community-oriented marketing
ian bryan, y chromosome guest author

I first set foot in Asheville on a Monday evening in early July 2002. I had spent that day driving for nine hours in a hot, silent car because both my radio and air conditioner were broken. As I passed the city limits of Memphis, I wondered out loud if I would go crazy—driving for so long without my usual books-on-tape or even music from the stereo. In the trunk was a suitcase full of my nicest clothes. I packed strategically and left quickly. My mission was to create a life in a city that, up until the day before, I barely knew existed.

The day before, Virginia had called me to tell me she was pregnant. I was at a coffeehouse in Southaven, Mississippi and she was calling me from Zen Mountain Center in Idylwild, California. She was there for a 3-month session, of which she had only completed a few weeks. We were both surprised and scrambling to piece together a vision for our new life. The pregnancy was not planned. We were trusting our relationship to span the distance between Ginny in California, training to become a Zen hospice priest, and me high-tailing it out of the South by any means necessary, toward adventures in international business. Now our challenge was to pick a place and build a home together to welcome our unexpected but eagerly awaited child.

Three days later, I checked into a hotel in Asheville, a city that is undeniably Southern and not on any personal agenda I had ever seen. But Ginny, with pregnant-hormone determination, told me our son had to be born there, so I couldn’t be anywhere else. Eight months later, on March 6th, 2003, our 9 lb. 6 oz. son Zoey was born with the help of the midwives at New Dawn. In the interim I went from helplessly circling the Patton Avenue/240 connection, wondering if I’d ever learn my way around town, to starting and running a business that fits my ideals, philosophy, and personality like a glove.

Over an idle cup of coffee one day, before moving to Asheville, I had brainstormed about an organization that would teach socially responsible businesses how to profitably market themselves through community empowerment activities. It sounded simple and perfect—businesses supporting communities, who in turn would loyally support those businesses. Too perfect, I thought, and closed my journal—businesses are motivated by time-tested routes to profit, not by their community image and sustainability. Not in the real world, I sighed.

Not in the real world I had lived in before, but Asheville wasn’t a city like any other I’d seen. I had experience doing business in Chicago, Memphis, Nashville and other towns dotting the country, but I had never lived in a place where I could put my business ideals into practice. In Asheville, I recognized a level of awareness and responsibility in business owners and community members that made my dream business a distinct possibility. Motivated both by my heart and my desire to support my family with a business we could all be proud of, one I would want my son to hear us discussing around the dinner table, I created The Sensible City, specializing in Community Oriented Marketing.

I have become aware (though not surprised) that currently, 80% of The Sensible City’s clients are women business owners. From Anne Alexander of Authentic Alternatives Business Coaching to Rosanne Kiely of the Grove Corner Market and back again through architects, caterers and motivational speakers, our approach to marketing seems to appeal to women, and their businesses exhibit incredible growth when they implement our ideas.

Women come to our office because they currently lead the socially responsible business movement in Asheville and surrounding areas. They want to leverage their entrepreneurial power to encourage less-selfish values such as smart growth and compassionate community-building in the business marketplace. Unlike many men business owners who have shaken their heads at our marketing plans, convinced that nice ideas don’t lead to profit, women immediately see the value in supporting and creating strong communities. Women business owners are more likely to recognize that quality relationships and sincere communication are keys to any businesses’ success. They understand that when their businesses enrich the community, people will talk about what they did and why they did it. People will tell their friends, neighbors and relatives about, for example, that great store that opens up its space at no charge to yoga classes and workshops, offers free chair massage on the weekends, and delivers groceries without charge to new mothers. And all that talk will bring many new happy and loyal customers to that business. The women I work with intuitively understand the power of this kind of recognition and admiration, and they have implemented community-oriented marketing plans with great success and increase of profit, in such a short time that some of those confused men are still shaking their heads.

Roseanne Kiely was immediately inspired by the prospect of community-oriented marketing for her downtown grocery store The Grove Corner Market, the business not-so-hypothetically described above. She took our suggestion to use the community gathering area (the Perch) as just that—an area for business groups, nonprofits and other communities to convene without having to pay for the space rental. Anne Alexander of Authentic Alternatives came to us because she wanted to turn her website into a community resource, instead of the typical “business generating” website. Caryn Barecich of Bikram Yoga Asheville came to us because she wanted to create a business that would nurture a strong sense of community- a place where people go because they know they are in a safe, positive space. Rebecca Hunnicut of Securelink Computer Training wanted to offer complimentary classes to senior citizens once a month. Nicole Smith of Chicago’s Nicole Gallery wanted her space to promote poor Haitian artists who otherwise would be forced into labor without her art sales. Heather Pike of Pikeworks in Memphis had the dream to spawn off Project Petal, an organization that sends day-old floral arrangements to orphanages and retirement centers. The list continues. These women and many others have turned a dream about a nice way to do business into a vibrant, growing, exciting venture in which I get to help build the ideal community and meet enlightened entrepreneurs every day. Who would have guessed that one phone call and one determined pregnant lady would have led me to this?

As Asheville moves forward, other cities are beginning to take notice. We offer one of the most interlinked communities in North America, and more progress arrives with each coming month. It is our community-oriented, socially responsible businesses owners who have chartered much of this course. Professionals engaging in socially responsible business in WNC: thank you. Anyone wanting to learn more: just ask around. Helping hands and creative minds are always in high demand. You can learn more about organizations in need of volunteers by visiting 211wnc.org or by emailing community-activities@sensiblecty.net. You can also get involved in local socially responsible business communities online, such as the Authentic Alternatives community forum at authentic-alternatives.com/forums or locate individual organizations in the Mountain Area Information Network’s community pages at main.nc.us/resources/Community_Links.

The Sensible City’s current project is a natural offshoot of our marketing practices. Just as we strive to bring community growth to the forum of business development, we realize that personal growth is also an integral part of the enlightened business movement. The EmpowerMe! Conference, to be held in Asheville in February 20th -22nd, will bring together business and personal growth speakers from around the world to create a weekend experience that will stimulate and encourage both the individuals who run businesses and the businesses they have created. Most of our speakers are the head of businesses that give back. Cheri Britton, Elizabeth Trezise, Anne Alexander (who have appeared in WNC WOMAN), Beckie Boman, Mary Cantando and Bonnie Cleveland are among the regional speakers to present. This exciting forum will draw hundreds of people to Asheville’s Civic Center, and in the breaks between events, to Asheville’s downtown businesses.

Ian Bryan is a native Tennesseean who spent the better part of the Tech Bubble era as CEO of New Human, Inc. of Chicago. In 1999, New Human reshaped its focus to support primarily community oriented business. [ ianb@sensiblecity.com ]