As a special thank you to you, my loyal KosherShopaholic fans, I am including you in a Giveaway that I am running on my other site, EatingForReal.  You can enter the Giveaway through the widget below to win a 3lb case of kosher, grass-fed cowboy steak from KOL Foods.

I recently wrote a recipe and post about the secret benefits of a homemade 24 hour chicken bone broth. To read my recipe and review, click here.  To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below.
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Let us take it piece by piece.

The art of Marketing is defined as the management process that identifies, anticipates and satisfies customer requirements profitably.  In other words, marketing is having the right product, in the right place, at the right time, for the right price.

The term Marketing Mix was coined by Neil Borden (Borden, N. 1964) who first started using the phrase in 1949. Borden claims the phrase came to him while reading James Culliton’s description of the activities of a business executive:

(An executive is) “a mixer of ingredients, who sometimes follows a recipe as he goes along, sometimes adapts a recipe to the ingredients immediately available, and sometimes experiments with or invents ingredients no one else has tried.” (Culliton, J. 1948).

The basic Marketing Mix of the 60’s consisted of the 4Ps: Product, Price, Place & Promotion.  Product: define your product and which market segment it targets, Price: establish its pricing strategy, whether it’s  99 cent psychological pricing, penetration pricing which is a strategy to undercut the competition by setting lower prices, or skimming where you have an exclusive product that you can sell at a higher than market price.   Place:  which channels you use to sell your product. Promotion: the message you will use to create your brand image.  All four together are used to convince your target customer to buy your candy, rather than your competitor’s candy.

Based on the marketing mix variables above, a simplified version of the M&M brand candy Marketing Plan might look something like this:

Product: The first step in the marketing mix is to clearly define your product and which category you want to identify it with and essentially, compete in.  M&M’s markets itself as a candy with milk chocolate and therefore can effectively competes in two categories: candy and chocolate.  It is placed next to the chocolates as well as next to the candies on store shelves.  In this way it is associated with both chocolate and candy but also allows M&M’s to differentiate itself, thereby providing them with a competitive advantage.  Packaging is another factor inherent to the product.  The design on the package would be left up to the promotion people but the size and type of packaging is very much a core part of the product itself.   M&M’s candy offers different size packages, different flavors (nuts inside) and different size candy (think, M&M minis).

Price: within the range of candies per size they would persue a Penetration strategy to establish themselves firmly into the marketplace.

Promotion: big M&M characters in ads to appeal to the child-centeredness focus of a mother.  Economy size bags that appeal to households with children, and so on.

Place: sold in all grocery stores and pharmacies and bodagos.

The marketing mix of the 60’s has evolved into something more complex 30 years later and now includes People, Process, and Physical Environment in the mix.  Process came about to refer to the popular buzzwords ‘quality management’ or ‘continuous process improvement’ and is about how an organization is run, how streamlined and organized it is and how focused every aspect of an organization is on the organization’s strategy.  Physical environment refers to an actual physical structure that represents a very big part of an organization, if applicable.  The Googleplex, Google headquarters, is a perfect process example since it so developed and huge that it is a city and world and culture of its own.

Market segmentation and competitive advantage are two other basic elements of a marketing strategy.   In Market segmentation, consider the world your orange and each category of people a different segment.  We can segment by thousands of different variables but the most common marketing variables are age, gender, socio-economic status, spending habits and lifestyle.  So an M&M candy might target women (gender) who are mothers (lifestyle & age), who tend to buy brand name snacks (spending habits) for their kids.

A solid marketing strategy is a critical component to the success of any product or business and helps you stay focused and compete effectively in today’s marketplace.

Suzannah Raff is a business coach in private practice in New York.  She also teaches college Management, Marketing & Entrepreneurship courses.  You can visit her websites: www.koshershopaholic.com, www.eatingforreal.com and www.raffbusiness.com for more information about her businesses and coaching services.

I recently had the privelege of hearing Rebbetzin Slovie Jungreis -Wolf speak on the topic of parenting and immediately went to Amazon to buy her book, Raising A Child With Soul.  I was so inspired by her talk that I wanted to share this information with you and since Mother’s Day is just around the corner I thought it would be a great idea to get this book as a gift for yourself for this upcoming Mother’s Day (I did).  I can’t think of any better gift.

Here’s a copy of the notes I took while listening to her beautiful talk.

