CARA OWNER UNERD MEMBESARKAN BRAND SEPATU LOKAL DI TENGAH GEMPURAN BRAND LUAR

Summary

The conversation delves into the journey of a local footwear brand competing with affordable imported shoes from China. The brand owner emphasizes the importance of strong branding, quality control, and design to differentiate from cheaper imports. Digital marketing, learning from mistakes, and focusing on product knowledge are highlighted as key strategies for success. Despite challenges with pricing and competition, the brand owner believes in the value of supporting local production and offers insights into growing the business online and offline, with a focus on customer engagement and reseller opportunities.

Takeaways

• 😀 Local brands face significant challenges in competing with cheaper imported products, especially from China.
• 😀 Pricing is a major hurdle as Chinese imports are often much cheaper, but local brands can differentiate with strong branding and design.
• 😀 Strengthening branding, creating unique designs, and ensuring high product quality are crucial for local brands to stand out.
• 😀 Digital marketing plays a vital role in local brand success, especially through social media and marketplace platforms like Shopee.
• 😀 Initially targeting premium prices, the brand shifted to a more affordable pricing strategy to align with market realities.
• 😀 The importance of local production is emphasized, as it supports the economy and creates jobs, particularly in industries requiring manual labor like footwear.
• 😀 The brand is transitioning from focusing solely on online sales to expanding offline with retail stores, beginning in Surabaya.
• 😀 Reseller and dropshipping opportunities are available for others to sell the brand's products, helping expand reach.
• 😀 The speaker believes in the value of creating a brand that is fully controlled, allowing for greater flexibility in design and promotions.
• 😀 Despite the challenges, the speaker's passion and commitment to supporting local production and businesses are clear, even when competing with large international players.

Q & A

How does the local shoe brand plan to compete with cheaper imported shoes, especially from China?

The local shoe brand focuses on strengthening its branding, improving design, and ensuring high-quality products. Since competing on price alone is difficult due to the lower cost of imported products, the brand emphasizes differentiating itself through these factors.

What challenges did the brand face in the early stages of its business?

The brand faced challenges in pricing, especially when attempting to sell premium products at higher prices. There was a learning curve, and the brand had to adjust to the market's needs and figure out how to balance quality with affordability.

What role does digital marketing play in the brand's strategy?

Digital marketing is crucial for the brand’s growth. It is used to enhance branding, improve online visibility, and sell products through social media and marketplaces like Shopee. The brand recognizes the importance of digital marketing and ads to reach a wider audience.

Why does the speaker prefer to sell their own brand rather than resell other brands?

The speaker prefers to sell their own brand because it offers more creative freedom. They can design and produce shoes according to their vision, whereas reselling other brands limits their ability to control product design and pricing.

How has the brand adjusted its pricing strategy over time?

Initially, the brand tried to sell premium shoes at a higher price point, but this strategy did not work well. As a result, the brand shifted to more affordable options, adjusting both the pricing and materials to cater to a broader audience while maintaining quality.

What has the brand done to optimize its marketing budget?

The brand has reduced its marketing budget and now focuses on more cost-effective methods, such as targeted digital marketing and ads. This helps the brand reach customers without overspending on traditional, large-scale marketing campaigns.

Why is it important for the brand to support local production in Indonesia?

Supporting local production is important to the brand because it helps create job opportunities in Indonesia and strengthens the local economy. The brand aims to contribute to the country by using local manufacturing for its shoes.

What is the brand's future plan regarding offline retail stores?

The brand plans to shift from being purely online to also opening offline retail stores. They have already opened a store in Surabaya and intend to expand to other cities soon.

How does the brand's approach to marketing differ on platforms like Shopee and Instagram?

The brand recognizes that platforms like Shopee and Instagram have different target audiences and behaviors. On Shopee, the focus is more on transactional sales, while Instagram is used for building a stronger brand presence and engaging with a broader community.

What opportunities are available for people who want to sell the brand's products?

The brand offers a reseller program that allows individuals to sell their products, even outside of Indonesia. There is also a dropshipping option, where resellers can sell the shoes without needing to keep stock, by sending products directly from the brand.