It was in mid May 2022 when Zambian Breweries astonished hundreds of event guests and indeed the whole country at large, when they unveiled that the newest beer that was creating a buzz around the country, was in fact its internationally acclaimed Mosi Premium Lager. Most companies complimented Zambian Breweries on their excellent branding and marketing strategy, and for other manufacturers, especially for Micro-Small and Medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), the unveiling was a learning point.
Despite the many challenges, MSMEs have been believed to be the engine of growth of an economy in most economies. Informal employment contributes about 63.3% of employment according to the Zambia Statistics Agency, hence the importance of MSME’s to socio-economic development cannot be over emphasised.
Starting a business for most MSMEs means getting the mandatory certifications, finding the necessary equipment and land, without much emphasis on the brand. Tom Duncan defined a brand or branding as the perceived image and subsequent emotional response to a company, its products and services, in its marketing communication process. Branding is therefore a crucial aspect of every company because it is the visual voice of the company. The purpose of branding is to differentiate and to create a unique image about the business. For MSMEs, branding should mean communicating with consumers about specific identifying aspects of their business that differentiate their product from similar products from other MSMEs. With consistency and staying relevant, branding can be used to increase a company’s revenue by having different institutions in different parts of the world use the brand through franchising as in the case of Coca-Cola.
In Zambia, branding is arguably dominated by big businesses such as Zambian Breweries, Zambia Sugar and Trade Kings, to mention a few. However, most MSMEs unfortunately do not seem to have strong brands, with their brand’s appearance being almost non-existent. Lack of brand appearance is mostly attributed to lack of financial resources, suggesting a limited role in the marketing of a particular brand. Many MSMEs perceive that they have limited time and resources to conduct branding activities and therefore do not devote many resources to brand and marketing activities.
MSMEs need to realize that brands are a valuable asset for their business, as they produce a bundle of benefits which enhance the relationship among them, customers and other stakeholders. When seeking to develop a successful brand, the aspect of brand-as-a-person metaphor, which includes personality, demographics and behaviour should be considered. Secondly, MSMEs need to take a longer-term, investment approach to branding. This simply means that once a brand has been marketed right and becomes a success, it can run the test of time, as in the case of Kiwi shoe polish, which was only known as shoe polish in the past.
Thirdly, MSMEs have to develop a strongly distinctive brand which capitalises on what distinguishes them from other players in the industry and include it in their branding. Lastly, SMEs have to develop an internal culture where all staff live the brand on a daily basis for a clear and consistent communication of the brand through all marketing activities.
In order to enhance branding amongst MSMEs, the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) holds training workshops which provide a platform for them to learn best practices from successful brands. Additionally, ZAM in conjunction with the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry currently run the Proudly Zambian Campaign, which promotes locally manufactured goods and services through various media. It is clearly evident why branding has become an increasingly valuable marketing tool in a crowded market which has both domestic and imported products. In this case, branding allows consumers to distinguish manufacturers and the goods that they produce and make choices based on information that is more reliable.
