SMEs Can Win In The Market With Good Branding, Says MATRADE

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 (Bernama) -- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can penetrate the market and compete with a number of large players in the industries if they have solid branding, says Datuk Dzulkifli Mahmud, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)'s Senior Director of Exporters Development Division.

Source from (Bernama): http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v6/newsbusiness.php?id=924646
Published: January 30, 2013

He said SMEs could also go on to become multi-national companies in the long run if they adopt the best strategy in the branding of their product and service.

"What differentiates the product and service in the market place is the brand.

"Good brand must have essence and value that makes it worthwhile to the customer," he told reporters at a seminar on "Harvesting your brand's full potential", here today.

Dzulkifli said for the export sector to remain as the main source for economic growth, manufacturers must continuously search and develop new sources of competitive advantage.

Companies must capitalise on Malaysia's reputation as a supplier of quality products and services.

"As branding initiative requires substantial investment and commitment, proper strategy and planning need to be carefully developed to ensure its cost effectiveness.

"A brand reflects the perception, images, quality and trust regarding a product or service in the mind of the customers," he emphasized.

Meanwhile the seminar today was organised by MATRADE in collaboration with MakkiMakki, a strategic branding consultant based in Indonesia, with the aim of looking at what made a brand tick and how to harvest its full potential for better returns.

Meanwhile, Sakti Makki, Managing Director and Co-founder of MakkiMakki group, said besides sharing its business knowledge with clients outside Indonesia, the event also provided the group the opportunity to bring their brands to the regional and international level.

"Brand and branding is a very powerful tool that businesses or companies can actually capitalise on to allow the business to exercise its full potential," he said.

-- BERNAMA