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May/June 2005 INsight excerpts
Marketing Overseas? Stretch Your Investment!
Marketing Overseas? Stretch Your Investment! The application season for fiscal year 2005 MAP Branded funding is quickly approaching. SUSTA's MAP Branded Program reimburses up to 50% for qualified international marketing expenses. Why Should I Apply? How much money can I be reimbursed? How much does it cost to Participate? What are the deadlines? How do I Apply? Companies that are applying for the first time are required to watch the following online tutorials, "Using the Branded Program" and "Branded Claims: Get the Reimbursement You Deserve." These are posted online at http://www.susta.org/services/map_tutorials.html. To submit an application, companies must complete a Pre-Qualification, an Application Summary, and a Country Marketing Plan for each country in which reimbursement will be requested. If the company does not own the brands being promoted, Brand-Owner Permissions and/or Private Label Agreements must be completed. Required Application Information
Exporters Can Benefit From Valuable Industry Research Both existing and budding exporters can gain a leg up on their exporting efforts through market research. One of these forms of research, secondary research, is particularly valuable for exporters in their quest to stay abreast of market conditions and trade regulations within countries targeted for export. Secondary research involves the gathering of data from existing sources, such as government sources, published sources and commercial sources. Five recently published secondary research reports are available free to companies fitting the SUSTA exporter profile. In these studies is a wealth of data gathered over the course of several months. (See "SUSTA Funded Research" at www.susta.org/services/funded_res.html.) Each of the five reports profiles a specific industry: the Seafood Industry, Snack Food Industry, Pet Food Industry, Regional Foods Industry and Nursery Products Industry. Within each industry report, three to four foreign export markets are profiled. Data is provided on: regulations, supply and demand, competition, pricing and promotions, financing exports, targeting buyers and understanding the buying process, logistical considerations, local laws on labeling and product requirements, channels of import and distribution, openness to new suppliers, and much more. These reports provide an overview of exporting considerations and serve as valuable complements to other research efforts. Each of the reports can be used as a springboard for introducing products to new markets, or as a starting point for expanding existing market entries. How Industry Research Can Help Industry Profiles. Keeping a finger on the pulse of your specific industry is critical, both at home and worldwide. Secondary research provides strategic insights about primary industry players, availability of supply, extent of demand, pricing, etc. Profiles provide a broad industry overview or an in-depth look at sub-segments. Market Profiles. Which foreign markets hold the greatest potential for product success? This is the key question for exporters. Clearly a wealth of data is required to evaluate market potential. Secondary research is designed to include valuable market insights such as: product demand, disposable incomes, consumer demographics, extent of competitive share, openness to new suppliers, and other key market data. Export/Import Restrictions. As regulations differ by industry and foreign market, it is essential for exporters to stay abreast of the latest restrictions placed on the sales and shipping of goods overseas. These restrictions are often strictly mandated, making it essential to have up-to-date information on local and international laws. Non-adherence can result in action by foreign governments, such as hefty fines or the retaining of goods as contraband. Secondary research is an important component of the export marketing plan in providing regulatory data such as: tariffs, fees, labeling laws, restrictions on ingredients in consumable goods, and other export requirements. In today's global marketplace it is critical to understand your industry across the globe. Periodically monitoring targeted foreign markets and re-evaluating action plans is key to staying on top of industry changes. In future articles, the importance of primary research will be addressed. Primary research is effective for gaining in-depth knowledge of the attitudes and behaviors of groups, such as buyers, importers and foreign consumers. Primary research is the gathering and analyzing of data compiled firsthand from key sources through in-depth interviews, focus groups, and other methodologies. ~Article by Focus Research, Inc., a full-service market research firm located in the New Orleans area, serving clients internationally
It is that time of the year again - SUSTA is gearing up to accept Market Access Program (MAP) Branded applications for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts October 1, 2005. Online applications will be accepted via our online system on June 1, 2005, and allocations will be awarded on a first-completed, first-awarded basis. Last year, SUSTA received 105 applications requesting $5.5 million for the $3.5 million available. Time is of the essence, so prepare for your application and apply early. The cover story of this issue of INsight was prepared by SUSTA's Branded Department to give applicants application tips and that "extra edge". By gathering the materials listed in the section entitled "Required Application Information" and utilizing SUSTA's online Branded tools, you can have all the leg work done before you even log on to SUSTA's application system. Logging on will allow you to key in information you have already gathered. Returning Branded applicants will be pleased to find that data entry will be minimal for them. The information returning companies put into the system last year has been stored and may be retrieved when completing this year's application. SUSTA's MAP Branded application is essentially a marketing plan for your foreign activities. To further help companies focus on markets with the most potential, SUSTA has developed the Global Export Market System (GEMS) that debuted on March 1, 2005 and was described in the March/April issue of INsight (if you missed the article, read it online at www.susta.org/press/insight.html). Additional information on conducting and gathering market research is contained in this issue of INsight in the article contributed by Focus Research. Research, awareness, building relationships, and taking advantage of opportunities (like SUSTA's programs and tools) all play important roles in sustaining a successful venture into foreign markets. SUSTA offers diverse programs and tools to provide varied and effective avenues for southern companies looking to enter and prosper in foreign markets. MAP Branded is the keystone program that provides cost reimbursement for approved foreign marketing and promotion expenses. We encourage you to walk through the doors SUSTA has opened for you.
