By Edgar Brandt
WINDHOEK – As the festive season ap-proaches Team Namibia, the organisation tasked with the promotion of locally produced products, launched a national retail merchandising campaign on Tuesday aimed at giving Namibian products a distinct competitive advantage.
Speaking at the launch Windhoek Deputy Mayor, Veico Hangapo, said the campaign addresses shelf product visibility and identification, varying point-of-purchase displays and supports retailer promotional, marketing and advertising initiatives.
“Diversifying our economy is not easy because of the fierce competition from well-established glo-bal manufacturers and brands. However, an effective defence is to prove to our consumers that Namibian industries do produce good, safe, high quality, cost effective and competitive products,” said Hangapo.
Team Namibia Board member, Dixon Norval, said their vision was to inspire consumers to make Namibian products and services part of everyday life.
“Our function is catalytic in inspiring consumer confidence and stimulating market growth through consumption, domestically and abroad,” Norval declared.
Team Namibia Chief Executive Officer, Daisry Mathias, said the campaign was launched as a pilot phase in 11 retail outlets and strives to create a “patriotic and impacting” shopping experience that will evoke consumer pride to ultimately purchase Namibian products during this festive season and beyond.
The campaign will initially run at Engen Namibia outlets, Pick ‘n Pay Namibia, the Shoprite and Checkers Group, Spar Oshakati and a few local shebeens and taverns. Collectively, these partners have volunteered 11 participating outlets, spread across Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Oshakati.
Norval explained that the objective was to address the low level of awareness of Namibian products among consumers as confirmed in an earlier research by Team Namibia.
“The simple solution we identified to achieve this outcome, which we believe will provide a sustainable competitive advantage for the Namibian goods, is to clearly identify such products in store and at point of purchase,” said Norval.
The campaign’s multi-faceted approach includes a partnership with local ingenuity that has produced Namibian shopping bags.
Local graphic designers contributed winning and authentic designs that Team Namibia trusts will resonate with the Namibian nation and inspire a movement of buying local products.
Another component of the campaign is the electronic Team Namibia Member Directory, which is accessible via the official Team Namibia website. This online directory provides a central data repository; a complete listing of all Team Namibia member organisations inclusive of products produced locally.
It comes complete with an “Image Bank” which contains product images to support retailers in their promotional efforts, as well as detailed product specifications for procurement agents and prospecting importers.
In addition, in store activities will be supported by a social media campaign that will direct foot traffic in store over this festive promotional period.
Meanwhile, Norval added that Team Namibia’s efforts were not taking place in isolation, but were in support of the 4th National Development Plan that has set the framework for transforming Namibia’s retail sector to achieve a 20 percent uptake of local products.
In addition, the proposed Namibian Retail Charter, spearheaded by the Namibia Trade Forum on behalf of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, seeks to increase market access by creating a suitable climate for local contributions to the retail sector’s supply chain.
The Growth at Home strategy, furthermore, aims at enhancing local supply capacity and better collaboration and coordination between all role players in the economy.
“Namibia is a net importer of most consumer and industrial goods. Yet, we are also a country that is trying to transform herself to be less of a consumer and more of a producer.
“The impact, we believe, should contribute to realising our goal of becoming an industrialised nation and Africa an industrialised continent,” remarked Norval.