The foundation for raising children:

1-      Attitude of Gratitude:  If I appreciate and cherish what I have been given I become a grateful person and respect  and appreciate the people and things in my life.  Teach our children to say, ‘thank you’. Yes, it is supposed to happen (dinner, soccer, …) but tell your children, ‘you have the responsibility to say, thank you’  even if its supposed to happen.   On the same note, teach our children to appreciate time. Time is not here for wasting. To teach this, we have to show appreciation to each other. Appreciation for what we’ve been given. When we appreciate we begin to act with respect. Stop taking it all forgranted.

2-      Compassion Chesed: Teach children to learn how to feel the pain of others.  This is how you teach children to be great, like Moshe Rabbeinu/Moses, by feeling the pain of others. Great means feeling the pain of others.

3-      Priorities in Parenting: Tell your children how Blessed they are to you. Really spend time with them. Our children just want our time, a listening ear, a listening heart.  Turn off your phone when you are eating with your children, reading a story. Let them know they are your priority, you love them unconditionally.

Here’s the link to Slovie Jungreis – Wolf’s book, Raising A Child With Soul again.  It makes the best Mother’s Day gift for yourself or a friend or mother in your life.

Planning a family vacation? Save up to 40% now with the Great Wolf Lodge Groupon Getaway Deal.  Great Wolf Lodge has locations around the US and is home to one of the largest indoor waterparks in the country.   The Groupon Deal offers packages beginning at $159 for one or two overnight stays in suites, with waterpark passes and extra perks.

This deal is available at all Great Wolf Lodge locations around the US.  Check here to find a Great Wolf Lodge near you and learn more about this great family destination place.

This Groupon promotion is running until May 25, 2013 so grab it now, before its too late!

As many of you know, I created a new website called, EatingForReal.com where I post recipes that are gluten-free, processed food free and made of only real and natural ingredients. I have been on a bit of a health kick lately, reading everything I can find on ‘clean’ and ‘Paleo’ lifestyles, a way of eating that is wheat, gluten, sugar and processed food-free.  I have lost a ton of weight and feel energetic and much healthier than I have in years. I started this new website as a way to help Kosher keepers, like myself, become more aware of the many ways we can choose to eat more healthfully without compromising quality and taste. I hope you’ll come subscribe to the website and that it will serve to inspire you in much the same way I have been inspired by ‘eating for real’ in my life.  Don’t worry, I am not abandoning my KosherShopaholic fans, I plan on managing this new website along with The KosherShopaholic as always.

As a special thank you to you, my loyal KosherShopaholic fans, I am including you in a Cookbook Giveaway that I am running on EatingForReal.  You can enter the Giveaway through the widget below to win one of two copies of The No Potato Passover Cookbook just in time for Passover.

I loved this cookbook. To read my review of it, click here.  Here are links to some of my favorite recipes form this cookbook as well: Cajun Carrot Fries, Baked ‘Ziti’, Pomegranate Brisket, Lavender Mint Roasted Chicken.

Wishing you a Happy & Healthy Passover!

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Click on over to 6pm.comand grab these UGG boots now and check out all of 6pm’s spring madness sales.

Shipping from 6pm.com is FREE with no minimum order required.

6pm’s UGG shoe sale runs through the 3/13/13, but shop early for the best selection.

Layering shells are a favorite item of mine. I use them as soft comfortable undershirts for my daughters and put one under everything I wear. They allow the Jewish woman who dresses more modestly to wear any style shirt of dress without compromising fashion or modesty.  This is a great deal: $15 for $25 worth of shells! I know I’m ready for some new ones.  How about you?

Come visit Shell Sheli today so that your order can arrive well before Passover!

Do-it-yourself Bag Of Plagues

Here is a guest post from my artist friend Not2Shabbey Abbey.  She has some really creative and fun ways to spruce up your seder table.  Check it out!

Pesach is around the corner and the time to prepare is upon us. I can only imagine the facebook posts that are already being displayed about the long hours spent in the kitchen cleaning, and cleaning, and cleaning.  However, I have a little secret to share with you……..I absolutely positively have no clue how to clean.  Somehow when God was giving out the cleaning gene, he promptly skipped me. For the first 10 years of my marriage I thought I hid it very well from my husband. It was right before the very first Pesach that I had to make on my own that it became rudely apparent that I lacked the fundamental skills of organizing and housekeeping. I quickly confessed my sins to my husband who matter of factly told me that he’s known for years!

Although God may not have given me the cleaning talent, he did bestow upon me an awfully good one. Creativity.  One of my favorite creative projects for Pesach is a relatively simple idea that I wanted to share with you.  Much like crafting guru Martha Stewart, I like making my bag of plagues from scratch since it gives over that homemade feeling you can’t get from anywhere else.  To get an idea of a home made one, watch Martha’s video here.  But instead of using the ingredients that she recommends, check out mine – I’ll guarentee they’ll be more exciting!

