! same!market!space! as! organic! and! green! grocers,! but! also! boast! your! added! value! as! an! organization!supporting!Lebanese/Qatari!farmers!and!the!region’s!cultural!heritage.!!Cultural% Leader:! Additionally,! we! see! great! strength! in! SET’s! vision! of! uniting! diverse!communities!and!believe!that!aspect!of!your!vision!could!be!exploited!to!position!SET!as!a!cultural! leader! in! reviving! and! establishing!Lebanese/Qatari! identity.! For! example,!while!Tawlet!is!designed!to!create!links!between!Beirut!residents!and!a!rural!farmer!chef,!it!could!also!be!used!to!foster!community!between!individuals!who!attend!the!Tawlet.!What!other!community!aspects!could!you!integrate!into!the!Tawlet?!Perhaps!a!local!musician!or!a!local!artist?! Could! you! have! book! launches! or! poetry! readings! during! the! lunch! session?! This!would!bring!people! to! the!Tawlet!who! are! involved! in! the! arts! scene!but!maybe!not! the!food!scene,!thereby!expanding!your!vision!of!uniting!communities!of!people!around!food.!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!12!Nathalie!LaidlerAKylander!and!Christopher!Stone,!“The!Role!of!Brand!in!the!Nonprofit!Sector,”!Stanford)Social)Innovation)Re1view,)Spring!2012.!


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These!are!new!segments!of! the!population! in!Beirut!whom!you!could!target!and!position!yourself!to!attract!by!strengthening!your!brand!and!your!marketing.!

%A. Mission%and%Vision%

NonSprofits!are!missionSdriven.!Missions!are! the!guiding! tool! for!organizations! to!ensure!that!they!are!reaching!the!goals!they!set!out!to!achieve,!and!positioning!themselves!within!a!broader!vision!of!the!world.!This!means!that!establishing!clarity!and!formality!in!the!misSsion!and!vision!statements!are!vital!to!the!future!success!of!a!nonSprofit!brand.!!Throughout!our!research!and!communications!with!SET!staff,!we!found!that!SET!uses!the!words!“mission”!and!“vision”!interchangeably,!and!that!the!definition!of!each!varies!slightly,!suggesting! that! SET! does! not! have! a! formal! and! consistent! mission! statement! or! vision!statement.!

● During!our!first!conversation!with!Christine,!she!recited!the!following!as!the!vision!statement:! “Supporting! small! farmers,! connecting! them!with! the! community,! and!helping!them!develop!a!sustainable!living.”!

● When!asked!for!the!mission!and!vision!of!SET!in!writing,!Christine!replied:!“Souk!el!Tayeb’s! vision! is! to! celebrate! food!and! traditions!and! support! small! scale! farmers!and!producers!and!the!culture!of!sustainable!agriculture.”!

● In!SET’s!oneSpager,!it!contains!the!following!as!the!mission:!“To!support!smallSscale!farmers!and!producers!as!well!as!preserve!food!traditions!and!sustainable!agriculSture.”!

!Formalizing!the!mission!and!vision!helps!prevent!“mission!drift”!so!that!SET!does!not!take!on!projects!or!programs!that!are!beyond!the!scope!of!its!work.!It!also!ensures!consistency!across!each!of!your!programs,!and!common!understanding!among!all!customers,!staff,!and!partners.!Without! an! institutionalized!mission! statement! and! separate! vision! statement,!there!may!be!confusion!among!stakeholders!as!to!what!your!priorities!are!and!how!you!are!addressing!them.!!Proposed% Mission% Statement:! A!mission,statement! communicates! 1)! the! organization’s!purpose,!2)!who!it!serves,!and!3)!by!what!means.!It!should!be!clear,!succinct!(no!more!than!one!sentence),!and!identical!in!every!publication,!statement,!and!conversation.!In!the!above!mission/vision! statements! that! we! were! provided,! each! contains! the! purpose! and! the!population!SET!serves,!but!does!not!indicate!how!it!achieves!this!mission/vision.!Thus,!we!propose!the!following!as!a!draft!mission!statement!for!SET!to!consider:!!“Souk,el,Tayeb’s,mission,is,to,promote,sustainable,agriculture,and,enduring,communities,by,providing,innovative,opportunities,to,smallMscale,farmers,and,producers.”,,


25!!

This!mission! includes! the! ‘what’! (“to!promote! sustainable!agriculture!and!enduring!comSmunities”),! the! ‘who’!(“smallSscale! farmers!and!producers”),!and!the! ‘how’!(“by!providing!innovative!opportunities”).!You!do!not!need!to!describe!at! length!what!your!projects!are,!since!a!mission!is!meant!to!be!simple!and!memorable.!!Proposed%Vision%Statement:!A!vision,statement,!by!contrast,!is!how!an!organization!sees!the!world.! This! can! be! a! little! longer! and! broader! than! the!mission! statement,! though! it!should!clearly!articulate!‘why’!SET!does!what!it!does.!Kamal!is!already!quite!good!at!articuSlating!SET’s!vision,! it!simply!needs!to!be! formalized!and!shared!through!publications!and!SET’s!website.!Thus,!we!propose!the!following!as!a!draft!mission!statement!for!SET!to!conSsider:!

!“Souk, el, Tayeb’s, vision, is, to, see, nations, and, regions,with,more, connected, and, sustainable,communities.,We,believe, that, through,celebrating, food,cultures,and, food, traditions,,people,will,come,together,to,share,,support,,and,nourish,each,other.,It,is,only,by,strengthening,rural,farms,and,becoming,better,stewards,of,the,land,that,our,economies,will,become,prosperous,and,resilient.”,

,Again,!this!is!simply!a!starting!point!for!a!much!deeper!discussion!about!SET’s!vision!and!mission.!We!recommend!a!daySlong!staff!retreat!with!some!of!SET’s!farmers!to!discuss!and!finalize!a!formal!mission!statement!and!a!formal!vision!statement.!Once!vision!and!mission!are! institutionalized,! staff! should! be! able! to! recite! the! mission! statement! verbatim! and!farmers!should!be!well!versed!enough!to!give!an!accurate!sense!of!the!mission!to!customSers!at!the!Souk!and!at!Tawlet.!!The!following!diagram!is!a!means!of!conceptualizing!SET’s!vision!and!the!relationship!beStween!each!aspect!of!its!work:!


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!Diagram%2:%SET%Vision%!Continually!reflecting!on!the!mission!statement!during!program!expansion!–!particularly!as!you! think!about!Qatar! –! ! and!during! strategic!planning!processes! ensures! that! each! step!you!take!as!an!organization! is!consistent!with!your! foundational!purpose!and!the!change!you!seek.!You!ensure!that!all!of!your!programs!are!working!toward!the!same!broader!goal!even! if!Dekenet!and!Tawlet!have!different!objectives!under!the!mission!umbrella.!A!clear!mission!statement!and!vision!statement!will!have!positive!ripple!effects!throughout!the!orSganization!and!is!foundational!to!many!of!!the!other!recommendations!in!this!marketing!strategy.!!!!

B. Unique%Selling%Proposition%The!next!element!of!our!branding!strategy!is!the!Unique!Selling!Proposition!(USP).!This!is!the! primary! thought! people! should! take! away! from! encounters!with! SET’s! brand,!which!distinguishes! it! from!other! organizations! in! your!marketing! space.13!The!USP! is! typically!embodied!in!a!tag! line!S!a!word!or!short!phrase!that!often!accompanies!an!organization’s!logo.!For!example,!the!USP!for!Corporate!Accountability!International!is!“Challenging!abuse.!Protecting!people.”!It!is!clear,!sharp,!and!gives!the!customer!or!partner!a!very!quick!underSstanding!of!what!Corporate!Accountability! International!does.!Corporate!sector!examples!include!“Melts!in!your!mouth,!not!in!your!hand”!for!M&M’s!and!“Think!different”!for!Apple.!Companies!change!taglines!and!slogans!fairly!regularly!based!on!market!analysis;!WalSMart,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!13!Larry!Chiagouris,!“Nonprofit!brands!come!of!age:!Commercial!sector!practices!shed!light!on!nonprofit!branding!success,”!

Marketing)Management,!September/October!2005.!


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for!example,!is!known!for!its!“Always!low!prices.!Always”!slogan!but!recently!changed!their!tagline!to!“Save!money.!Live!better.”!NonSprofit!brands!promise!an!additional!social!impact!that,!rather!than!selling!a!product,!sell!a!solution!to!a!social!or!environmental!ill.!!Souk!el!Tayeb!should! think! through! the!primary!elements!of!your!organization’s!mission!that!you!wish!to!convey!to!customers!and!partners.!Then,!consider!combining!one!or!two,!or!choosing!the!most!important!and!developing!a!catchy!slogan!to!accompany!the!SET!logo.!Throughout!our!analysis,!we!have!found!many!common!themes!in!SET’s!work:!sustainable!agriculture,! uniting! communities,! and! supporting! smallSscale! farmers.! Based! on! these!broad!themes,!we!offer!several!suggestions!for!a!potential!USP:!

