Since 2013, we have been helping small and medium-sized businesses reach their full potential by understanding customers’ needs and how best to meet them in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.
What do you need to accomplish today?
Develop a Business Plan that can help with financing your growth?
Identify new market segments and customers for your product or service?
Make an Action Plan appropriate to today’s challenges?
Understand your Customers and how to engage those Customers more effectively?
Understand your Competitors and which opportunities have greater risk and opportunities?
Improve public perceptions of your company?
We can help.
scope of work
Our specialties include strategic marketing plans, competitive analysis, market sizing, consumer research, action plans, marketing collateral, product development, business development, retail merchandising, consumer engagement, and public relations.
Heron’s View Marketing was founded by Stephanie Van Winkle, a University of Michigan Ross School MBA graduate with extensive experience in consulting, marketing, and international trade. Stephanie’s experience includes international trade positions in the US government, marketing and product management roles at General Electric and Motorola, and starting her own retail business, Expecting More, which she sold in 2002. Stephanie’s community service work, primarily in Youth Advocacy and the Environment, has provided her with expertise in public relations and outreach, and has allowed her to develop strong relationships with the small businesses in her local communities in Chicago and Traverse City.
Heron’s View’s initial consulting projects included an artisanal food manufacturer in northern Michigan with several retail locations, and on the Chicago North Shore a restaurant group, a gourmet market, and a weight-loss center. For one consulting client, we did focus group research and competitive analysis, product positioning, and merchandising. For another, we investigated the best way to enter a new segment and conducted business development in that segment. For that same client, Heron’s View Marketing investigated alternate distribution for a diet snack bar. Stephanie also worked for a new online gift business, Boxy USA, as their interim Director of Marketing.
More recently, Heron’s View advised two clients developing products and starting live websites, one in stationery and gifts, the other in artisanal jewelry. The jewelry website (not designed by us) is live and can be seen at darsanajewelry.com. We are now working on a second project for Darsana Jewelry, helping the client achieve some publicity in print media after receiving a New York design award and expanding their U.S. retail presence.
“Stephanie helped me formulate a comprehensive marketing plan in the early stages of my new jewelry business. The plan helped me to set measurable goals within a workable framework that helped me to stay on track. As a public relations consultant, Stephanie also secured some great local publicity to help build brand awareness and take my business to the next level. Stephanie is a pleasure to work with. She is genuinely interested in my business and eager to collaborate. I consider her a wonderful support to my growing business and someone that I can depend on for any marketing and public relations needs as they arise. ”