OECS Secretariat, Castries St. Lucia November 18th , 2009: The OECS Export Development Unit OECS/EDU is to further engage manufacturers on ways of enhancing the packaging and branding of their products.

Business Development Officer at the OECS/EDU Damien Sorhaindo says with the overall goal of increasing the competitiveness of OECS firms and repositioning key export sectors in OECS Member States, there is need to place more emphasis on the packaging and branding of OECS products. This is by ensuring that they meet international standards and provide maximum appeal to consumers: "Packaging is an integral part of a company's product, with the potential to make it a huge success or a colossal failure. However, in far too many instances, not enough focus is placed on the role packaging plays in a successful product launch. These workshops will aim to provide participants with powerful methods and tools, introduce key ideas, terms, and resources that will improve the presentation, positioning, and performance of their packaging and brand positioning well into the future. As is evident with the recent signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU and the current Canada – CARICOM trade negotiations, the world is moving more and more towards free trade and the days of preferential treatment for goods and services are coming to an end. So, as a region, we really have to globalize in terms of standards and quality to be able to compete on the international market"

The first of two three-day regional workshops under the theme, "Packaging Standards and Best Packaging Practices – Branding Your Business", will be held in Dominica from November 18th-20th followed by a similar workshop in St. Lucia from November 23rd-25th. The workshops will also address the psychology of the consumer and the science behind branding. The OECS/EDU says firms including those in the Food and Beverage, Agri-Business, and Light Manufacturing sectors need to make good use of the coming opportunities to maintain a competitive edge: "There are firms that are struggling to remain viable in this challenging global environment, and could use some expert design insight to rebrand their products and develop a whole new theme for their packaging. However, some firms are doing pretty well but there is always room for improvement. We have success stories in the OECS. We just need to create more of them and these workshops will help us to get there."

The OECS/EDU welcomes the workshops as timely as the OECS Member States reposition themselves for the pending Economic Union.: "The whole question of harmonisation and standardisation of packaging across the OECS sub region is important as it relates to the customs union and restructuring of custom tariffs under the pending Economic Union. In this regard, we will be fortunate to have the Bureau of Standards at respective workshops in Dominica and St. Lucia to give presentations on the CARICOM standards and regulations for the Caribbean markets, in terms of labeling guidelines and regulations, which will stress the need for harmonisation across the region. In addition, I think with the impending Economic Union, we are trying to get OECS manufacturers to stop looking at each other solely as competitors, but rather find ways to form strategic alliances and joint ventures to take advantage of their unique strengths for mutual benefit." - Sorhaindo

UK based agencies, Brand42 (www.brand42.co.uk) and Nicholas Rhodes Design and Direction (www.nicholasrhodes.com), who specialize in strategic brand insight and design, and whose combined clients include Dupont, Teflon, Turner Broadcasting, Montblanc, Chandon and Puma, will be conducting the two regional workshops. In addition, the participating manufacturers will interact with design experts, who will critique their packaging and recommend improvements. The workshops, which are designed to inform OECS Manufacturing firms of international packaging standards, will focus primarily on the Caribbean, European, Latin American, and North American Markets with significant emphasis placed on the concept of product and company branding.