TORONTO – Rogers is kicking off a national event series and contest geared to driving small business growth in Canada, the company said Tuesday.
Starting next month, Rogers Talks will bring together experts in social media, marketing and sales to share knowledge and applicable best practices with small business owners and employees across Canada. Events will take place in Toronto, Kitchener/Waterloo, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver from October 28 to November 12.
In addition, the company will award five technology grand prize packages worth $20,000, including mobile devices from Rogers and BlackBerry, as part of a contest entitled Rogers Small Business Big Idea Giveaway. Owners of small businesses with up to 99 employees across Canada can enter by sharing how Rogers could give their business a competitive edge. The contest closes October 5, 2013.
According to new research from Rogers, commissioned by Harris-Decima, Baby Boomers and Gen-Y's are both committed to supporting local, Canadian small businesses, but how they choose to interact with them is markedly different. While over 85% of Canadians agree that convenience and personal service are the most important reasons they support small businesses, the majority of Generation Y – Canadians between the ages of 18 and 35 – think that small businesses should have a strong social media presence, offer a loyalty rewards program and an e-commerce website. Less that 35% of Baby Boomers agreed.
"The research reveals that although the majority of Canadians are devoted to small business, generational demands are shifting what's expected from them", said Tess Van Thielen, Director of B2B Strategy and Small Business Marketing, in the company’s press release. "Providing a tailored customer experience allows small businesses to maintain customer loyalty and compete in a crowded market, but more than ever, younger Canadians want around the clock access to their local businesses through online channels and connected technology."
