By Joe Anatune
The Made In Anambra Standards is the anvil for the economic transformation of Anambra State by Governor-Elect, Cee Cee Soludo. Goods manufactured in Anambra will be safe for human consumption and will not be detrimental to the environment. They will delight their consumers because they meet or exceed international standards in their various categories. They have a distinctive aura or imagery only goods made in Anambra can be associated with.
Today, searching for global brands or even national brands of Anambra extraction is like finding a needle in a haystack. Global brands apart from their wealth creation and employment generation capabilities, have tremendous public relations benefits for their countries or states of origin. You cannot talk about Toyota or Honda without Japan coming to your mind in a very positive manner.
The value and volume of global markets for all manner of brands in different categories are enormous. Ambitious nations, subnationals and corporations strive to play in these global markets as a matter of imperative. This is so because split second changes brought about by technology have turned the world into a global village. Consumer tastes and preferences are converging as the world becomes more and more borderless. This has led to the emergence of global consumers. It is therefore becoming difficult to protect local markets now that e-commerce gives the consumer access to global markets. Consequently, not partaking in this market leaves us with picking the crumbs in fringe markets.
The starting point is to midwife products that satisfy the needs of the consumer or solves a nagging problem for him. The functional attributes of the products must be such that they can find acceptance in the global market. This is where Soludo’s Made in Anambra Standards come in to do the magic. Anambra will have its quality policies that define the quality infrastructure and technical regulations . Luckily, we shall not be reinventing the wheels as there is much to adapt from national and international quality regulatory bodies.
The matter becomes easier from two angles: Ndigbo are an itinerant globalising people. Their global presence will be a plus in market penetration. Secondly, Soludo as the International Chief Marketing Officer of Made in Anambra products will put the global goodwill of his Soludo brand behind the budding Anambra brands in their efforts to partake in the global market.
However, we must warn that brand building is a tedious venture, though one that is rewarding. Since Soludo’s Anambra will be a livable and prosperous society where we can invest happily, let us begin to take the initiative and run with it, starting with our national and continental markets in Nigeria and Africa respectively.
Be of good cheer!!
Merry Christmas.
*Joe C. Anatune Anatune is the lead Consultant of b3 Communications Ltd Lagos.