Manufacturing
Issue No. 62 - December/January 2011
Branding vital for SA manufacturers
by Chris Stathy
Manufacturers with their heads buried in the production line need to lift their focus on the bigger picture.
To survive and thrive in the current global economic climate, the industry has to place equal attention on brand development as product development.
Australia’s strong manufacturing tradition has been built on our ability to create superior and reliable products.
This alone will no longer guarantee a manufacturer’s future, regardless of what industry they operate in.
With a high Australian dollar and greater overseasbased competition, we are facing a brave new world for manufacturing in Australia, but one that I see provides excellent opportunities for the forward thinkers.
Much has been written on the importance of innovation within manufacturing processes.
Robotics, more efficient line management and R&D expenditure have all contributed to the delivery of some major advances on the supply side of the equation.
Indeed, at Philmac, part of our growth strategy has centred on innovation and expansion into emerging markets requiring more sophisticated high performance products.
However, it is one thing to produce an outstanding product.
It is another thing entirely to build a market and sell that product at a good price.
Too many manufacturers have overstocked shelves of excellent product as a result of poor sales and marketing strategies and a neglected brand.
Brand and reputation manage...
