Marketing-Bereavement,Christian,or is it a Scrapbook Product?

diana

Ok
Here it is. I have an incredibly niche product. A healing scrapbook/craft kit for those grieving early pregnancy and infant loss. We are also a support website offering numerous ways to memorialize babies that left too soon. I am ready to advertise and i am working with a marketing consultant, but would like a second opinion, or 3 or 4. I am well aware that I need to piggy back on already established businesses, selling at wholesale. I have thought of advertising to florist shops that create sympathy baskets, hospital gifts shops, christian bookstores, national newspaper classifieds, ob/gyn clinics, funeral homes. Where should i start? Budget is not great, but i intend on 600 dollars per month
any ideas are very welcome

InactiveMember

The first step is to educate yourself on public relations. Go to the library and check out a few books on public relations. This will give you a good foundation as well as a lot of ideas. The thing about public relations is that it`s low cost if you can do at least some of it yourself, and since you have a unique concept [ at least I`ve never heard of it before ] you might have a good chance of getting decent press coverage.
I`m not really sure if you have a formal business plan or just some minor documentation. Write something formal - at least a set of objectives - not necessarily lengthy, so can evaluate your progress. You do have a unique product and you have some tactical plans... do you have a strategy to get the product into market, keep it there, and grow? If not ... write some more objectives. Objectives are a great substitute for strategy in the short term, but for long term success you need competitive strategy, clear objectives, and the means to execute toward these objectives.

DearlyDepartedTshirts

Hi .. as a father who has felt the loss of this, I see the benefit.
My service is to produce photo printed Tshirt Tributes to the dearly departed.
We are marketing to funeral homes, florists and piggy backing with online memorial sites. Creating your own line of sympathy cards for this is a great idea too. Best wishes!

daleyfla99

Excellent idea.  Art therapy can save lives.  There is an organization for people who have lost their children in this way, the name escapes me.  Maybe Compassionate Friends?When you find them, that will be an excellent way to get the word out about your product.  Also, contacting your local hospices may yield some good information.  Also consigment for kits to your local scrapbooking stores may be a thought.
I know you will be successful, because when you marry the right idea with the right intentions nothing can stand in your way.

RCubedJewelry

I read just a little while back about a photography group that was doing this as a non-profit type thing - www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org, no connection. You could easily hook up with an established group like that and offer a continuation of their services. I was very impressed with their sensitivity.

MLsidekick

Diana
 
I too am a newly bereaved parent, but not a newborn; there is a tremendous need for what you are doing.  During my searching for something to hold onto I searched many websites; if you can hookup with some of those I think you will be good.  There is a group - the Compassionate Friends; that is only for those of us who have lost children; the national conference is in Nashville this yr- july 18th. there are booths available.  I know that they interact/refer people to an infant loss group also.  Perhaps you can get a listing of these groups, get your stuff/website included in their news bulletins.  (most of us don`t leave our houses for awhile).
 
Good luck to you-