Here are the items that I like to put into MY Makkos Bags.

Abbey’s Makkos Bags

Blood

Now yes, Martha’s red cherry chocolate is quite delicious, but does it REALLY scream blood to you??? I don’t think so.  How about this Blood Putty for $.99cents- I will be my 8 year olds best friend when he opens up his bag, let me tell you!

Lice

For lice, if you really want to ramp up your Seder table give your kids each a small container of Glitter or Confetti

Beasts

For wild animals I personally love these wild animal bubble containers  which adds an extra layer of fun, but there are also these great wild animal toys that come in handy all year round as well.

Cattle Disease

These are seriously fabulous for Dever, Cattle disease, but if they really gross you out why not try the farm animal bookmarks which can be useful for the rest of the Seder or these relaxing sqeeze balls , all perfect choices.

Boils

Boils may take a little bit of work on your part. I would buy these sticky hands and draw small dots all over them, giving the hands the appearance of boils.  Cute right?

Hail

For hail I’m thinking ping pong balls.  Can you just imagine them flying and bouncing throughout your Seder!!!  HOW FUN!?! But if you are more of the reserved type you can get these reusable ice cubes.

Locust

For Locust you could go a little bit more buggier with these adorable snap & play bugs.

Darkness

For darkness your best bet are sunglasses which everyone has fun putting on and playing with.

Death of Firstborn

For the death of the firstborn these glow in the dark skeletons  are pretty freaky.

Frogs

Last but not least, your seder isn’t complete without some of these plastic jumping frogs!

How To Assemble

Now that all the contents have been ordered let’s discuss how it will be presented. Martha recommends using a wax bag, but any brown paper bag, or even white bag is perfectly fine. You can get them at any local grocery store. You can use these fancy craft scissors to cut the top off your bags, put each of the 10 plagues into a bag and fold over the top.   Attach the ribbon to the bag as well.

For the decorative paper that goes on top of the bag print out this coloring sheet on cardstock paper and give it to your children to color during one of the endless days before Pesach when they have nothing to do.  When they are finished (make sure their names are on it – don’t want to go mixing them up!) glue them to each of the bags.  It’s the perfect personal touch.

Of course, you can also buy a ready-made bag of plagues like this one if you’re short on time.

So while you are meticulously cleaning and scrubbing, I will be meticulously painting down in my studio bringing creativity back to each of your dining room tables.  Come and visit my store & choose something unique and special to enhance your Passover Table.

Share pictures of your Makkos Bags here in the comments or on our Facebook pages: KosherShopaholic & Not2Shabbey - we can’t wait to see them!  Wishing you all a Chag Kasher V’Sameach.

Not 2 Shabbey, Abbey & The Kosher Shopaholic, Shoshana

My Headcoverings.com has a great selection of ladies headcoverings and hair accessories for both children and adults.  If you have little girls, you might have noticed that the huge flowers on headbands and clips are all the rage now, and they are very, very cute.  I was looking for some to accessorize my girls’ Passover Yontif outfits and found that My Headcovering has a lot of choices at unbelievably low prices, probably the lowest you’ll find anywhere on the web or in stores.  Here are some of my favorites.

This beautiful rose pony holder/clip is only $2.99 

This chiffon 3 rose headband is only $2.49

This 3 rose headband is only $2.99

And for us ladies, this sequenced women’s beret is only $13.99 !

10% off Coupon Code

Wait, it gets even better (I know I sound like an infomercial) but you can use the “Koshershop” coupon code from now until Pesach to get an additional 10% off of your order.  Can’t beat these prices!

Win A $50 Box of Hair Accessories

Wait, it gets even better.  As a Passover gift to you, My Headcoverings is giving away a $50 surprise gift basket filled with different hair accessories to 1 lucky winner!  Here’s how you can win: Share a picture or the name of Your Favorite item from MyHeadcoverings.com on my Facebook page here and you’ll be entered into the raffle to win a mystery box of hair accessories and head coverings valued at over $50.00! Contest ends Sunday, March 17, 2013. 

Leelach.com is the only online shop for handmade art created by Israeli women. You can buy beautiful, unique Israeli jewelry, Judaica, Modest skirts, shirts & dresses, tichels- mitpachot, kippot, and more while you read a bit about the lives of these Israeli women and thus about the reality of life in Israel.

In honor of Passover, they are offering 10% discount off all purchases – all you need to do when checking out put in the code- leelach2013 and click save, continue the checkout, register to leelach.com or checkout as a guest and complete your purchase!

Check out some of these beautiful handmade items: