SOURCE: Amos Wekesa Facebook Page.
Marketing:
Am attending a meeting organized by United States tour operators association here in Austin Texas!
There will be thousands of people at this meeting from around the world looking for tourism business for their companies and countries from American operators!
Took this picture last night and in it are people from Norway, Finland, denmark,finiland etc.
These countries have individuals who are based who sell their destinations and don't forget these are rich countries but are also looking for business.
They also work as a block!
The members of this group send out of America business worth over usd 19bn annually.
So everyone here is fighting to get business to their countries and their companies( companies are assets of a countries)
When the companies succeed, countries succeed, its as basic as that.
Yesterday I wrote about how countries need external business strategies, let me share an example.
Hege second lady on my right represents Norway in the US, Norway invests millions of dollars in pursuit of tourism business annually.
Am actually glad we know each other, I learn
One of her roles is to bring Norwegian business people sponsored by government to learn how to do business like Americans.
They twin an American businessman to Norwegian businessman, they learn from Americans how to be aggressive in doing business.
She says Norwegians produce quality products but aren't aggressive business operators.
Americans on the other hand learn from an early age to dominate, an American selling even the smallest item, will tell am the greatest you will ever met.
My product is the best in the world
They aren't in America to look for aid but they are here to look for business, earning their way to respect.
Ofcourse chatting with them and observing them do things drives me crazy, I want us to think and do things like them.
Our potential as a country is way up there!
Yes am good by God's at pushing for business but am so limited by many factors.
Unlike a kenyan for example, people don't know about Uganda because we have no marketing budget at a higher level.
Instead of doing deals directly, i spend time creating awareness about Uganda....
During the discussion, I will for example say Uganda has the source to the longest river in the world, The Nile.
They will think am patriotic about my country that I can lie for my country, they can't believe.
When I say Uganda has 53.9% of the mountains gorillas, Same thing
Sometimes I have to tell people Uganda is next to Kenya on the east and Tanzania on the south and our now our neighbours Rwanda.
More people know about Rwanda more than they do with Uganda, when people know about your country, you go straight to business not stories.
Know what? Big international businesses operating in uganda do what they call top of mind of research all the time.
Companies like MtN will want 98% top of mind results. What does that mean?
They go around asking people if they know about MtN, would they use them etc ?
If top of mind research shows that they are below their expectations, they create a plan to improve their marketing and PR.....
A company like that will spend over 10m dollars amnually to tell us that they exist in uganda.
If a company can do that, how much more does Ug. Need?
Uganda as a country needs to commission research around the world, asking people if they know about Uganda?
We need to ask people if they know we have the sweetest pineapples, the best average weather, the source to the longest river, world largest caldera, the Rwenzoris etc
That will inform our marketing strategy and PR strategy and if its low we spend more money for people around the world know.
If a company in uganda can spend over 10m dollars, Uganda needs over 50m dollars and the results or outcome in opportunities, will overwhelm us.
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