Online Event Registration SUSTA Culinary Training Courses This summer, SUSTA will host two culinary training courses for international chefs at the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University. SUSTA's sixth course will bring a group of chefs from Eastern Europe to Louisiana from May 14-28, 2005. Another group of chefs, from Scandinavia, Canada and the Baltics, will participate in the seventh culinary course from July 9-23, 2005. Chefs will learn the history of southern cooking, preparation techniques and the usage of southern products and ingredients. Companies may send product samples for use in the cooking portion of the course, which will include the following topics: Southern Cooking, Cast Iron and Black Pot Cooking, Florida and Puerto Rican Cuisine, Baking and Pastry of the South, Gumbos, Cajun, Texas, Memphis, and Carolinas Barbeque, Fried Turkey and Southern Holiday Favorites, Tex-Mex, Seafood Specialties. Through SUSTA's culinary training, chefs, journalists, culinary students, and consumers have been exposed to southern U.S. food products and cooking techniques. For more information, contact Troy Rosamond (troy@susta.org) at (504) 568-5986. For details on past culinary training courses including training photos, visit www.susta.org/partners/cooking.html. Foodservice Seminars With a wide range of dining options and over 11,000 restaurants, Hong Kong is celebrated as the "Culinary Capital of Asia." Many five-star hotels serve U.S. beef, chicken, turkey, eggs, and fruits and vegetables. This summer marks SUSTA's second year promoting distinctive food products of the southern U.S. to the hotel and restaurant industries in Hong Kong. In June, SUSTA will sponsor two separate foodservice seminars targeting importers, distributors, chefs, and other key players in the HRI (hotel, restaurant, institution) industry. The seminars will showcase the versatility of foodservice products from the SUSTA region. Companies can test the market for free by sending products for use in the demonstrations. SUSTA will coordinate and pay for the shipment of products to Hong Kong. Best prospects include meat products, ethnic foods, Cajun foods, condiments, Tex-Mex products, high-value food products, and southern foods. SUSTA will collect trade leads for the products we represent at this event. For more information about this activity, contact Barbara Charlet (barbara@oda.state.ok.us) of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture at (405) 522-6192 or John Jenkins (john.jenkins@ncmail.net) of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture at (919) 733-7912. Register online at www.susta.org/events, Event Location: Hong Kong. Chilean Supermarket Reverse Trade Mission The Chilean retail food market has recently experienced a number of changes. Major supermarket chains have opened new stores in the working-class neighborhoods of Santiago, and U.S. food products are being promoted in the foodservice and supermarket sectors in Chile. SUSTA is making sure southern U.S. suppliers get a chance to capitalize on this growing market. SUSTA will sponsor a Chilean buyers mission to Atlanta, GA and Oklahoma City, OK from June 6-10, 2005. U.S. companies pay only a $50 participation fee to meet qualified and experienced buyers from Chile without leaving the United States. The buyers will visit Atlanta on June 6-7 and Oklahoma City on June 9-10. Prospective buyers will include importers, distributors, and supermarket representative category buyers for retail and foodservice products. Best prospects include snack foods, bakery mixes and confectionery products, beverages, sauces, dressings, syrups, healthy foods and ingredients, condiments and spices, and ready-to-eat foods. For more information, please contact Haidar Haidary (hhaidary@oda.state.ok.us) of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture at (405) 522-6193, or you may call Erica Skrine (eskrine@agr.state.ga.us) of the Georgia Department of Agriculture at (404) 656-3740. View the event flier and register online at www.susta.org/events, Event Location: Chile. Chile/Argentina Staves Promotion Although Chile and Argentina have developed excellent wines, they lack adequate domestic white oak resources, an essential ingredient for making wine barrels. The qualities of American oak as a medium for aging wine have received positive press. That