SASSDA urges manufacturers to take a hard look at their marketing strategies. If we are to survive in this new millennium, we have no option but to come in from outer space and get to grips with marketing our products on a global scale.
If the stainless steel industry is going to grow to a 300 000 ton turnover in the next three years, a lot of small, medium and large size companies alike will have to streamline their marketing and production strategies. That means getting out into the global village and finding out what people want out there, going after orders and delivering on time at the right price.
We hear a lot of talk about the high price of stainless steel, the lack of venture capital and a whole lot more excuses for not going offshore, but the truth is our mind-set is wrong. We think of the local market as something different from the rest of the world. Too many obstacles to overcome.
Electronic Marketing
Today we have something we did not have before – the Internet. This is the way to communicate with the global village, to find out what’s going on, see what competitive products are like, and find out if we can better them, modify them, improve on them or offer something different.
The Internet is also the way to advertise and offer products and services. But how many companies in the local stainless steel industry have a Web page? Only a handful at the moment.
The way to become an active participant in the global market is to link to the Internet and set up on a specialist web site like Tecnet (www.tecnet.co.za). These specialised sites act as international switching stations between your website and potential customers.
The medium term goal may be to grow the industry to 300 000 tons but to achieve this, the short term goal must be to have every stainless steel manufacturer, capable of exporting, on the Web. If you want to stay in business, you’ve got to get connected.