Knowing the marketplace

THE RECENT intervention by the Bureau of Standards in the ackee affair might well point to problems and opportunities well beyond the instant case. An essential lesson is that while a product might have market demand, its success in that arena is not automatically assured.

Markets both here and abroad are becoming more demanding in several ways in what they buy but how they want them. Standardisation and presentation play a great role in market success. The consumer must be able to take as a given that one container will be the same week to week and year to year.

How the product is processed and packed must be consistent if the market is to be retained. In huge markets consumers dealing with a unique item like Jamaican ackee hardly make distinctions between little rival labels that we do in Jamaica. So those who bend the rules or cut the corners will 'queer the pitch' for everybody!

We think that one of the frequent failures of local marketing strategy is not having full knowledge about product intelligence. Say a demand is identified in yams, how do consumers want it packaged? And what size and consistency do they want in the yams? After growing the product there must be much more sensitivity about how to reap, handle, store and package it to be competitive at the marketplace.

The days when it was considered alright to ship pumpkins in crocus bags, for example, are long past. We are sure to find that attractiveness in packaging and consistency in appearance play a great part in securing and maintaining markets.

Not every aspect of this relates to the functions of the Bureau of Standards. Other agencies as well as producer and marketing entities must also seek knowledge of the marketplace. They must seek complete and continuing intelligence about the trade they seek to service.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.

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