press, along with a significant price advantage over French alternatives, gives U.S. staves a clear competitive advantage. To help southern U.S. suppliers capitalize on the growing market for staves, barrels and wood chips, SUSTA invites companies to exhibit in our pavilion at Vinitech América Latina from July 14-16, 2005. Vinitech is the largest exhibition for the Latin American vinicultural sector, with about 120 exhibitors from 10 countries. Exhibitors from Italy, France, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Australia, South Africa and the U.S. convene to share the latest technological advances and winemaking techniques. Before the show, SUSTA will sponsor a trade mission to Argentina. U.S. staves and wood chip exporters will meet with Argentinean winemakers who are interested in purchasing U.S. staves. For more information, contact Jim Green (jgreen@vdacs.state.va.us) of the Virginia Department of Agriculture at (804) 786-4708. You may also contact Kelly Ludwig (Kelly.Ludwig@ky.gov) of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture at (502) 564-4983. Register online for this event at www.susta.org/events, Event Location: Chile. AmFest Show & Mission India's population exceeds 1 billion, with food and beverage sales of $135 billion, making it a promising market for U.S. food exporters. As part of our India initiative, SUSTA will sponsor a trade mission to three key cities which will culminate with a trade show in Mumbai. U.S. companies that wish to build a presence in India's processed and finished food market will participate in an industry briefing, store tours, and one-on-one meetings with buyers. Companies will also showcase products at the AmFest trade show from September 1-3. Participants will be responsible for the costs of their booth space, hotel, meals and incidental expenses. Booth space for AmFest is $650. Best prospects include processed food and drink, specialty food and drink, alcohol and non-alcohol beverages, bakery and confectionery, food and drink ingredients, regional foods, nuts, and coffee and tea. Priority will be given to companies in SUSTA's MAP Branded program that have identified India in their Country Marketing Plan. Contact Bernadette Wiltz (bernadette@susta.org) at (504) 568-5986. Central America Trade Mission The United States is El Salvador's main trading partner and supplies 50% of all imported foods in Costa Rica. Because the consumer base in each country is familiar with U.S. products, they provide an excellent opportunity for U.S. suppliers to enter the Central American market. In August, SUSTA will sponsor a trade mission to Costa Rica and El Salvador to promote southern U.S. foods to the retail and foodservice sectors. Participants will travel to San Jose and then El Salvador to meet one-on-one with buyers and showcase products in a tabletop display. U.S. suppliers will also visit retail and distribution sites in both countries. To learn more about the market, sign in to www.susta.org to access the SUSTA-funded research on Central America. For details on the Central American Initiative, view the information posted at www.susta.org/services/gip_cafoodservice.html. Register for this trade mission by May 20 at www.susta.org/events, Regional Focus: Central America. You may also contact dinorah@susta.org. World Food Moscow Trade Show Companies with high-value food products are invited to exhibit with SUSTA at the World Food Moscow (www.worldfood-moscow.com) trade show, a huge international food event that attracts over 50,000 visitors from Russia and neighboring countries. SUSTA will target both retail and foodservice outlets in Russia, a country with over 143 million consumers seeking quality high-value food products. World Food Moscow attracts importers, distributors, supermarket and restaurant representatives, trading companies and consumers from retail stores such as Metro, Spar, Auchan, Carrefour, Wal-Mart, Ramstore and Perekryostok. SUSTA will provide U.S. exhibitors with a Russian-language directory and will offer optional store tours to participants. You may contact Theresa Brophy (brophyt@mda.state.md.us) of the Maryland Department of Agriculture at (410) 841-5770 or Corry de Wit (georgiausagcdewit@arcadis.be) of the Georgia Department's European Office at 32-2-647-1815. Register at www.susta.org/events, Event Location: Russian Federation.
