Ron Buist

It’s safe to say that the creative and marketing ideas that have come from Ron Buist in the last 25 years have affected the lives of all Canadians. As the former Marketing Director for Tim Hortons, Buist launched some of the best-known and most successful marketing campaigns in Canadian advertising history. An entrepreneur, author, marketer and thinker, Buist offers insight into his success with expanding a broad range of Canadian brands.

Having graduated from Ryerson’s Radio and Television Arts program, Buist began his career in the broadcasting industry as a radio announcer at CHWO in Oakville. Following that, he was involved in the technical production at CFTO TV in Toronto and CJOH TV in Ottawa, and he also qualified as a CBC announcer for English broadcasting in Germany.
 
Buist’s next move was to become Advertising Manager for Black’s Camera stores. He was instrumental in promoting the “Black’s Bigger Prints” campaign resulting in a photofinishing business increase of 54 per cent in the first year of its introduction.
 
Buist’s next challenge was Tim Hortons, one of the most recognizable names and brands in Canada. He began a 24-year career as Marketing Director, and his creative marketing campaigns helped turn a once unknown donut shop into one of Canada’s leading franchised organizations. While with Tim Hortons, some of his accomplishments included the invention of the continuously popular “Roll Up the Rim to Win” contest, the production of the “True Stories” television commercials, the design of the first Tim Mug travel mugs, and the launch of the popular soup and sandwich program.
 
In 2002, Buist ventured out on his own, forming Buist Enterprises, becoming a marketing consultant and author. His first publication, Tales from Under the Rim, was a Canadian best-seller, operating as a business study and memoir of how Tim Hortons became a second home to millions of Canadians.

Buist is now focused on sharing his secrets of success with retail organizations, business schools, senior executives and others through his presentations.

Ron Buist's Blog Entries:

Your Business As A Second Home

• 2. Learn How Tim Hortons Became a Marketing Giant

  Ron Buist, one of Canada's foremost marketing professionals and now a best-selling business book author, is the former marketing director for Tim Horton's and has launched some of the best-known and most successful marketing campaigns in Canadian advertising history. In his inspiring keynote presentation, Buist will share how Tim Horton's grew from a single doughnut shop to a multi-billion-dollar international company through out-of-the-box marketing campaigns, initially on a very limited budget. Learn how and why Buist invented the Roll Up The Rim To Win contest and developed logoed Tim Mug travel mugs. He'll also discuss the 12 points to business success that he employed at Tim Horton's to sell everything from coffee to soup and sandwiches and share how any business can use these ideas to sell more to clients.

  Experience the original packaging designs, award-winning commercials and strategies of self promotion that are based on the one thing in business that can be guaranteed: the changing customer! Come, learn, enjoy, and bring a coffee!

• 6. Tim Hortons and Canadian Culture

• 5. Pleasing the Customer: Your Business as a Second Home

• 4. Tales from Under the Rim: Canadian Marketing Magic

  Buist tells how a little donut shop grew into a Canadian institution. From the eureka moment in 1986 to the no-frills contest's status as a defining feature of Canadian life.

• 3. The Twelve Steps to Retail Success

  With the business formula used for selling coffee and Timbits, Buist provides the 12 steps to success while addressing issues all businesses face.

• 1. When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going

  You look at Tim Hortons today and see a multi-billion dollar international company, but it was certainly not always so. What better time to hear about how Hortons achieved this success than right now during these tough economic times. Since 1964, Hortons has survived the difficulties of getting sufficient monies, 18% interest rates, staffing concerns and insufficient dollars to properly advertise their growing chain.

  Question is, "How did Hortons do it?"

• Your presentation on "Pleasing the Customer" as portrayed through the Tim Horton's great success story, provided a very positive wind-up... Thanks again for helping make our Conference so very informative and enjoyable.

  Canadian Meat Council

• I would just like to say from myself and the board a huge thank you for all your efforts last night. Your presentation was both informative, and entertaining. I have had nothing but good feedback from all.

  Leica Microsystems Inc.

• I would recommend Ron Buist to anyone.

  Alberta Food Processors Association

• We were extremely pleased with Ron. The pure entertainment of the Tim’s story, plus his own style, his common sense approach to marketing, and the fact that he tailored his remarks to us was the perfect kick off to the day.

  Yellow Pages Group

• Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to come to our conference and present an informative and dynamic talk to our Marketing division.

  Farm Credit Canada

• 
  September 2003

  Tales from Under the Rim: The Marketing of Tim Hortons

  Want to know the secrets behind Canada’s most popular coffee-and-donuts chain? Read all about them in a new book chronicling the rise of Tim Hortons, from its humble beginnings to the national institution it is today. Written by former Tim Hortons marketing director Ron Buist, Tales from Under the Rim: The Marketing of Tim Hortons is an engrossing, fast-paced business memoir. Detailing the company’s creative marketing strategies of the past 24 years, with loads of fascinating anecdotes, Tales from Under the Rim provides hitherto unknown glimpses into the transformation of a modest chain into Canada’s most successful franchise operation.