Walker Presents at Economic Summit

Butte, Montana

Flat Earth Imports’ President and Cofounder Kitch Walker presented two sessions of his frequently requested seminar “The Power of Marketing: Mastering the Journey” at the Montana Economic Development Summit 2007. Keynote speakers at this two-day event include William (Bill) H. Gates, August A. Busch IV and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin.

Walker was invited to present this seminar by U.S. Senator Max Baucus’ office.

Walker’s entertaining, energetic and interactive approach to coaching audiences on marketing’s core principles has earned him invites nationwide. Developed from his years of experience as a marketing consultant for Bozeman, Montana-based Ripple Marketing, Walker offers real-world examples that break the marketing process down into steps. The notion of marketing as an ongoing “journey” is the overarching principle of Walker’s seminar.

The Summit brings ambassadors from several of the world’s major economies to Montana. During the course of the summit, those ambassadors are introduced to various Montana businesses by way of a tour. In turn, the ambassadors offer their impressions of the Montana business community, and how their countries can best work together to boost economic ties with Montana. The Summit also provides workshops on how to get started selling your products abroad and will focus in separate sessions on trade in agricultural goods and manufacturing goods.

Like all of Walker’s highly educational seminars, this one focused on providing attendees with tangible tools that can be implemented in their respective businesses. Among the tools used to elucidate core marketing concepts, Walker challenged each member of the group to define marketing for themselves, in light of their respective business objectives. The individual’s purpose for marketing, according to Walker, most often arises from the need to increase something.

From this humble starting point, Walker challenged attendees, under his guidance, to learn how to differentiate and leverage marketing, branding and advertising as they migrate toward a “Totally Integrated Marketing” model.

At the heart of all marketing efforts is the customer. As Walker puts it, the customer is the “focus of your existence” as a business owner. Breaking the concept of customer down, he enumerates the five attributes of every customer: 1. Need, 2. Ability, 3. Willingness, 4. Authority and 5. Desire.