Creating demand for Zim products, services

Zimbabwe is preparing to officially announce the three new partners at a Linkages Cocktail this evening to be held at the Amtec Showroom.
Having been on such a long vacation, I had the opportunity to reflect on a number of issues around the Buy Zimbabwe without the day-to-day hassle that my job comes with.
One of the most important things I dwelt on was the issue of demand creation for our local products.
You will agree with me that this is indeed the bottom line at the moment.
Local products have over the years lost their allure in the local market largely because of skewed perceptions, which have to be reversed as a matter of urgency.
We have all heard about local products being inferior, more expensive than imports and unavailable at times.
Most of us have all been found guilty of suggesting that nothing good can ever come out of Zimbabwe.
This is a dangerous mindset that paints Zimbabweans as a people with a low self-esteem.
If we take a closer look at the calibre of brands that actually make up the Buy Zimbabwe team at the moment you will realise that these perceptions are largely untrue.
The brands we have are world class. Buy Zimbabwe general manager Munyaradzi Hwengwere often refers to them as the premier league.
The challenge for most of our local manufacturers has been that they have failed to position themselves in a manner that pushes volumes of their product on the market.
We have great brands but we are unfortunately not pro-active on the market. Even as Buy Zimbabwe we have been found guilty of this, as our insignia should by now be the talk of town appearing on every one of our partners’ products.
I had a chance to chat with a buyer from the Spar situated close to our offices who said that they have actually increased the number of local products that they stock because they are seeing more and more consumers preferring to buy them.
I have not yet had the opportunity to verify this, but I must say this is very positive development for 2012.
The only problem that I see with our local manufacturers is that they seem to have an internal focus and have failed to communicate with the consumer.
I believe that they have to be a little bit more aggressive in reaching out and communicating with the consumer.
The Linkages Cocktail to be held tonight is also just about that, we need to create demand for Zimbabwe products and services on the market.
This is more than just the day-to-day advertising that we see being done by companies.
While advertising may work but I feel it is doing very little to address the perception that local consumers have about local products and worse still international consumers.
Our communication should really be about getting in touch with the emotion of the consumers to understand what influence their buying behaviour and delivering solutions that have an impact on their mind, body and soul.
Participants at the cocktail should expect a power-packed discussion on the subject, which will be led by Buy Zimbabwe general manager Munyaradzi Hwengwere.
The meeting will also focus on the role that financial institutions, manufacturers and retailers are playing and can play in stimulating demand for local products, locally and internationally.
While the cocktail shall serve to introduce the new partners, the event is also an opportunity for us to share the 2012 agenda.
2012 promises to be a busy year for Buy Zimbabwe as we need to take Buy Zimbabwe from the boardroom to the streets.
The events and programmes on the calendar are designed to assist our partners to reach out to consumers, increase demand for their products and increase their sales.
At the close of last year, Buy Zimbabwe embarked on road shows which were a teaser of what we intend to do for our partners and consumers in 2012 and beyond.
The Buy Zimbabwe week gave the consumers an understanding of Buy Zimbabwe’s aims and objectives.
It is this sort of interactive approach that will help consumers appreciate local products and before we even go international we ought to make sure we get it right here in Zimbabwe.

l Robert Garai Muganda is the Media and Communications Executive for Buy Zimbabwe. He can be contacted on: email: [email protected]; mobile: 0772 714 233; Facebook: Buy Zimbabwe Campaign website: www.buyzimbabwe.org.zw