“Food,Unites,Us,,Food,Sustains,Us.”,“We,Are,Farmers.,We,Are,[insert,country/region].”,,

(ex:,“We,Are,Farmers.,We,Are,Lebanon.”),“Food,Unites,Us,,We,Are,[insert,country/region].”,“Sustainable,Food,,Sustainable,Communities.”,“United,Through,Food.”,,

II. Marketing&Mix:&Promotion,&Place,&Product&&&Price&&%

Recommendation%#3:%!Harmonize!SET’s!projects!by!reworking!the!brand!around!a!similar!color!palette,!naming!convention,!and!USP.!%Recommendation%#4:%!Redesign!the!website!with!this!marketing!plan!in!mind.!%Recommendation%#5:%!Streamline!SET’s!media!toolkit!to!ease!the!burden!on!staff!and!to!ensure!consistent!messaging!to!various!media!outlets.!%Recommendation%#6:%!Pursue!a!stronger!social!media!strategy,!coordinating!SET’s!work!across!the!website!and!Facebook!and!Twitter!accounts.!%Recommendation%#7:%!Profile!5!SET!farmers!on!the!website!and!in!promotional!materials!to!leverage!the!strength!of!their!stories.!!Recommendation%#8:%Cultivate!staff!and!producers!as!brand!ambassadors!through!the!use!of!internal!marketing!processes!such!as:!recruiting!the!right!people;!training!new!hires!to!live!and!breathe!SET’s!mission!and!values;!internal!communications!to!reinforce!the!brand!and!the!sense!of!shared!purpose;!reward!and!recognition!programs;!leaderS


28!!

ship!exhibited!through!direct!engagement!with!activities!at!every!level!of!the!organSization;!and!sustainability!measures!to!assess!whether!internal!marketing!efforts!are!working.!

!In!this!section,!we!offer!some!insights!on!a!possible!“Marketing!Mix”!for!Souk!el!Tayeb.!Of!the!4!P’s!included!in!the!traditional!Marketing!Mix!framework!(promotion,!place,!product,!and!pricing),!we!concentrate!on!promotion!and!place!because!we!feel!those!are!the!areas!we!can!most!effectively!address!with!our!Brand!and!Customer!Strategies.!Much!of!this!secStion!will!be!very!foundational,!offering! ideas!and!recommendations!for!how!to!communiScate!SET’s!mission!both!externally!and! internally!within!the!organization.!We!will!not! inSclude!recommendations!regarding!SET’s!products!and!pricing,!because!we!do!not!have!sufSficient! information! to! offer! specific! advice! in! these! areas.!However,! we! have! alluded! to!SET's! products! and!pricing!policy!where! appropriate! above.!Generally,!we!note! that! SET!can!make!use!of!several!levers!to!design!and!adapt!its!product!and!pricing!policy.!Some!key!levers! for! products! are! appearance,! quality,! packaging,! warranties,! regional! factors! and!service;!for!price,!they!include!regular!list!prices,!discounts!and!offers!to!frequent!customSers,!timeSvariant!prices!and!financing!options.!Several!other!alternatives!exist!that!could!be!used!instead!of!the!traditional!4!P's,!but!they!are!used!here!as!the!most!intuitive!and!wellSestablished!frameworks.!!!One!differentiation!between!competing!frameworks!gains!importance!because!SET!can!be!neither!fit!neatly!into!the!nonSprofit!nor!the!profit!sector:!The!traditional!'product'!category!in! the!4!P's! framework! remains! relevant! for! SET,! summing! all! the! goods! it! offers! to! end!consumers!or!other!stakeholders!such!as!farmers.!At!the!same!time,!however,!SET!focuses!on! the! category! 'product'! in! terms!of! the!nonSprofit! sector,! referring! to! 'social!outcomes'!that!are!broader!and!affect!more!stakeholders!than!merely!SET's!suppliers,!customers!and!competitors.!In!the!following,!part!(II.)!presents!the!traditional!marketing!mix!viewpoint.!In!contrast,!part! (III.)!views!SET!under! the!nonSprofit! conception!of! ‘product,’! showing!how!Souk!el!Tayeb!fulfills!its!social!mission.!

%A. Communications%Strategy%

Strategic! communications! is! important! to! ensure! that! your!mission!and!message! reach!a!wider! audience.! The! visual! brand! is! a! significant! component! of! a!wider! communications!strategy!because!the!image!is!often!the!most!recognizable!feature!of!a!nonSprofit.!Souk!el!Tayeb!has!clearly!chosen!green!as!its!color!palette,!though!we!have!noticed!different!shades!of!green!among!different!projects.!We!recommend!harmonizing!those!and!choosing!a!conSsistent!green!that!can!be!employed!throughout!your!brand!family.!In!the!same!way!Harvard!University!is!intimately!tied!to!the!color!crimson,!SET!should!be!intimately!tied!to!your!parSticular!green.!!


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Color%Palette%and%USP:!As!part!of!our!analysis,!we!reviewed!several!international!organiSzations!and!examined!how!they!articulate!their!brand.!ECHOStore,!a!social!enterprise!based!in! Indonesia,! tells! a! very! compelling! story! through! its! visual! brand! (see! Appendix! 4,!Benchmarking!Presentation).!An!earthStoned!color!palette,!combined!with!“sustainable”!as!its!USP!and!the!“ECHO”!prefix!as!its!brand!naming!convention,!is!an!effective!way!of!creatSing!cohesion!across!its!programs.!There!is!no!doubt!in!anyone’s!mind!that!the!ECHOMarket!and!ECHOYoga!are!part!of!the!same!brand.!SET!could!employ!similar!strategies,!particularSly!the!color!palette!and!the!USP.!Your!Souk!el!Tayeb!name!is!very!strong,!so!we!do!not!recSommend!that!you!change!it!but!rather!build!off!of!it!to!create!cohesion!among!your!other!projects.!We!suggest!that!you!append!both!Tawlet!and!Dekenet!with!“el!Tayeb,”!which!creSates!more! harmony! than! simply! adding! the! SET! logo! to! your! Dekenet! products.! So,! you!would!be!known!for!“Souk!el!Tayeb,”!“Tawlet!el!Tayeb,”!and!“Dekenet!el!Tayeb,”!and!you!should!retain!the!suffix!for!any!future!project.!!Media%Coverage:!!When!we!think!of!communications,!we!most!often!think!about!the!media.!SET!has!been!very!effective!at!garnering!media!coverage!over!the!years,!both!in!Lebanon!and!internationally,!so!you!should!continue!to!pursue!it!as!an!opportunity!based!on!existing!strengths.!The!media!plays!a!key!role!in!promoting!SET’s!activities!and!it!is!important!to!be!consistent!in!the!information!that!is!shared!with!journalists.! !We!have!developed!a!Public!Relations!(PR)!toolkit!that!will!enable!you!to!leverage!media!attention.!!It!takes!time!and!creativity!to!craft!an!effective!media!kit,!but!it!is!worth!the!effort!as!media!coverage!offers! free!publicity! that!helps!reach!a!broader!audience.!SET! is!already!using!a!“press!kit”!and!we!recommend!ensuring!that!the!following!elements!are!included!in!a!genSeral!“media!kit:”!!!

• A!vision!and!mission!statement.!• A!brief!background!of!the!organization.!• A! brief! presentation! of! the! main! programs! that! the! organization! is! running! (the!

farmers’!market,!the!Tawlet!restaurants,!the!Dekanet!products,!etc.)!with!some!illusStrations.!

• A! few! short! illustrated! bios! of! SET’s! partners/brand! ambassadors! (farmers! and!producers).!

• A!few!additional!professional!pictures!of!the!various!activities,!available!on!demand.!• An!updated!listing!of!the!coming!events.!• Quotes!from!previous!media!coverage.!• Organization’s!contact!information.!• A!newsletter,!which!is!a!powerful!tool!worth!the!time!investment!!• A!short!list!of!frequent!questions!and!answers!(FAQ).!

!!


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The!media!kit!should!be!updated!regularly!and! the!brand’s! logo!should!be!present!on!all!documents.!Additionally,!some!media!kit!elements!are!already!included!under!the!“press”!section!of! soukeltayeb.com!and!should!be!modified!with! the!above! list.!On! this!webpage,!there!should!also!be!a!short!text!inviting!journalists!to!contact!SET’s!team:!&

Media& Inquiries:, If, you, are, interested, in, writing, a, story, about, Souk, el, Tayeb,, we,would, love,to,hear,from,you.,Souk,el,Tayeb,and,its,various,programs,have,been,feaMtured, in, a, variety, of, traditional, and, nonMtraditional,media, outlets, such, as, the,New,York,Times,,Time,Out,,and,the,Daily,Star.,Please,send,all,of,your,media,related,inquirMies, to, [XXX], at, [email protected],, and,we,will, help, you, get, the, information, you,need.!

