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Shamiso Dzingire, Business Reporter
ZIMTRADE has called on businesses to consistently execute marketing strategies to create brand awareness saying failure to do so contributes to the 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 Mr 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 a 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 weakness but when you constantly update your website and social media platforms, customers have a reason to continuously visit your page,” he said.
Mr Choguya also added 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 to customers when that is not what they want. You end up discounting the product, resulting in losses,” said Mr Choguya. — @ShamisoDzingire.
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