Generic Activity Success: Busan Seafood Show Sea scallops, monkfish, flounder and croaker were headliners at the 2004 Busan International Seafood Exposition in Seoul, Korea. SUSTA, in cooperation with the Virginia Marine Products Board, highlighted the best seafood products that the southern region offers in a booth at the Expo. This was the second year for the trade show and also for SUSTA's participation. Companies received the added bonus of one-on-one buyer meetings prior to the trade show. A chef will provide species information and prepare samples of new products from the southern U.S. for South Korean importers and distributors. The local Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) hosted tours of Korean seafood markets, retail markets and restaurants to showcase the various types of seafood and marketplaces that make up South Korea's seafood industry. Participants got a firsthand look at local seafood prices. The ATO also set up a meeting between the U.S. Embassy, Agricultural Attaché and Agricultural Specialist and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries at the Korean Embassy to discuss reducing the high (70%) adjustment tariff rates on croaker, which is the largest barrier for croaker exporters from the southern United States. The Busan Seafood Expo gives 415 exhibitors the opportunity to meet with 70,000 professional buyers from more than 32 countries. Of those attending, 88% make or influence the final purchasing decision. Buyers that visited the SUSTA exhibit predominantly represented importers, traders and distributors. Species of specific interest were: scallops, monkfish, eel, croaker, blue crabs, squid, clams, mackerel, crab roe and spot. With South Korean import sales on the rise, SUSTA will continue to look for opportunities to promote our region's seafood products.
Generic Activity Success: Seven southern companies brought the flavors of the southern U.S. to the United Kingdom as exhibitors at the International Food & Drink Expo (IFE) in London from March 13-16, 2005. Argo Century (NC), Bella Cucina Artful Creations (GA), Ford's Gourmet Foods (NC), Global Trade (AR) - representing both J&M & Panola Hot Sauces (LA), Hey Mon Caribbean Cooking Magic (FL), and Scott Farms (NC) shared a booth with a country general store theme entitled Southern U.S. Originals. Together these companies introduced more than 60 products to the U.K. market. Ford's Gourmet Foods, already selling their Bone Suckin' Sauces and Wine Nuts in the U.K. market, was at the show to identify a new importer and distributor. With SUSTA's support, they signed and announced an importer agreement with Bespoke Foods by the show's end. They also attracted new customer interest from Sweden, Denmark and The Netherlands as well as the U.K. Ford's projects as much as $300,000 in sales in the U.K. in the coming year. J&M introduced their cheese straws, cookies, and wine biscuits at the show with much success. Numerous retailers from the U.K., France and the Netherlands are interested in immediate purchases valued at $25,000-$50,000. This requires an importer/distributor, so J&M used the show as a platform to meet leading contacts. They expect to sign an importer deal soon. Argo Century also exhibited at the show, looking for an importer. They held many meetings and hope to secure an agreement for their vinaigrettes and marinades. The creations prepared by southern Chef Travis Summers, which were popular samples at the show, generated a great deal of interest. Scott Farms offered various forms of their sweet potatoes to the crowd, from raw slices with dip to hot dishes and even fudge. An experienced importer in the U.K. market already, Scott Farms attended the show to renew existing contacts and develop new leads. The opportunity to share booth space was especially appealing, as the company could achieve excellent marketing coverage with minimum effort and little cost. SUSTA companies generated more than 100 solid leads during IFE, the U.K.'s largest forum for the food industry. The participants agreed that this joint marketing effort with SUSTA helped them leverage and maximize their exposure at the show, and they will attend future shows using the same marketing formula. This event was part of SUSTA's E.U. Regional Foods Initiative, a multi-year program to promote southern regional foods in the United Kingdom and other European markets. View details about the initiative at www.susta.org/services/gip_initiatives.html.
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