TRADE: 'POOR MARKETING COSTLY TO BUSINESS':

ZIMTRADE has called on businesses to consistently execute marketing strategies to create brand awareness saying failure to do contributes to inability to retain a sound customer base.

Speaking at the second session of the ‘Marketing and Branding for International Competitiveness (MBIC)’ training in Bulawayo yesterday, ZimTrade associate trainer Dennis Choguya said businesses must desist from marketing their products only when faced with viability challenges. He said seasoned conglomerates thrive on consistency in advertising their brands to potential customers.

“If you seek to achieve the right levels of awareness, there is need to consistently remind the market about your brand. Building a strong brand through consistent marketing allows businesses to build a defined community that is brand specific,” said Mr Choguya.

“A brand specific clientele enables businesses to not just compete on price, it erodes your profits. When you have a strong brand, that brand carries you through difficult times.”

ZimTrade also urged businesses to desist from chopping marketing budgets when faced with cash problems saying this has an effect of weakening the brand.

Mr Choguya encouraged businesses with no infinite resources to utilise social media marketing to increase brand visibility. He said social media was amongst one of the most cost effective ways of reaching out to customers.

“Many of the clients that we seek are already on social media and they spend most of their time there. Because that’s where they spend most of their times, they must interact with your products,” he said.

Like conventional marketing strategies, Mr Choguya said companies must be consistent in their social media marketing strategies and must employ personnel with the right skills.

“Failure to frequently update social media platforms is a key witness but when you constantly update your website and social media platforms, customers have a reason to continuously visit you page,” he added.

Mr Choguya also highlighted that businesses must manufacture goods that are streamlined with consumer needs. Some businesses are producing what they can rather than what clients need, he said.

“They then try to force it down particular products to customers when that is not what they want. You end up discounting the product, resulting in losses,” said Mr Choguya.

Meanwhile ZimTrade, is hosting two senior PUM experts in horticulture and cold chain logistics on a 10-day scoping and technical assistance visit aimed at increasing the use of sea freight over air freight by Zimbabwe’s fresh produce exporters.

ZimTrade acting CEO, Allan Majuru, said that this transition to sea freight is both an economic and environmental imperative.

“Mr Harry Surminski and Mr Carel van Ooosterzee bring with them decades of experience in horticulture and cold chain logistics in the Netherlands. Their experience is in the European hub for fresh produce, which is a key destination for Zimbabwe’s producers, especially of peas and blueberries.

“We are confident that by interacting with a cross section of stakeholders in Zimbabwe’s fresh produce value chain, the PUM experts can begin to formulate a best-practice plan that will see our fresh produce exporters going green, and greatly improving on their bottom lines,” said Majuru.

Cold chain logistics is a highly technical and precise business, where any mistakes along the chain from field to consumer can result in huge losses.

Van Oosterzee, who said their initial focus will be on ensuring peas are exported using sea freight to Europe, said that if done well, cold chain sea freight from Zimbabwe to Europe can compete with air freight despite taking at least 25 days.

“If the produce can be kept at a consistent temperature without fail, then the consumer would not notice the difference in freshness between sea and air freighted peas. Air freight is also subject to temperature fluctuations if not done well, so the two can be equal,” he said.

According to Van Oosterzee, the goal is to ensure a consistent supply of reliably fresh produce. Key to achieving this will be getting producers to work together to send large, cost effective consignments via sea freight, among other challenges.

Zimbabwe’s floriculturists, who have throughput for up to 12 months a year, could play an important role in ensuring a stable base to ensure full consignments even as other produce comes in and out of season.

During their time in Zimbabwe the PUM experts will meet with numerous farmers, logistics companies and policymakers to discuss this transition.

The visit is the result of a 2016 MoU signed between ZimTrade and PUM under which ZimTrade facilitates the visit of Dutch senior experts to consult with Zimbabwean companies in the horticulture, manufacturing and logistics sectors with a view to improving the quality and competitiveness of Zimbabwe’s exports.