Pie in the Sky? Sustaining the Biosolids Bakery

Pie in the Sky?Sustaining the Biosolids Bakery MikeVan Ham SYLVIS EnvironmentalSeptember 21, 2010 – Chelan, WABiosolids: A Piece of the Sustainability Pie Northwest Biosolids Management Association

NBMA Charm School CharmSchool Charm School Unit #1: Relationships • Preparing for the First Date • Dating Etiquette • Building & Maintaining a Relationship • Keeping it Interesting • Living Happily Ever After Proudly presented by: Miss Manners (M.D. Van Ham) “You must love me” -Eva Peron in Evita, 1996

Presentation Recipe Making the Pie Operating the Bakery Making Promises - Branding Reviewing Proven Recipes Writing your Own Recipe

MakingthePie What is the Pie? “The Pie” is your biosolids or biosolids product (compost, soil) You are familiar with “Cake”This afternoon it is “Pie”

The Bakery What is the Bakery? The Bakery is your biosolids program

MakingthePie We make pies and we make them well… Pie quality is important Quality ingredients Baking temperature Presentation – how the pie looks Problematic pie-centricity Requirement to maintain and sustain the bakery

The Bakery The bakery is extremely important It’s about more than pie… Promote the bakery to the customers and to the bakery managers/owners Share the successes in your pie sales and more so – the appreciation of your customers Is everyone in the bakery on the same page?

Branding Create a subconscious link to the experience related to the bakery – and to your pies

Branding Ivory Starbucks Hersey’s Florida Honda Heinz Tagro BMW Rolex Volvo

Branding What is a Brand? It is what our Products and Services stand for in peoples minds It is the promise that links our Products and Services to our clients Clients must care about it, and it must be relevant to their needs The best brands start with a differentiated idea relevant to a select group of clients

Branding Five Drivers of a Successful Brand Awareness Relevant Differentiation Value Accessibility Emotional Connection

Branding Beyond the ingredients You don’t sell pies by talking about the butter/lard Think about the bakery experience Good product Good service Knowledgeable people in the kitchen Knowledgeable people at the counter Ongoing recipe perfection

Branding Marketing and Advertising is Different Depends on “Who” and “How” Approaches change with time Subliminal and subconscious Systematic engagement and distribution Guilt!!

Recipes for Success Key steps in the recipe Think about the customers - perception Acknowledge all the characteristics of the pie but focus on the appreciation and experience Know your pie and your bakery Communicate Promote the bakery and celebrate it’s success

Recipes for Success Perception No one will be interested in the pie if there are mice in the bakery “Broken Windows” are a sign of bigger problems Pay attention to the details

Recipes for Success

Recipes for Success Perception Remember that pie is not a by-product We intend to make pie…it isn’t a by-product of bread making Connect people to the pie…we all contribute so we all have a responsibility for the quality – upon brand recognition

Recipes for Success Perception Think about the benefits to the community and highlight them What will your bakery do for the neighbours and the community? Think of perception in terms of customer experience / appreciation How can your pies help them with their guilt?

Recipes for Success Acknowledge all the characteristics of the pie Choose the focus Yes there are a lot of calories but there are ways to reduce them The ability to detect the ingredients does not alone indicate risk

Recipes for Success Know your product and your bakery Make sure the bakers understand all aspects of pie making and running a bakery… The bakers must believe that their pies are good, and that it is a “good thing”…

Recipes for Success Bakers & bakery managers should understand: The pie making process (wastewater treatment & biosolids production) The recipes that must be followed(quality control measures) The ingredients(biosolids characteristics & how they promote beneficial use)

Recipes for Success Bakers & bakery managers should understand: Business permits/“Food Safe”(regulatory requirements) Caloric content, allergens (nuisance potential: odour, vector attraction) The Pecan Pie should be labeled with “Contains Nuts”(measures to protect human health & the environment)

Recipes for Success Bakers & bakery managers should understand: The experience and appreciation of the bakery customers! Bakers and bakery managers need to understand the good to put the bad in perspective…

Recipes for Success Communicate Establish local alliances Ask other bakers and bakeries to taste test Encourage customer comments Invite the food critics Respond to specific concerns & do it in a timely manner Someone who’s allergic to nuts needs to know what’s in the pie, and they need to know right away Provide a knowledgeable, authentic contact person

Recipes for Success Communicate Learn to “listen as well as you hear” or speak Don’t try to sell apple pie to people who prefer berry pie – selling blueberry pie will be much easier Be honest If you lie about the crust being flakey you won’t be trusted about the filling Be proactive New products, ask about their experiences, refine and define marketing and advertising

Recipes for Success Promote your bakery & celebrate success Allow the customers to participate Hold tours of the kitchen (WWTP &/or projects) Let them kneed the dough (biosolids products) Allow them to make a pie and watch it bake (establish trials/pilot projects in visible areas)

Recipes for Success Promote your bakery & celebrate success Get involved If you make cookies, give some to the kids Donate pies to the community picnic Enter the county fair Consider differentiating your pies into other products – or sub-branding… Birthday parties Weddings Holidays (rituals are great)

Recipes for Success Promote your bakery & celebrate success Prepare a menu that can be taken home(handouts, brochures) Remember technophiles in marketing and advertising pie(Facebook, Twitter, website) If you don’t talk about the bakery someone else will & you may not like what they have to say

Recipes for Success Promote your bakery & celebrate success Fund a culinary student / celebrity pastry chef Keep breast of current developments A community redevelopment might happen and your bakery may be better suited elsewhere Maintain diversity Pumpkin is a great seller at Thanksgiving, not so popular in July (think sub-brands)

Recipes for Success Promote your bakery & celebrate success Celebrate success but don’t take it for granted Acknowledge room for improvement & act on it Believe in your bakery Your bakery is the best bakery and your pies second to none.

Writing Your Own Recipe Join with colleagues from your agency or company and tell us who you are and why your bakery is the best bakery, and why your pies are legendary

Sustaining your Bakery Take Away Treats: Know your pies – but know how they are appreciated more… Bakery employees need to share in pie appreciation Share the appreciation of your pies with your bakery managers and owners Create an emotional connection to your bakery and pies with a brand(s)

Questions? MikeVan Ham SYLVIS EnvironmentalPhone: 604.777.9788Website: www.sylvis.com Email: mvanham@sylvis.com

Pie in the Sky? Sustaining the Biosolids Bakery