ADC Conference & Trade Show: Highlights
Janet Dorozynski, the Global Affairs Canada Trade Commissioner for wine, beer and spirits, spoke on the topic of how to make your brand export ready.
Dorozynski noted that exporting your products is a way to access the other 99+ per cent of the global market, providing new revenue streams, spreading out business risk and bringing international accolades to your domestic sales.
To be an export-ready brand, she recommended considering: Can you manage some risk and uncertainty? What market do you intend to focus on? Do you have the right contacts?
Canada's Trade Commissioner Services can help. It has six Canadian offices and more than 1,000 Trade Commissioners, who can provide access to a network of 160+ global cities, connections, presence on trade missions, funding (through CanExport, CIIP and other programs) and market intelligence to small and medium businesses, such as artisan distilleries.
Since 2004, through the Embassy Wine, Beer and Spirits program, Canadian beverage alcohol has been served internationally at Canadian embassy events and supplied as embassy gifts, providing high exposure to Canadian brands and raising awareness globally.
Since international markets can be crowded and competitive, Dorozynski recommended identifying what your brand does well and focusing on it. Researching and identifying target markets, ensuring you have a dedicated supply/allocation of product and hiring professional management of your export portfolio were among her key pieces of advice. Find the right importer/agent with a presence at international trade shows, the ability to distribute samples and tech sheets, plus expertise in "hand-selling" new brands.
Challenges include knowing how to pitch in foreign markets, since appropriate messaging can be quite different in other cultures; and overcoming the perception that artisan products are expensive (Dorozynski recommended emphasizing the price to quality ratio, as Canadian products often command high international respect).
She recommended resources including the Canada Border Services Agency Guide to Exporting from Canada, Export Regulations and Documentation, the Canadian Automated Export Declaration, how to obtain a Certificate of Origin and a tariff look-up site.