!Website:!An!organization’s!website!is!another!critical!tool!for!communications.!This!should!be!a!key!focus!area!for!SET,!particularly!because!your!current!customer!base!is!relaStively!wealthy!and!wellSeducated.!Your!customers!are!more!likely!to!visit!a!website!than!the!average!Lebanese!customer.!We!understand!you!are!in!the!midst!of!a!website!redesign,!so!we!will!not!recommend!any!specific!additions!or!changes!here.!However,!we!do!wish!to!stress!that!each!of!the!above!elements!of!Brand!Strategy!should!be!carefully!considered!as!you!implement!a!new!website.!The!website!ought!to!have!a!page!dedicated!to!Mission!and!Vision,!a!cohesive!color!palette,!a!USP,!and!it!should!encompass!each!of!your!projects.!Tawlet!should!not!have!a!separate!website!as!it!does!now,!but!could!instead!have!a!tab!or!a!page!within!the!Souk!el!Tayeb!site.!!!Social%Media:!!SET!has!an!opportunity!to!bring!in!a!younger!generation!of!customers.!BeScause!the!youth!and!young!adult!population!in!Lebanon!is!quite!high,!SET!could!initiate!the!use!of!social!media!tools!to!appeal!to!them!and!to!encourage!them!to!engage!in!the!social!mission!of!SET.!Currently,!the!SET!Facebook!page!describes!SET!as!a!weekly!farmers’!marSket!SS!that’s!it.!As!a!result,!if!a!young!person!is!viewing!the!page,!they!might!be!interested!in!visiting!the!Souk!for!the!experience,!but!they!cannot!become!deeply!involved!in!SET’s!social!mission.!A!more!active!Facebook!page!does!take!time!and!resources,!but!investing!in!social!media!is!likely!to!produce!greater!dividends!in!the!longSrun.!SET!can!harmonize!its!work!and!messages!across!Facebook!and!Twitter!to!reach!an!even!wider!audience.!

%B. Leveraging%Farmers%Stories%

SET’s!core!marketing!strategy!should!revolve!around!leveraging!farmers’!stories,!allowing!them!to!become!the!face!of!the!organization.!Particularly!as!SET!grows,!it!will!be!important!that!the!founders’!story!of!Kamal!Mouzawak!becomes!less!dominant!than!the!stories!of!the!farmers.!After!all,!the!farmers!and!producers!are!SET’s!primary!partners!and!reason!for!beSing.!Customers!who!attend!the!Souk!and!Tawlet!get!to!know!and!develop!relationships!with!some!of!the!farmers,!and!begin!to!enact!the!mission!of!SET!through!their!connection.!This!


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sense!of!connection!should!also!be!apparent!in!marketing!materials,!on!SET’s!website,!and!in!conversations!about!the!organization.!!Liga%Masiva%Case%Study%One!of!the!organizations!we!examined!as!part!of!our!marketing!analysis!S!Liga!Masiva!S!tells!the!stories!of!its!farmers!on!its!website!and!creates!a!sense!of!closeness!with!them.!Because!Liga!Masiva’s!target!audience!includes!people!who!attend!local! farmers!markets!and!who!want! to! know! their! farmers,! the! organization!was! forced! to! think! creatively! in! order! to!generate!a!similar!connection!between!customers!in!the!United!States!and!coffee!farmers!in!Latin!America.!In!these!farmer!stories,!the!visitor!often!learns!about!the!farmer’s!family!and!how!the! farmer’s!work!connects!back!to!Liga!Masiva’s!mission.!The!visitor!may!also!tour!the!farmer’s!farm!through!a!series!of!photos,!and!can!directly!contact!the!farmer!via!email!if!interested.!!We!propose!that!SET!similarly!leverage!the!stories!of!its!farmers!to!tell!its!mission!and!to!create! a! compelling!narrative! around!SET’s!work.!By! selecting!5! farmers! and! thoroughly!profiling!them!on!the!website!and!throughout!communications!materials,!SET!shows!that!it!is! serious! about! farmer! empowerment! and! about! connecting! people! through! food! and!farming!traditions.!We!are!aware!that!SET!does!some!farmer!profiling!already,!particularly!for!the!Tawlet,!but!it!could!be!done!more!deliberately!in!external!communications!so!as!to!promote!SET’s!mission!to!a!wide!audience.!!SET’s!farmers,!producers,!and!chefs!ought!to!be!your!“brand!ambassadors,”!the!individuals!who!your!customers!view!as!representative!of!what!SET!does!and!why!it!does!it.!As!articuSlated!above,!farmers!should!have!a!good!understanding!of!SET’s!overall!mission.!!This!will!be!discussed!in!more!detail!in!the!section!below.!

%C. Internal%Marketing%Activities%

Put!crassly,!internal!marketing!is!selling!the!organization!to!its!employees!and!producers.14!This!extends!beyond!attracting!partners!to!the!organization!to!include!how!you!keep!them!motivated,!knowledgeable!about!everything!you!do,!and!committed!to!serving!the!mission!so!that!they!are!not!only!good!employees!or!partners,!but!also!good!brand!ambassadors.!In!fact,!it!can!be!a!costSeffective!approach!to!marketing!your!organization!in!the!absence!of!a!communications!budget.!!!!!!Beyond!improving!the!bottom!line,!a!successful!internal!marketing!operation!will!strengthSen!SET’s!brand! in!general.! It!does!so!by!achieving!greater!cohesion!between!the!external!image!SET!seeks!to!project!and!the!internal!impression!it!makes!on!its!employees!and!proS

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!14!W.!Benoy!Joseph,!“Internal!Marketing!Builds!Service!Quality,”!Journal)of)Health)Care)Marketing!16!(Spring!1996):!54.!


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ducers.!!As!Professor!LaidlerSKylander!noted!in!a!recent!article,!“A!nonprofit!brand!is!most!powerful! when! the! organization’s! internal! identity! and! external! image! are! aligned! with!each!other!and!with!its!values!and!mission”.15!!!The!following!section!presents!a!description!of!brand!ambassadors!and!their!value,!as!well!as! our! internal!marketing! recommendations! for! converting! all! employees! and!producers!into!passionate,!knowledgeable!brand!ambassadors.!!!!Brand%ambassador%defined%According!to!GC!Marketing!Services!S!a!leader!in!promotional!events!for!many!internationSally!known!brands!S!a!brand!ambassador!is,!“someone!who,!at!the!most!basic!level,!repreSsents!a!brand!in!a!positive!way.! !A!capable!Brand!Ambassador!should!be!the!walking!and!talking!embodiment!of!the!product!that!they!are!representing.!They!should!be!well!trained!and! able! to! answer! almost! any! question! that! a! prospective! consumer! might! have! for!them.”16!For!an!example!of!brand!ambassadors!effectively!used!to!grow!sales!and!strengthSen! loyalty! amongst! employees!and! customers!alike,!please! refer! to! the! case!of!Zappos! in!Appendix!2.!!Internal%marketing%recommendations%to%cultivate%brand%ambassadors%Internal!marketing!consists!of!several!processes:!recruitment!practices,!trainings,!internal!communications,!reward!and!recognition!programs,! leadership!practices,!and!sustainabilSity!measures.17!Below! are! numerous! recommendations! that! SET! could! practically! impleSment,!many!of!which!could!be!adapted!to!fit!into!activities!SET!already!does.!These!suggesStions!are!drawn!from!documented!best!practices.!We!strongly!advise!that!any!recommenSdation!put!into!action!has!strong!support!from!senior!management!and!is!applied!consistSently!over!time!in!order!to!realize!its!full!potential.!!● Recruitment%practices:!Internal!branding!starts!with!the!recruitment!process%○ When!interviewing!job!prospects,!pose!situational!and!behavioral!questions!

to! determine! how!well! a! candidate’s! behavior! aligns!with! SET’s! core! values! and!mission.18!!

● Trainings!%

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!15!Nathalie!LaidlerAKylander!and!Christopher!Stone,!“The!Role!of!Brand!in!the!Nonprofit!Sector,”!Stanford)Social)Innovation)Re1view,)Spring!2012.!16!Cricky!Cicchetti,!“What!is!a!Brand!Ambassador?”!GC)Marketing)Services,!January!28,!2011.!!http://bit.ly/iV5b0P!(accessed!May!5,!2012).!17!Nina!MacLaverty,!Patricia!McQuillan,!and!Hugh!Oddie,!“Internal!Branding!Best!Practices!Study,”!Canadian)Marketing)Associa1tion,)June!2007.!http://bit.ly/f7YOpW!(accessed!May!5,!2012).!18!Patricia!McQuillan,!“Internal!branding:!how!human!resources!makes!it!work,”!Workplace)News,!May/June!2007.http://bit.ly/JdbQ2g!(accessed!May!5,!2012).!


