Questions for client:
1. What is the focal point of your business? What products do you sell most of?
● Gift baskets and there is a gift store and giftware
● Gourmet foods sold separately as well in baskets
● A one stop shop: pre made baskets, we can make baskets with items in store as
per request
● Engraving
● Popular: baby baskets
2. How long have you been in this business?
● Basketique has been around since 1985 taken over in 2007
● In 2003 she had her own basket business which she merged
3. What was your idea in mind when you started this business?
● Expand the business
4. What kind of goals do you seek to achieve if you were to use our marketing plan?
● Better online presence (especially on Google)
● Bring more people into the in-person stores
● Need to focus on Instagram a bit more
5. What do you personally think the main focus of our marketing plan should be?
○ Building instagram
○ Stronger social media presence (customer service through messaging, expand
on feed)
○ Focusing on photos of baskets and mortar stores
6. Who do you think your core customer group is for your products (demographics)? E.g.
married adults between the ages of 20 to 50.
○ Mostly Women but there are some men (as it is easier to purchase a gift basket
as a present)
i. Jewellery items appeal to women
○ 25-55/60 years old
○ Starting to get young people in stores and even online
○ Real estate and corporate orders are a huge source of revenue during christmas
time
7. How do you price your products? Do you also use any promotional pricing?
○ Lower price than other (getting more than their values) companies
○ Markup range? Depends on the product (e.g., food price is a different price point
20-25%)
○ Discount and rewards (40% markup)
○ Suppliers have a recommended price point (More expensive items (Disney
collectables, willow tree) 50% markup)
○ Hard to compete with big box stores such as walmart
8. Have you changed your prices recently?
○ Consistent
○ With the pandemic 5-10% raise from suppliers
○ Food prices are mostly consistent
○ Suppliers give discounts up to 5%, offer free shipping sometimes, overall positive
relationship long-term
9. What is your current positioning?
○ Ship all over north america (don’t want to go international due to shipping
complications and costs ex. paperwork , tax, duties, customs)
○ Focus on Canada, North America
10. Who do you consider your direct competitors?
○ Usually leave her alone but have been bothering her recently
○ Peter and Paul
○ Baskits (the ones who stole her google ad revenue)
○ Costco is bringing in baskets during Christmas time (seasonal)
○ Strength : custom baskets, all year around
11. Do you think your prices are competitive compared to your competitors?
○ Try not buy things from big box stores
○ Support local brands by adding their products to baskets
12. What are your current marketing strategies?
○ Buy for all occasions
○ All stop shop with a heavy focus on baskets
○ “Gift for all occasions.” → slogans
13. What were your past experiences with marketing campaigns like? Which ones do you
consider successful or unsuccessful?
○ TAP Mango → rewards programs (built in the website → both in person and
website)
○ Have discounts 15% (first visitors, wemissyou coupons)
14. In your opinion, how do people usually come across your business?
○ When searched bring up the website higher (Simple CEO) → supposed to
15. What would your budget be if you were to implement our marketing plan?
○ TAP Mango → $270/month (marketing tactic)
○ $6000 on the whole year
○ $2500 budget
○ Extra is already spent on the website (Shopify)
16. What are your most successful distribution channels? E.g. online sales versus storefront
versus call orders
○ Online is getting more popular
○ Corporate clients and store front currently and has been most popular
17. What areas do you think you are lacking in when it comes to sales and marketing?
○ Instagram engagement (social media in general)
○ Improve online website
○ Expanding engraving options (laser engraving machine coming soon)
○ Increase mass customization
○ Currently not ready to expanding store front would rather expand online
(cost-wise)
18. Do you have any questions for us?
19. How many employees do you have?
○ 2 full time and 8 part-timers
○ Team of 10 workers
Additional Notes:
● Simple CEO and Tapmango (Rewards) accounts
● Baskits comes up if you search Basketique
● Huge range of customers