Philexport Cebu | export services, market reports, training for Philippine exporters

Cebu City, June 23, 2009

When we talk about branding we do not talk about the painful process of branding cattle but about the arduous process of creating and maintaining a brand in the business environment. This article deals with the question why branding is such a hot topic nowadays and how a Filipino business support organization here in Cebu is bringing this topic closer to its members.

Interestingly there is a link between the modern definition of branding in the business environment and branding cattle: branding irons were used to put some of the world’s first trademarks on cattle to mark ownership. But a brand is much more than a trademark or a product. It is about getting your target market to see your company as the only one that provides a solution to their problem. It is about customer trust and loyalty. It seems to have evolved as the most powerful strategic tool since the invention of the spreadsheet. Most of all, the brand value of a company can amount to more that half of its assets as for example in the case of “Coca Cola” and that makes branding a strategic tool to be taken very seriously. 

Philexport Cebu, the business support organization for exporters in the Central Visayas, realized that and decided to act on it together with the help of their Branding and Marketing expert from the German Development Service. After the branding consultant conducted two branding workshops for their own organization to get a grip on their national/local branding they decided that it is also high time to give their members the opportunity to unveil the real meaning of the hype word “Branding” and use it for their strategy development.

A training program for the main export sectors in Cebu was developed which makes the concept of branding very understandable and palpable to the participants. Mrs. Schacknat, the Philexport consultant from DED, believes that one does not need a lot of scientific explanations to grasp the essence of branding. Her very feasible and down-to-earth approach combines vivid elucidation with a three step workshop where the participants experience the difficulties of mastering the initial phase of branding by applying it to their own industry sector.

The results of the first two workshops, which were held for the gifts, toys and houseware sector and the furniture sector, were astonishing. Many participants had a “light-bulb-moment” regarding the definition of a brand. The key phrase“it is not what YOU say it is; it is what THEY say it is” which emphasizes the importance of the customer became the mantra of the day for everybody. During the workshop the participants had to formulate an “onliness statement” for their industry sector. This statement points out what makes the brand both distinctive and compelling and forces the formulation of the basic differentiating truth. The results of the working groups within each seminarwere very similar and even within the two seminars a very common understanding about the “onliness” of the creative industries in Cebu could be observed. It all zeroed in on giving soul and Filipino warmth and beauty to global homes in an era of mass produced products.

The result is very encouraging since it shows that a common belief in Filipinocreativity and distinctiveness exists which may be the basis for creating across-sectoral regional brand. Philexport Cebu will continue its effort inenticing other industry sectors to learn more about branding by conducting more seminars of that kind; the next two will be for the fashion accessories sector and health and wellness sector. They believe that especially in a challenging business environment, there is no substitute for having an innovative and distinctive brand expressed in “experiences that rivet minds and run away with hearts.” It’s their hope that they can support their members in coming up with a sectoral brand that will run away with the hearts of countless customers.

If you likemore information about the topic, or you like to schedule an interview with theexecutive director of Philexport Cebu and/or the resource speaker of thebranding workshops, please call Jun Abines at 254 4333 or 254 9266.