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○ Train!all!new!hires!and!producers!to!learn!and!recite!the!mission,!vision,!valSues!and!activities!of!SET!so!that!they!can!communicate!these!to!customers!or!other!audiences.!Additionally,! train!new!hires! to!respond!to!commonly!asked!questions!about!the!organization.!This!training!need!not!be!rigid!S!in!fact,!so!long!as!the!mesSsage!is!the!same,!it!is!even!better!if!partners!deliver!the!mission!using!the!language!and!phrasing!they!are!most!comfortable!with.19!This!practice!is!used!effectively!at!International!Justice!Mission,!a!human!rights!agency.!

○ To!reinforce!new!hire!trainings,!create!and!distribute!a!small!booklet!to!each!partner!containing!these!elements.!Partners!can!be!encouraged!to!always!keep!this!booklet!in!their!pocket!or!at!their!stands!for!quick!and!easy!reference.!This!practice!has!been!carried!out!with!great!success!at!Starbucks.!For!details!on!how!and!why!Starbucks!developed!its!“Green!Apron!Book”,!see!Appendix!3!for!more!details.!!!

○ As! needed,! hold! periodic! workshops! to! train! producers! on! packaging! and!product!design!to!make!their!offerings!more!appealing!to!a!discerning!urban!clienStele.!These!workshops!can!also!be!an!opportunity!to!inform!producers!of!relevant!trends! in! consumer!demand.! !This!practice!has!been!used!extensively!by!Filipino!social! enterprise!ECHOstore,!which,! as!noted!above,! operates! retail! stores! selling!sustainable! lifestyle! goods!made! by! small! and!medium!producers,! typically! from!marginalized!populations.!

● Internal%communications!%○ Post! SET’s! mission,! vision! and! values! everywhere! S! display! it! prominently! in! the!

markets,!the!restaurants,!office!spaces,!and!in!the!pockets!of!every!employee!(see!above).!The!practice!of!widely!and!prominently!displaying!organizational!mission!and!values!is!commonplace!in!many!leading!forSprofit!and!nonprofit!organizations!around!the!world,!and!particularly!in!the!US.%

○ Consider!using!SMS!more! frequently!as!a!communications!tool! for!reaching!producers!when!phone!calls!or!personStoSperson!meetings!are!not!feasible!or!time!effective.!

○ Make!a!point!to!open!any!gathering!of!SET!employees!and!producers!with!a!reading!of!the!mission!and!values!of!the!organization,!and!bring!them!to!life!by!inSviting!partners!to!share!their!personal!stories!of!putting!those!values!into!action.!!!

○ Use!the!farmers’!plenary!meetings!held!once!or!twice!a!year!as!an!opportuniSty! to! share! the! SET!origin! story.! This! has! been!practiced!by! International! Justice!Mission!for!years,!and!it!reinforces!why!the!work!is!important!and!helps!strengthen!employees’!personal!connection!to!the!mission.!

○ To!the!extent!possible,!share!information!about!organizational!plans!and!deScisions!with! all! partners.! This!will! improve! their! ability! to! speak! knowledgeably!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!19!Nathalie!LaidlerAKylander!and!Christopher!Stone,!“The!Role!of!Brand!in!the!Nonprofit!Sector,”!Stanford)Social)Innovation)Re1view,)Spring!2012.!


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about!the!organization,!and!will!also!strengthen!the!sense!of!partnership!between!staff!and!producers.!!

● Reward%&%recognition%programs!%○ Allot!time!at!partner!gatherings!S!or!better!yet,!hold!special!reward!events!S!

to!highlight!organizational!and!individual!successes!that!reflect!SET’s!core!values,!mission!and!vision.!This!could!range!from!the!grand!(ie.!Tawlet!opening!a!new!locaStion)!to!the!modest!(ie.!a!farmer!found!a!way!to!reduce!her!irrigation!usage!by!15%!through!installing!a!drip!irrigation!system).!!

○ Distribute!peer!recognition!cards!to!all!employees!and!producers!so!that!they!can!issue!them!to!each!other!instantly!upon!witnessing!even!the!smallest!behavior!modeling!the!SET!values.!This!practice!has!been!used!by!Starbucks!for!years.!This!small!activity!has!been!documented!to! impart!a!sense!of!brand!ownership!to!emSployees.20!

● Leadership%practices%○ Senior!management! could! occasionally! spend! a! day!working! at! each!of! the!

various!positions! throughout! the!organization.!An!annual! tradition!among!Disney!World!executives!is!to!spend!a!day!taking!ride!tickets!and!serving!food!throughout!the!park.!Though!perhaps!this!is!already!happens!at!SET,!this!practice!helps!break!down!class!distinctions!between!workers!at!different!levels!of!the!organization,!and!also!provides!valuable!knowledge!to!the!management!of!what!is!happening!at!the!front!lines.21!

● Sustainability%measures%○ Assess! the! success! of! the! internal!marketing! activities! implemented! by! inS

corporating!relevant!questions!to!staff,!producer,!and!customer!surveys.!Such!quesStions!could!ask!the!level!of!pride!or!commitment!a!partner!feels!toward!SET.22!ReSsponses!can!be!tracked!over!time!to!determine!whether!internal!marketing!activiSties! are! actually! strengthening! the! bond! between! partners! and! the! organization.!See!Appendix!1!for!sample!staff!and!customer!surveys.!

D. Strategies%for%Cross:Promotion%%Recommendation%#9:%%Review!current!crossSpromotion!policies!together!with!key!stakeholders!such!as!farmSers,!address!potential!concerns,!and!start!crossSpromoting!by!emphasizing!the!comSplementarity!of!SET’s!offers.!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!20!Patricia!McQuillan,!“Internal!branding:!how!human!resources!makes!it!work,”!Workplace)News,!May/June!2007.http://bit.ly/JdbQ2g!(accessed!May!5,!2012).!21!W.!Benoy!Joseph,!“Internal!Marketing!Builds!Service!Quality,”!Journal)of)Health)Care)Marketing!16!(Spring!1996):!58.!22!Nathalie!LaidlerAKylander!and!Christopher!Stone,!“The!Role!of!Brand!in!the!Nonprofit!Sector,”!Stanford)Social)Innovation)Re1view,)Spring!2012.!


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At!its!most!basic,!crossSpromotion!refers!to!one!of!SET's!programs!or!channels!promoting!another!program,!or!SET!at!large.!Several!simple,!concrete!promotion!measures!have!alSready!been!discussed!and!partially!implemented.!Also,!promoting!SET's!mission!and!values!across!the!various!operations!and!activities!has!already!been!mentioned!implicitly!in!sevSeral!places!above.!However,!it!is!worth!discussing!existing!reservations!and!concerns.!!CrossSpromotion!is!arguably!one!of!the!most!valuable!measures!that!SET!could!start!pursuSing! through!a! conscious!policy! change.!With!even!modest! changes!and!efforts,! SET!could!dramatically!increase!its!impact!and!start!reaping!positive!spillover!effects!through!activiSties!and!promotions!of!one!of!its!programs!for!all!other!programs.!!!The!potential! to!be! realized! through!crossSpromotion! is! so!great!because!underlying,! coSherent!mission!and!vision!indeed!do!have!the!power!to!motivate!and!convince!customers!and!partners.!They!are!very!clear!in!the!direct!communications!of!the!founder!and!are!reSpeated! and! elaborated! in! various! forms! in! the!positive!press! coverage! SET!has! received.!However,!according!to!our!assessment!of!SET's!current!organization!and!based!on!our!subSjective! impressions! from! interviews!with! Tawlet,! Souk! and!Dekenet! customers,! few! cusStomers!may!actually!be!aware!of!the!social!Mission!of!SET!and!links!between!SET's!differSent!activities.!It!bears!repeating!at!this!point!that!longSstanding!SET!customers!were!pleasSantly!surprised!when!we!told!them!about!SET's!social!mission.!!!Economic! Argument:! One! key! economic! reason! for! not! engaging! in! S! and! even! actively!avoiding!S!crossSpromotion!is!cannibalization.!Not!least!due!to!SET's!mission,!SET!wants!to!avoid! harming! farmers! at! the! Souk! through! competition! from! the! Tawlet! and! Dekenet.!However,! this! reasoning! is! based! on! the! assumption! that! competition!would! be! harmful!(which!might!be!debatable)!and!that!there!would!actually!be!competition!S!an!assumption!we!do!not!share!because!we!believe!that!the!customer!base!for!the!Souk!and!SET's!other!offers!does!not!necessarily!overlap!significantly.!These!assumptions!could!easily!be!tested!through!market!research!(see!questionnaire!templates!in!Appendix!1).!!And!even!if!the!cusStomer!bases!were!to!overlap!at!present,!we!believe!that!this!is!actually!highly!desirable!and!should!be!encouraged!as!much!as!possible.!We!believe!that!it!would!be!ideal!for!SET!to!bind!its! customers!and!convince! them!so!much!of! the!quality!of! the! food!and!social!values!atStached!that!they!come!to!Tawlet!for!eating!out!with!their!friends,!and!additionally!buy!Souk!produce!(when!the!Souk!is!open)!and!otherwise!Dekenet!produce!at!their!convenience!for!cooking!at!home.!Creating!such!a!loyal!customer!base!would!provide!a!valuable!foundation!for!SET,!not!least!because!the!Word!of!Mouth!effect!might!increase!exponentially!under!the!right!conditions.!!!Psychological%Argument:%A!second!argument!might!be!psychological!S!farmers!at!the!Souk!are! proud! of! their!work,! but! not! strong! enough! individually! to! stand! up! to! largerSscale,!


