EDITORIAL: Poor marketing habits hurting local firms, not imports

Local cement manufacturer, Cimerwa, has been venting its frustration against domestic consumers who opt for other imported cement brands, despite the recent overhaul the firm underwent. Despite the fact that Cimerwa cement is now the cheapest on the market, most clients in Rwanda still live under the misconception that “foreign is better”. They perceive imported goods as being of better quality and treat local products with disdain. At this very moment, there is an ongoing “Made in Rwanda” campaign that kicked off with an expo to showcase local products and rope in consumers. But if local producers do not clean up their own houses, all attempts to lure clients on their side will be in vain. They should begin by embracing aggressive marketing tools such as advertising. In 2014, IPSOS, a global market research company, reported that Rwandan advertising companies raked in about Rwf8.5 billion (about $ 12 million) despite it being a World Cup year, the best season for advertising. Compare this with Kenya; one of Africa’s most aggressive advertising nations that spent over $1 billion – nearly a hundred times more than Rwanda – then one gets the picture why Kenyan goods are more competitive once they cross over. Building a brand is not just a matter of putting goods on the market accompanied with a price tag, one needs to spark desire in the hearts of clients. So the brand will have to be credible, reliable, visible and of the best quality possible. Cimerwa’s product could be of better quality, but do clients know? Is it visible? Is there proof of its robustness? That is what the company, and others in the same basket, need to address instead of appealing for protection in this era of free market economies. They need to earn their place, but they will only succeed if they learn how to tell their story.

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EDITORIAL: Poor marketing habits hurting local firms, not imports