It's Good to Know … Penny Redlin

I love working in the children’s business, but over my 30-year career in advertising, marketing and journalism, there have been a few truths about children’s apparel and juvenile products manufacturers that I wish would change. Many key people wear too many job hats, so their focus shifts from designing, sales, shipping, manufacturing, managing and more so quickly that the workday speeds away. That often means that the marketing hat sometimes makes no headway! “ And “market research” is a hat not worn very often at all to develop, analyze and guide sales potential and guide the systematic growth of the brand with sound reasoning and well-defined goals.

Penny Redlin Shows How Research Plans a Success Route

That is why it’s good to know Penny Redlin! She really knows the value, importance, and business-building potential of market research. I admire her for deciding to focus her marketing talents, education, experience and passion on the children’s industry. It’s a challenge to convince kid brands to “grow up” by conducting and relying upon market research and a business plan. It can pay off to invest a few cents for Penny’s thoughts on the subject. She recently opened Insights Discovered, which provides “actionable market research.” Penny says, “Our specific industry focus is in creating customized strategic marketing plans designed to help achieve specific business objectives.” She can manage it all from complete marketing plans to execution of entire campaigns or short-term projects. That’s good to know, since she can help companies with budgets large and smaller!

Moms Know Moms Best

I first met Penny about three years ago when she became Marketing Director for pediped Footwear in Las Vegas. She managed the in-house marketing staff and coordinated with outside agencies and services to develop, implement and monitor marketing plans that brought the brand to a higher level of trade and consumer recognition and sales. Under her creative direction, pediped expanded its reach in the consumer market with strategic advertising campaigns, trade events, and on-target social media programs that captured the attention of influential moms on the Internet.

With an MBA from the University of Chicago, and over ten years of corporate experience with consumer products, she has the formal education and practical experience, as well as an intuitive head for business, to know how to develop campaigns that are grounded in facts and forecasts, and not on one’s own backyard projections and unsubstantiated pie-in-the sky dreams of unrealistic expectations. Working with a company’s team, Penny can help focus on realistic objectives with business plans to reach goals matched to a time schedule, with no-surprises budgets.

One of the most important skills that Penny brings to the kids’ market is the fact that she is a mother herself of a young son. Being a consumer of children’s products herself, she knows how to reach and influence the families that manufactures want the most. In fact, part of the motivation Penny had to hang her own shingle is because she is a mom first and a business woman most of the rest of her time! She is focused, serious in her knowledge that marketing and business plans are essential keys to success, and energetic to share her expertise with others, particularly other entrepreneurs.

The Giggle Guide is pleased that Penny Redlin is a regular contributor to our Business Sense series. Read her marketing advice here: http://thegiggleguide.com/biz/features/business-sense

It’s good to know someone that can help your business grow according to plan. It’s good to work with Penny Redlin. She can wear several business “hats” to keep your business focused, on track to make what you’d “like to happen” a reality based on realistic business sense.

For more information about Penny Redlin, go to www.insightsdiscovered.com.

David Gaunt
Editorial Director
The Giggle Guide

“It’s Good to Know” is a recurring feature on my blog. Come back next Thursday to meet the next person I’m glad to know in the children’s industry. Who do you think it’s good to know in the children’s business? Share your comments here.