36!!

lowerSprice! or! betterSorganized! competition,! including! internally! from! SET.! However,! it!might!be!permissible!to!assume!that!at!least!part!of!SET's!farmers!are!not!aware!of!SET's!larger!mission!and!vision,!and!the!connection!to!Tawlet!and!Dekenet.!Further,!it!might!logiScally!follow!that!a!stronger!association!with,!for!example!the!popular!Beirut!Tawlet,!would!make!them!proud!individually.!!More!importantly,!it!might!also!give!them!more!leverage!to!convince!customers!of!their!quality!(and!certification)!and!might!impact!their!revenues!at!the! Souk! and! other! outlets! positively.! As! 'Brand! Ambassadors',! farmers! would! not! only!speak!for!themselves!and!the!Souk,!but!also!represent!and! lend!credibility!to!SET's!other!operations.!!Opportunities%for%Cross:Promotion%Thus!we!believe!that!crossSpromotion!would!not!harm,!but!instead!significantly!benefit!the!Souk!farmers!and!SET!at!large.!A!great!and!convincing!example!of!how!to!positively!engage!in! such! coherent! promotion! across! a! wide! spectrum! of! (arguably! incoherent)! programs!is!ECHOstore! (see!above).!Hence,! confident!and! targeted!crossSpromotion!should!become!an!integral!part!of!SET’s!marketing!and!communications!strategy.!!SET!offers!numerous!opportunities! for!crossSpromotions! S!a! few!shall!be!hinted!at! in! the!following:!!!Blackboard!and!Flyers:!For!example,!a!blackboard!could!be!installed!at!the!Souk!where!this!week's!Tawlet!menu!and!cook!are!presented.!Such!a!vertical!structure!at!the!entrance!and!exit!of! the!Souk! is!more!apt! in!attracting! the!attention!of!customers!passing! in!some!disStance!than!a!horizontal!surface!such!as!a!table.!Additionally,!leaflets!at!the!Souk,!emails!to!Souk! customers! or! information! and! links! on! SET's! other! websites! could! all! be! used! for!crossSpromotion.!!!Brand!Ambassadors:!Also,! farmers!could!be!motivated!or!incentivized!to!literally!go!from!door!to!door!in!the!Souk's!neighborhoods!to!present!themselves!and!SET!S!after!all,!they!are!the!most!credible!representatives!that!could!raise!awareness!with!a!larger!set!of!the!popuSlation! of! the! importance! of! healthy! and! local! food.! This! approach! has! been! successfully!used! in! several! organic!markets! in! African! countries,!where! awareness!raising!has! tradiStionally!been!a!major!challenge!for!organic!and!conscious!food!movements!(for!example!in!Zambia!and!in!South!Africa,!see!Bryanstone!organic!market!in!Johannesburg,!exhibit!3).!At!Tawlets,! informing! customers! about! the! corresponding! Souk,! farmers'! stories,! personal!recipes,!and!weekly!recommendations!highlight!SET's!social!mission!and!credibility.!!!Dekenet!Produce:!Dekenet!produce!is!already!offered!at!both!the!Souk!and!Tawlets,!but!the!connection!could!be!made!more!explicitly.!Especially!due!to! the! limited!opening!hours!of!the!Souk!and!the!Beirut!Tawlet,!Dekenet!produce!might!actually!be!much!less!a!'competiS


37!!

tive! force'! than! a! very! welcome! addition! for! SETSaffiliated! customers.! Also! inversely,!the!packaging! of! Dekenet! produce! could! not! only! include!general! information! about!SET!but!possibly!even!!specific!references!to!current!Souk!locations!and!Tawlet!offers.!!!Food!Truck:!To!add!one!of!the!most!graphic!further!examples,!a! food!truck!that!might!be!stationed!in!the!banking!area!could!disseminate!further!information!about!all!other!ways!to!engage!with!SET.!See!prior!section!on!channeling!for!a!more!inSdepth!discussion!of!a!potenStial!food!truck.!!Overall,!crossSpromotion!surely!is!a!valuable!proposition!that!will!grow!even!more!promisSing!S!and!essential!S!as!SET!grows!in!scope!and!scale.!!!

&

III. Social%Outcomes%% %%Recommendation%#10:%%Develop!a!strategic!partnership!with!a!local!university!that!would!help!conduct!regular!imSpact!evaluation,!notably!through!surveys.!!!!SET’s! social!mission! is! very!powerful! and! should!be!promoted!more.!This! can!mostly!be!done!through!the!use!and!promotion!of!the!brand!ambassadors!and!their!stories.!!Indeed,!it!will! provide! clear! information! to! the! consumers! about! the! value! of! their! action! towards!SET.!They!will!not!just!be!buying!food!at!the!farmers’!market,!a!lunch!at!Tawlet!or!a!DekaSnet!product;! they!will!become!partners!of! local! farmers!and!producers!and!contribute! to!the!sustainability!of!their!activity.!!!In!order!for!the!SET’s!Brand!to!be!even!more!powerful,!it!is!important!to!provide!the!cusStomers!with!a!“reason!to!believe”!in!SET’s!vision!and!mission.!For!instance:!“Farmers!parSticipating!in!our!program!have!increased!their!income!by!20%.”!It!is!the!proof!that!the!orSganization!is!living!up!to!its!unique!selling!proposition,!and!delivering!on!the!promise!deSfined!in!its!mission.!!This!is!where!impact!evaluation!comes!into!play.!Indeed,!one!the!one!hand!it!is!important!for! the!organization! to!know!how! the! farmers’! lives!have!been!affected!by! the!establishSment!of!Souk!el!Tayeb;!and!on!the!other!hand,!to!leverage!this!information!in!the!communiScation!to!SET’s!current!and!future!partners:!

• Not!only!the!customers!but!also!the!farmers!and!producers!as!this!could!also!attract!more!of!them!to!the!farmers’!market;!

• This!is!really!helpful,!especially!when!pitching!to!potential!funders,!such!as!foundaStions!or!impact!investors.!


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!!The!challenge!to!conduct!regular!measurement!and!impact!evaluation!is!staff!time,!experStise,!and!money.!We!recommend!developing!a!strategic!partnership!with!a!local!university!to!design,!implement,!and!analyze!a!survey!on!the!impact!of!your!programs.!They!have!the!expertise! and! could! help! you! design! the! evaluation! tools! and! the!methodology.! The! stuSdents!could!be!an!interesting!work!force!to!conduct!the!surveys.!Please!see!exhibit!1!for!exSamples!of!surveys.!!!


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Section%8:%Resources%and%Timeframe%This!table!gives!rough!comparative!estimates!for!the!recommendations’!respective!potenStial!values!and!urgency,!and!of!the!resources!and!time!required!to!realize!them.!

!!

#% Content%of%Recommendation% Resources%required%

Time%required%

Urgency% Potential%value%

Strategic%Objective%1:%Broaden%and%Deepen%Target%Audience!1% Develop!and!Implement!Stakeholder!Analysis!Toolkit! Low! Medium! Medium! Medium!Strategic%Objective%2:%Strengthen%Brand%and%Internal%Marketing!Positioning!2% Establish!a!clear!mission!statement,!a!vision!statement,!and!a!Unique!Selling!Proposition!(USP).!This!could!be!achieved!during!a!daySlong!staff/farmer!retreat.!

Low! Low! High! High!

Marketing%Mix!3% Harmonize!SET’s!projects!by!reworking!the!brand!around!a!similar!color!palette,!naming!convention,!and!USP.!

