CAMSC x Jumpstart: Marketing 101

Jumpstart and the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC) hosted a joint Marketing 101 webinar on October 29th, marking the conclusion of a three-part series. This series offered tips and insights to strengthen the business and marketing skills of refugees who are current or future entrepreneurs and small-business owners.  

The Marketing 101 webinar focused on the fundamentals of brand, or business image, creation and maintenance. This blog highlights the key aspects that were shared to secure the long-term success of refugees in their business endeavors.  

Marketing and Storytelling 

A business’s long-term promotion strategy or marketing strategy is a powerful tool for refugees to utilize in their business journeys. To maximize its impact, entrepreneurs should consider the voice and motivation of their business, or simply, the story that they want to tell through their products and/or services. CAMSC’s Marketing and Communications Manager, Thiago Kubota, expressed that a business’s voice is significant in connecting with clients and ensuring a well-respected image.  

Essential Tips

• Practice explaining what your business offers and why clients should care in a short and interesting way 

• Make sure your brand’s voice and purpose are consistent  

• Be mindful of what your brand means to you and to your customers 

Understanding Your Audience and Competitors 

Clients can generally be divided into 3 areas: demographic, psychographic, and behavioral. Business owners should consider each individual area and any overlaps when sharing their brand’s voice and purpose, interacting with clients, and building userprofiles.  

While it is important to understand your audience, it is also important to understand your potential competitors, and one way to do so is to conduct a SWOT analysis. You can do this by first identifying potential rival businesses through clients and searcheson social media or the Internet. Then, note down your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to gain a broad sense of your business’s importance in the market. You can repeat the steps for rival businesses to see what areas they are performing better or worse in, and gain valuable insights for your business. 

Establishing Your Presence: Digital and Traditional Channels 

Yash Makhija, CAMSC’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator, revealed that the approach of an omni-channel presence is important because it is all about linking your business’s brand to the presence of your audience. Business ownersshould think about whether their clients have mostly digital or traditional presences, and accordingly, try to garner interest and support. For example, if you are a small in-person store owner and you notice that your clients are mostly present in digital spaces, you can try to get their attention by creating a web page for your business and handing out business cards with QR codes that are linked to that page.  

 It is recommended that business owners make use of both digital and traditional channels because they offer different benefits. For example, digital channels allow for more customization, and it is often easier for traditional channels to establishtrust. If business owners effectively use both channels, their reach and visibility will likely increase. But business owners should not feel the need to be present in all forms of their channels equally; they need to be intentional and share their brands’ stories with those who will understand them the most.  

Digital Channels

• Virtual Events 

• Social Media 

• Email Marketing 

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

Traditional Channels

• In-person Events  

• Print Media and Advertising  

 Final Thoughts

Refugees who are considering starting or who have already started on their business journeys are encouraged to reflect on the importance of developing a brand that is client-centered and true to their purpose. This is summed up in Thiago Kubota’s suggestion that business owners should strive for consistency, instead of focusing on trends. If you are looking for additional business-specific support, do not hesitate to reach out to Jumpstart and participate in Entrepreneurship Support programs. If you are looking for broad career support, please explore our Career Readiness and Meaningful Employment programs. CAMSC’s supplier certification program is also valuable for minority refugees who want to improve their business networks, partnerships, and opportunities.  

The Jumpstart Team would like to honour every member of CAMSC who contributed to the webinar series and played a role in recognizing the potential of refugees and equipping them with additional skills and knowledge to tackle entrepreneurship challenges. Jumpstart and CAMSC both continue to boost the diversity and inclusivity of Canada’s workforce, and Jumpstart looks forward to future collaborations!