Marketing/Communications

Marketing is the process of creating a good or service and promoting its value to potential consumers. In the field of refugee employment, this means promoting the benefits refugees bring to American employers. Marketing is the engine that drives employer relations and helps to build a diverse pool of potential jobs for skilled refugee workers.

Learn the Four "Ps" of Professional Marketing

In the professional marketing field, product, place, price and promotion are often used to develop marketing strategies. Each of the four “Ps” is important to consider when developing marketing materials and making connections with businesses:

Product
Explain how refugees are dependable, quick learners with skills in a variety of occupations.

Place
Consider industry demands in your community and work to prepare refugees to fill these needs.

Price
Promote the free recruitment and support services to employers provided by your agency.

Promotion
Use business language when speaking with employers. Help them see that refugees are good for their business and their “bottom line.”

Talking with Employers on the Telephone

Although meeting an employer can be the best way to establish a relationship, most job developers find they often begin with a phone call to a potential employer. Review the following guide before making cold calls::

•	Identify the right person and introduce yourself.
•	State the purpose of your call.
•	Capture the person’s interest (quickly)
•	Get the employer talking about their needs
•	State the benefit of working with you
•	Handle any objections in a positive manner
•	Inquire about immediate or future needs
•	Close with a thank you and/or a request for referral
•	Identify the next step you will take and follow through

Marketing Packet Checklist

When meeting with an employer to promote a refugee candidate, it is always a good idea to bring along the following items:

•	Brochures about your agency
•	Brochures about your employment program
•	Employment program statistics
•	Website links
•	Employer References – name and phone numbers
•	Resumes of job-ready clients
•	Related newspaper articles/materials

Twenty Positive Words
to Describe Refugee Workers

Cooperative	Adaptive	Competent
Motivated	Mature	Interested
Honest	Reliable	Helpful
Efficient	Hard Working	Caring
Confident	Energetic	Respectful
Dependable	Polite	Willing to Learn
Knowledgeable	Intelligent

SAMPLE MATERIALS

Sample Brochure
created by Lutheran
Family Services of Colorado

Sample Flyer
created by Catholic
Charities Diocese of Forth Worth

LINKS FOR
ONLINE MARKETING IDEAS

Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program

International Institute of Boston

Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota

ARTICLES RELATED TO MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Refugee Employment Marketing 101: How to Talk About Refugees
RefugeeWorks Newsletter 16 (PDF)

Benefits of Hiring Refugees
Society for Human Resource Management (Website)

Paying Their Way and Then Some:
Facts about the Contributions of Immigrants to Economic Growth
and Public Investment
National Immigration Law Center (PDF)