Low! Medium! Medium! High!

4% Redesign!the!website!with!this!marketing!plan!in!mind.! High! High! Medium! Medium!5% Streamline!SET’s!media!toolkit!to!ease!the!burden!on!staff!and!to!ensure!consistent!messaging!to!various!media!outSlets.!

Low! Low! Low! Low!

6% Pursue!a!stronger!social!media!strategy,!coordinating!SET’s!work!across!the!website!and!Facebook!and!Twitter!accounts.!

Low! Medium! Low! Medium!

7% Profile!5!SET!farmers!on!the!website!and!in!promotional!materials!to!leverage!the!strength!of!their!stories.!

Medium! Medium! Medium! High!

8% Cultivate!staff!and!producers!as!brand!ambassadors!through!the!use!of!internal!marketing!processes!such!as:!recruiting!the!right!people;!training!new!hires!to!live!and!breathe!SET’s!mission!and!values;!internal!communicaStions!to!reinforce!the!brand!and!the!sense!of!shared!purSpose;!reward!and!recognition!programs!to!honor!those!exemplifying!SET’s!values;!leadership!exhibited!through!direct!engagement!with!activities!at!every!level!of!the!orSganization;!and!sustainability!measures!to!assess!whether!internal!marketing!efforts!are!working.!

Medium! High! High! High!

9% Review!current!crossSpromotion!policies!together!with!key!stakeholders!such!as!farmers,!address!potential!conScerns,!and!start!crossSpromoting!by!emphasizing!the!complementarity!of!SET’s!offers.!

Medium! Medium! High! High!

Social%Outcomes!10%Develop!a!strategic!partnership!with!a!local!university!that!would!help!conduct!regular!impact!evaluation,!notaSbly!through!surveys!!

Low! Medium! Low! High!


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This!graph!gives!a!rough!graphical!representation!of!the!same!information!(leaving!out!the!category! ‘urgency’,! which! corresponds! roughly! with! ‘potential! value’,! to! simplify! the!graph).!It! is!purely!qualitative!however,!based!on!our!estimates!of!the!characteristics!and!relative!merits!of!our!ten!recommendations.!!

!!To!facilitate!orientation!and!give!a!quick!overview,!the!following!list!in!Section!9!summarizes!the!recommendations!without!the!above!estimates!of!their!respective!attributes.!!


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Section%9:%Summary%of%Recommendations%$Strategic%Objective%1:%Broaden%and%Deepen%Target%Audience%Target%Audiences%

• Recommendation%#1:%Develop!and!Implement!Stakeholder!Analysis!Toolkit%%Strategic%Objective%2:%Strengthen%Brand%and%Internal%Marketing%Positioning%

• Recommendation%#2:%Establish!a!clear!mission!statement,!a!vision!statement,!and!a! Unique! Selling! Proposition! (USP).! This! could! be! achieved! during! a! daySlong!staff/farmer!retreat.!

!Marketing%Mix%

• Recommendation%#3:%Harmonize!SET’s!projects!by!reworking!the!brand!around!a!similar!color!palette,!naming!convention,!and!USP.!

%• Recommendation%#4:%Redesign!the!website!with!this!marketing!plan!in!mind.!

%• Recommendation% #5:% Streamline!SET’s!media! toolkit! to!ease! the!burden!on!staff!

and!to!ensure!consistent!messaging!to!various!media!outlets.!%

• Recommendation%#6:%Pursue!a!stronger!social!media!strategy,!coordinating!SET’s!work!across!the!website!and!Facebook!and!Twitter!accounts.!%

• Recommendation%#7:%Profile!5!SET!farmers!on!the!website!and!in!promotional!maSterials!to!leverage!the!strength!of!their!stories.!!

• Recommendation%#8:%Cultivate!staff!and!producers!as!brand!ambassadors!through!the!use!of!internal!marketing!processes!such!as:!recruiting!the!right!people;!training!new!hires!to!live!and!breathe!SET’s!mission!and!values;!internal!communications!to!reinforce!the!brand!and!the!sense!of!shared!purpose;!reward!and!recognition!proSgrams!to!honor!those!exemplifying!SET’s!values;!leadership!exhibited!through!direct!engagement! with! activities! at! every! level! of! the! organization;! and! sustainability!measures!to!assess!whether!internal!marketing!efforts!are!working.%!

• Recommendation%#9:%Review!current!crossSpromotion!policies!together!with!key!stakeholders!such!as!farmers,!address!potential!concerns,!and!start!crossSpromoting!by!emphasizing!the!complementarity!of!SET’s!offers.%

%Social%Outcomes!

• Recommendation%#10:!Develop!a!strategic!partnership!with!a!local!university!that!would! help! conduct! regular! impact! evaluation,! notably! through! surveys.!


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!Appendix%!Appendix%1:%Questionnaire%templates%for%institutions,%products%and%websites%!Purpose:% Professional!marketing! research! can! inform!management! very! precisely! about!customers’! preferences! and! about! how! best! to! design! products,! prices,! promotion! and!place!to!have!the!greatest! impact!possible.!SET!could!use!basic!but! tailorSmade!questionSnaires!to!help!manage!and!continuously!improve!SET’s!different!activities.!!The! three! different! templates! below! can! be! used! as! building! blocks! for! questionnaires!about! customer! satisfaction! with! institutions! like! Tawlet! and! the! Souk,! products! like!Dekenet!produce,!and!websites!such!as!the!Souk!el!Tayeb!website.!Indeed,!questionnaires!for!different!purposes!should!consist!of!different!combinations!of!the!questions!proposed!below,! and! probably! additional! specific! questions! that! will! vary! with! the! particular! reSsearch!interest!at!hand.!!!Organization:% The! questionnaires! can! be! (i)! conducted! in! person! by! a! dedicated! interSviewer,!(ii)!passively!by! laying!out!the!questionnaires! forms!and!providing!a!box!for!cusStomers!to!return!them,!and/or!(iii)!online!for!example!through!www.surveymonkey.com/!or! one! of! several! dedicated!marketing! research! websites! that! offer! free! shortSterm! and!lowSvolume!research!tools.!!!

1.$Common$introduction$!

Please!do!help!us!improve![…]!by!taking!a!few!minutes!to!tell!us!your!opinion.!We!evaluate!your!answers!anonymously!and!look!forward!to!offering!you!an!even!better!experience!for!you.!!

!2.%Tawlet%/%Souk%questionnaire%!

TAWLET%/%SOUK%el%Tayeb%!

1.!How!satisfied!are!you!in!general!with![…]?!!O!Very!satisfied!O!Satisfied!O!Dissatisfied!O!Very!dissatisfied!2.!If!you!are!not!satisfied,!why!so?!If!you!are!satisfied,!what!do!you!like!most?!!


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!!3.!How!often!do!you!visit![…]?!O!Daily!O!Once!or!twice!a!week!O!Once!or!twice!a!month!O!Less!than!once!a!month!4.!Will!you!come!again!after!today?!O!Definitely!yes!O!Probably!yes!O!Probably!no!O!Definitely!no!5.!How!satisfied!are!you!with!the!following?!

%%Very%satisfied%

Satisfied%Dissatisfied%Very%dissat:isfied%

%

The![menu/market]!offers!a!great!choice!! !! !! !!!

The!food!offered!is!fresh! !! !! !!!

The!quality!of!the!food!is!excellent! !! !! !!!

The!taste!of!the!food!is!excellent! !! !! !!!

The!service!is!excellent! !! !! !!!

The![menu/market!organization]!is!easy!to!understand! !! !! !!

!

Prices!are!acceptable! !! !! !!!

The![restaurant/market]!is!clean!and!tidy! !! !! !!!

!

6.!Would!you!recommend![…]!to!your!family!or!friends?!!O!Yes!O!Probably!yes!O!Probably!no!O!No!7.!Did!you!recommend![…]!to!your!family!or!friends?!!O!Yes!O!No!8.!Are!you!aware!of!the!mission!of!Souk!el!Tayeb!to!celebrate!local!and!healthy!food,!support!small!farmers!and!bring!communities!together?!!O!Yes!O!No!9.!Are!you!aware!that!Souk!el!Tayeb,!Tawlet,!the!Dekenet!label!and!other!activities!are!run!by!the!same!organization?!!


