By Sajag Karki

The recent international trade fair held in Kathmandu showcased a wide range of high quality Nepali products. When we, being Nepali, have just started to be aware of our own products, a significant question triggered in my mind: “How could we brand Nepali products to market them globally?” 

We are all aware of special Nepali products like Palpali Dhaka ko topi, khukuri, handicrafts along with organic Ilam tea and many more. Along with this, herbal products, linen fabrics, lokta paper are indigenous to Nepal sourced within the country. However, these products  haven’t gained popularity in the foreign market and not as expected in the Nepali market as well. 

The reason behind this is the lack of branding of Nepali products. We have an emotional attachment to these products, which is very good but it is high time to think rationally and start showcasing our products in the international arena. Though armed with an array of high quality Nepali products we seem to be lagging behind and it’s time to step up and change this scenario.

 If Swiss watches can be world famous for their quality and lineage,  why can’t Nepali products? Of course it would be naïve to expect this happening overnight, but we can definitely make a start. For this purpose, we need to create a set of features that can identify our products as a Nepali brand, distinguishing them from other generic products. Instead of building castles in the air, we need to focus on specific and concrete aspects of branding. Going back to the basics: a brand is a name, logo, symbol or design which is intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or a group of sellers and differentiate them from their competition. Branding is more of package built around a product with both tangible and intangible elements associated with it. Anything as such can be branded: goods, services and experiences. Also events, persons or places, and even properties, corporations and  ideas. 

My previous articles explain how Nepal itself is a place brand,  attracting tourists because of its unique features (such as birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha, Mt.Everest or our rich cultural heritage.) This time, I’m focusing on products that are made in Nepal, and how branding is the only way to market them internationally.  First and foremost, we need an authentication branding our products as “Made in Nepal” so it can be used in various product lines such as clothing, handicraft, herbal products, tea, coffee or accessories. 

With a mix of all such unique and easily identifiable products of Nepal, it builds credibility by associating with genuine Nepali products.  Now that the products have an authentication, the individual items in the product line can be positioned in different ways, targeting specific audiences. Let’s say linen clothing items like shirts, caps, trousers and coats/jacket can be positioned as “Cool as the Everest air”. This instantly describes the product being cool and light during summer time. Similarly, all our ‘made in Nepal’ products can be positioned accordingly. Along with advertisements of Nepali products telling the unique story of our rich cultural heritage, we need to participate in exhibitions and trade fairs organized in other parts of the world. Spreading good word of mouth about our Nepali brands would also do wonders. In this way, entrepreneurs would be able to get exposure to technologies used in other nations and transfer this knowledge back to Nepal. 

There is a huge demand for such products worldwide and, with proper market research and segmentation, we can create a niche for them. We are blessed with infinite natural resources that we can use to our advantage when selling Nepali products. 

With the changing times, we need to adopt a promotional and distribution strategy that suits the needs of today’s dynamic customers. Outlets selling Nepali products must have an atmosphere telling a unique story. It is very important also to have  highly trained and knowledgeable sales staff to also depict quality of the products. The international trade fair has opened the gates to take Nepali products to new heights.  With tactful branding strategies, there is no wonder we’ll see our products being the world’s best brand. 

The Article is based on research and author’s practical experience as a marketing and advertising professional. He can be reached at [email protected]