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O!Yes!O!No!10.!Have!you!also!visited!the![Tawlet/Saturday!Souk!el!Tayeb]!or!bought!food!with!the!Dekenet!label?!!O!Yes!O!No!11.!Have!you!also!purchased!any!food!with!the!Dekenet!label?!!O!Yes!O!No!12.!How!important!is!Souk!el!Tayeb’s!mission!for!your!decision!to!come,!rather!than!go!to!alSternative!supermarkets!or!restaurants?!!O!Very!important!O!Important!O!Not!important!O!n/a!13.!What!is!the!advantage!of!shopping!at!the!farmers'!market!vs.!going!elsewhere?!!!!14.!Do!you!trust!the!farmers!and!producers?!!O!Yes,!because!_________________!O!No,!because!_________________!15.!What!is!the!advantage!of!shopping!at!the!farmers'!market!vs.!going!elsewhere?!Do!you!trust!the!farmers'!market?!The!producers?!Why!or!why!not?!!!16.!How!did!you!first!learn!about![…]?!O!From!friends!or!family!O!Newspaper!O!Radio!O!Website!O!Other:!___________________________________________!17.!What!is!your!gender?!O!Female!O!Male!18.!What!is!your!age?!!O!Under!20!O!20S29!O!30S39!O!40S49!O!50S59!O!60!or!above!19.!Which!new!offers!would!you!love!to!see?!Any!further!suggestions!or!comments?!


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!!!Thank!you!very!much!!!3.$Dekenet$questionnaire$!

DEKENET%[PRODUCT]%!

1.!How!long!have!you!been!buying![product]?!O!Less!than!a!month!O!1S6!months!O!6S12!months!O!over!1!year!2.!How!often!do!you!buy![…]?!O!Over!three!times!a!week!O!Once!or!twice!a!week!O!Once!a!month!O!Less!than!once!a!month!3.!How!satisfied!are!you!with![…]?!O!Very!satisfied!O!Satisfied!O!Dissatisfied!O!Very!dissatisfied!4.!How!do!you!like![…]!compared!to!alternative!products?!O!Much!better!O!Better!O!Worse!O!Much!worse!O!Don’t!know!5.!Would!you!buy![…]!again?!O!Yes!O!Probably!yes!O!Probably!no!O!No!6.!Would!you!recommend![…]!to!your!family!or!friends?!!O!Yes!O!Probably!yes!O!Probably!no!O!No!!7.!Did!you!recommend![…]!to!your!family!or!friends?!!O!Yes!O!No!


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8.!Are!you!aware!of!the!mission!of!Souk!el!Tayeb!to!celebrate!local!and!healthy!food,!support!small!farmers!and!bring!communities!together?!!O!Yes!O!No!9.!Are!you!aware!that!Souk!el!Tayeb,!Tawlet,!the!Dekenet!label!and!other!activities!are!run!by!the!same!organization?!!O!Yes!O!No!10.!How!important!are!these!aspects!for!deciding!to!buy![…]?!!! Importance!

1SVery!important,!2SImportant!3SNot!important,!4Sn/a!

Satisfaction!1SVery!satisfied,!2SSatisfied,!3SDissatisfied,!4Sn/a!

Quality%% O! O!Price% O! O!Convenience% O! O!Social%mission%of%Souk%el%Tayeb%

O! O!

!

11.!Any!further!suggestions!or!comments?!!!!!!12.!What!is!your!gender?!O!Female!O!Male!13.!What!is!your!age?!!O!Under!20!O!20S29!O!30S39!O!40S49!O!50S59!O!60!or!above!Thank!you!very!much!!

!

!!4.%Website%questionnaire%

WEBSITE%!

1.!How!often!do!you!usually!visit!this!website?!O!First!time!!O!Less!than!once!a!month!


47!!

O!Once!–!twice!a!month!O!At!least!every!week!2.!What!was!your!main!reason!for!visiting!the!website?!!!3.!If!you!didn’t!find!it,!what!information!were!you!looking!for?!!!4.!What!is!your!overall!impression!of!the!website?!!(1SVery,!2SSomewhat,!3SNot!very,!4SNot!at!all)!O!Professional!O!Informative!!O!Pleasant!to!the!eye!5.!Will!you!visit!the!website!again?!O!Most!likely!yes!O!Probably!yes!O!Probably!no!O!Most!likely!no!6.!Are!you!aware!of!the!mission!of!Souk!el!Tayeb!to!celebrate!local!and!healthy!food,!supSport!small!farmers!and!bring!communities!together?!!O!Yes!O!No!7.!Have!you!visited!Souk!el!Tayeb!or!Tawlet?!!O!Yes!O!No!8.!How!should!we!change!and!improve!the!website?!Which!new!information!or!features!would!you!like!to!see?!!!!9.!What!is!your!gender?!O!Female!O!Male!10.!What!is!your!age?!!O!Under!20!O!20S29!O!30S39!O!40S49!O!50S59!O!60!or!above!Thank!you!very!much!!

$


48!!

Appendix&2:&Internal&Marketing:&Zappos&unleashes&the&power&of&brand&ambassadors&

Consider!the!case!of!Zappos,!a!highly!successful!online!shoe!retailer!that!is!equally!known!for! exceptional! customer! service!and! its! strong! corporate! culture,! the! latter!being!a! core!reason!why! the!company! is! frequently!cited!as!among! the!best!places! to!work! in! the!US.!!From!its!earliest!days,!Zappos!CEO!Tony!Hsieh!sought!to!create!an!excellent!customer!exSperience.!!The!motivation!for!this!effort!was!part!social,!and!part!practical.!Zappos!had!no!marketing!budget,! and! so!Hsieh’s! sales! strategy!was! to! impress! customers! so!much!with!Zappos’!service!that!they!would!buy!again,! tell! their! friends!about! it,!or!both.! ! In! fact,! the!company’s!mission!became!“To!provide!the!best!customer!service!possible”.23!!!!!!The! key! to! creating! an! exceptional! customer! experience! was! to! have! happy,! committed!employees!who!would!serve!as!Zappos’!brand!ambassadors.!!To!do!so,!Hsieh!used!various!internal!marketing!processes!to!build!a!corporate!culture!that!would!attract!the!right!emSployees,!cultivate!the!beliefs!and!reward!the!behaviors!most!consistent!with!its!mission!to!deliver!a!great!customer!experience.!!To!provide!some!examples:!before!job!candidates!are!offered!a!formal!interview,!they!are!first!screened!through!a!!“culture!interview”!to!ensure!their!values!and!behaviors!align!with!the!company’s;!All!new!employees!receive!two!weeks!of!classroom!training,!with!a!lot!of!focus!on!company!values,!its!history,!and!stories!praisSing!employees!whose!actions!exemplified!the!mission;!!At!the!end!of!training,!new!hires!are!offered!$2,000!plus!salary!for!time!worked!to!quit!S!this! is! intended!to!sift!out!those!who!are! likely! to! leave! the! company! anyway,! and! also! to! publicly! display! the! commitment! of!those!who!chose!to!remain;!Once!a!year,!employees!submit!brief!essays!about!their!take!on!the!Zappos!company!culture!and!what!their!work!means!to!them!personally,!which!is!then!shared!across!the!organization!and!anyone!else!interested.!!A!rather!extreme!example!of!Zappos’!service!culture!in!action:!a!woman!who!had!ordered!boots!for!her!husband!called!to!cancel!the!order!after!he!died!in!an!auto!accident.!!Her!ZapSpos!customer!representative!in!turn!ordered!flowers!on!behalf!of!the!company.!!The!womSan!was!so!moved!by!the!gesture!that!she!told!her!friends!and!family!about!it!at!the!funeral.!!Recalling!the!story!with!emotion!in!his!voice,!Hsieh!stated!“Not!only!was!she!a!customer!for!life,!but!so!were!those!30!or!40!people!at!the!funeral.!!Stories!like!these!are!being!created!every!single!day.!!It’s!just!an!example!that!if!you!get!the!culture!right,!then!most!of!the!other!stuff!follows”.24!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!23!Max!Chafkin,!“The!Zappos!Way!of!Managing”,!Inc.,magazine,!May!1,!2009.!http://bit.ly/5gA6a!(accessed!April!25,!2012).!24!Ibid.!


49!!

Appendix&3:&Internal&Marketing:&The&Starbucks&“Green&Apron&Book”&

Starbucks!has!distilled! its!service!philosophy! into!a!concise!set!of!principles!called!the!“5!ways!of!being.”!These!principles,!along!with!Starbucks!mission!“To!provide!an!uplifting!exSperience!that!enriches!people’s!daily!lives”,!are!passed!on!to!all!of!its!employees!S!from!the!senior! executives! to! the! baristas! S! in! an! attractive,! passportSlike! book! called! the! Green,Apron,Book!during! their!new!hire!orientation.! !The!book!describes!appropriate!onSbrand!behaviors,!and!the!expectation!is!that!employees!will!keep!this!small!volume!in!the!pocket!of!their!green!aprons,!and!that!they!will!refer!to!them!frequently!with!their!managers!and!coworkers! to! ensure! that! the! team! is! performing! in! accordance!with! the! principles,! and!more!broadly,! in! service! to!Starbucks’!mission.! !Apparently,!when!a!new!barista! is!being!coached,!his!or!her!manager!will!commonly!ask!things!like,!"Is!that!green!apron!behavior!you!are!modeling?".25! !!The!“5!Ways!of!Being”!are,!simply:!

1.!Be!Welcoming:!Offer!everyone!a!sense!of!belonging.!2.!Be!Genuine:!Connect,!discover,!respond.!3.!Be!Considerate:!Take!care!of!yourself,!each!other,!and!the!environment!4.!Be!Knowledgeable:!Love!what!you!do.!Share!it!with!others.!5.!Be!Involved:!In!the!store,!in!the!company,!and!in!the!community.26!

!The!key!is!the!book’s!brevity,!which!is!indicative!of!the!company’s!desire!to!strike!a!balance!between!employees’!ability!to!express!their!uniqueness!and!the!desire!to!provide!a!uniform!service! experience! for! customers! visiting! any! Starbucks! around! the! globe.! ! The! focus! on!simple!instruction,!rather!than!a!long!prescriptive!set!of!behavioral!rules,!is!important!beScause!it!gives!employees!broad!parameters!within!which!there!is! freedom!to!choose!how!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!25!Anonymous!posting!on!WorthPoint.com.!http://bit.ly/Jnmd0Z!(accessed!May!5,!2012).!26!Joseph!Michelli,!The)Starbucks)Experience:)5)Principles)for)Turning)Ordinary)Into)Extraordinary!(Columbus,!OH:!McGrawAHill,!2006),!20.!


50!!

best!to!welcome!customers,!get!involved!in!their!company,!and!show!consideration!for!the!environment.27!!!!At! its! core,! the!Green!Apron!Book! is!a! symbol!of!how!central!Starbucks’!peopleScentered!service!philosophy!was!to!its!original!business!model!in!the!1990s.!!Though!this!service!apSproach!was!deSemphasized!during! its! rapid! expansion! in! the!2000s,! Starbucks!was!wellSrecognized!in!the!1990s!for!its!commitment!to!its!customers,!employees!and!communities.!!This!was!because,!as!Starbucks!CEO!Howard!put!it,!“We!are!not!in!the!coffee!business!servSing!people,!but!in!the!people!business!serving!coffee.!The!equity!of!the!Starbucks!brand!is!the! humanity! and! intimacy! of! what! goes! on! in! the! communities...We! continually! are! reSminded!of!the!powerful!need!and!desire!for!human!contact!and!for!community,!which!is!a!new,!powerful!force!in!determining!consumer!choices...The!Starbucks!environment!has!beScome!as!important!as!the!coffee!itself.”28!!!!Though!SET!may!be!uncomfortable!being!compared!with!a!corporate!coffee!chain,!Schultz’s!statement!is!largely!applicable!to!SET!as!well.!!The!environment!and!communities!you!are!striving!to!create!in!the!souk!and!the!restaurant!are!equally!important!to!the!food!itself.!!An!artifact!like!SET’s!own!version!of!the!green!apron!book!could!serve!as!a!source!of!guidance,!a! touchstone! for! employees,! partners,! and! even! customers! on!how! to!bring! SET’s! values!and!mission!to!life.!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!27!Ibid,!21.!28!Ibid,!28.!


51!!

Appendix&4:&Benchmarking&Presentation&&

As!a!supplement!to!the!Marketing!Plan,!we!have!included!a!printout!of!a!benchmarking!exSercise!we!conducted!to! identify!best!practices! from!which!SET!could!benefit.! In!doing!so,!we!analyzed!the!case!studies!of!four!different!organizations,!each!a!leader!in!its!respective!field.!Originally,!this!exercise!was!conducted!purely!for!internal!use.!However,!we!found!the!case!studies! to!provide!quite!an! illustrative!overview,!and!because!we!occasionally!referSence!the!cases!within!the!marketing!plan!itself,!we!thought!it!would!be!valuable!to!attach!the!presentation!here.!!

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Souk%el%Tayeb%%

Benchmarking% %%

Beth%Tuckey%Ha-ield%%

Rebekah%Mierau%

Paul%Maidowski%

Tina%Robiolle%

Nate%Stell%

April%23,%2012%

Souk%el%Tayeb:%Benchmarking%

•  This% benchmarking% exercise% for% SET% analyzed% four%different% case% studies% to% iden=fy%best%prac=ces% that%SET%could%learn%from%

•  Originally,% this% exercise% was% conducted% purely% for%internal% use.% However,% we% referred% to% these% cases%extensively% in% the%report,%and%found%this%exercise%to%be%an%illustra=ve%overview.%Thus%we%decided%to%adapt%and%include%some%excerpts%in%the%report.%%

•  More%detailed%informa=on%are%included%in%the%report%itself.%%

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Souk%el%Tayeb:%4%main%priori=es%

•  Understanding%your%target%audience%–  Crucial%for%scaling%opera=ons%and%realizing%opportuni=es%

•  Crea=ng%strong%brand%awareness%–  Key%for%reaching%broader%customer%base%and%communica=ng%SET’s%mission%and%values%despite%resource%constraints%

•  CommunicaFon%–  Par=cularly%relevant%for%SET:%Fostering%internal%and%external%cohesion%

in%communica=on%across%mul=ple%programs%

•  Expanding%domes=cally%and%interna=onally%–  Coherent%strategy%and%awareness%of%opportunity%costs%necessary%

%%

1.%ECHOstore%Sustainable%Lifestyle%

Success%in%achieving%cohesion%%within%and%across%brands%

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ECHOstore:%%successful%Brand%Cohesion%%

Consistent%brand%design%

•  Naming%convenFon:%the%“ECHO”%prefix%•  Embed%values%in%names,%logos,%colors,%%%and%space%design%%

•  Extensive%crossNpromoFon%of%aligned%%

%brands%

•  Internal%markeFng%and%%%external%educaFon%

•  “Power%of%Three”%theme%

%

Links%and%further%informa=on%

•  EchoStore:%hQp://echostore.ph/%

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%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%2.%Wild%Jordan%

Success in regional identity marketing,

internal communications and domestic expansion

Wild%Jordan%%

•  External%MarkeFng:%Regional%Iden=ty%

•  Internal%CommunicaFon:%“I’m%an%ambassador%for%nature”%

•  Expanding%DomesFcally:%Flexible%people%centered%approach%

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•  Wild%Jordan:%hQp://www.rscn.org.jo/Group1/AboutWildJordan/tabid/162/Default.aspx%%

3.%Liga%Masiva%

Strong%communica=ons%and%%clear%target%marke=ng%

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Liga%Masiva:%Communica=ons%&%Target%Marke=ng%

•  External%CommunicaFons:%%

–  Farmer%profiles,%farm%tours,%direct%contact%–  Online%store%and%learning%space%

•  Understanding%and%TargeFng%Customers:%%%It's%all%about%the%farmers.%Or%is%it?%

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•  Liga%Masiva:%hQp://www.ligamasiva.com/%%

4.%Bryanston%organic%market%(Johannesburg)%

Strong%tradi=onal%brand%and%intense%focus%on%(wealthy)%target%customers%

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Bryanston%organic%market%•  TradiFonal%brand%

–  Founded%in%1976%to%provide%steady%revenue%for%local%Waldorf%school:%now%100+%stands%%

–  Integrates%market,%restaurants,%handicrahs,%tea%garden,%live%music%

•  Strong%customer%focus%–  Awareness:%Farmer%campaign%with%dooritoidoor%%

•  Farmers%most%credible%in%communica=ng%importance%of%healthy%and%local%food%

–  Channels:%Box%Scheme%with%local%school%•  SMS%and%Email%orders,%delivery%Friday%mornings%

–  Cer=fica=on:%IFOAM%Par=cipatory%Guarantee%System%(PGS)%to%save%costs%

•  Locally%based,%but%s=ll%credible%

Google Maps view


•  Bryanstone%organic%market:%www.bryanstonorganicmarket.co.za/%•  IFOAM%documenta=on%on%PGS%cer=fica=on:%

hQp://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/standards/pgs_projects/pgs_projects/15594.php,%hQp://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/standards/index.html%%%

•  IFOAM%marke=ng%case%study%of%organic%markets%in%Africa%(2007):%hQp://www.ifoam.org/growing_organic/7_training/training_pdf/ifoam_training_manuals/organic_market_africa.pdf%

–  Helpful%overview%over%common%challenges%and%best%prac=ces%%

Documents

Souk el Tayeb Marketing Plan FINALMierau,!!Tina!Robiolle!&!Nathan!Stell! May!!2012!! Souk!el!Tayeb! ! Marketing!and!Communications!Plan! ! ! ! 2!!!! Table!of!Contents! Section%1! Section%2:%Fletcher%School%Final%Project%Goal!