Sonja Remkes

Via SharePeople Sonja Remkes  has visited The N&P ATELIER in Peru.
This was the second time Sonja did an assignment via SharePeople.

About the organisation
The N&P Atelier produces high quality clothing for children in Peru. They aim at being a leader in the market, providing high quality products, generating jobs and contributing to socio-economic welfare for the region. JOOS is the brandname, which is used to market the product.

Business case
Earlier,  this organisation has taken part in a Yente mission which means this is a follow up activity. In close collaboration with strategic partner Yente and mutual local liaison ADEX, N&P Atelier defined a new Business case. Sonja Remkes, an experienced marketing consultant, was the perfect match to handle this.

She was asked to co-develop a marketing plan for N&P Atelier. N&P Atelier is a young company with limited resources and limited work force and support of external experts is welcome. They wanted to learn how to become a more competitive company and how they could realise their ambitious growth plans. There was a lack of knowledge about how to reach market potential (local - and European market)

Results

Analysis

Sonja worked in close collaboration (with General Manager Maria del Pilar Noel de Brou and Second Manager Roberto Brou) to make a SWOT analysis to get to the core focus issues for the Marketing Plan. After that a practical Operational Plan was generated, with a clear description of objected results and how to get there, prioritizing all the activities necessary.

She mainly concluded that it is important to further elaborate the brand for its sustainable quality. Also it is important to know better what their customers' profile is, to find and address them.

Advice

Sonja gave detailed advice regarding the following basic issues: 

•   Focussed advertising on target customers

•   Increased contact frequency with (potential) customers

•   Broaden market potential

•   Create customers` profile of preferences

•   Create marketing tool for promotional calendar and sales incentives

•   Create customer community around the brand

In all of these activities it is best to remain focus, therefore Sonja advised them to delegate more operational activities and also hire someone dedicated to sales and marketing.

Concrete deliverables:
Marketingplan and Operational Plan, promotional material for opening of new store.

Impact on the Partners

Sonja:
"When you are learning about a new industry (clothing) in a different country and continent the challenge is not in the complexity of the marketing assignment. But in passing all steps in the plan over to them so they understand why and what is necessary to professionalize their marketing."

"You can help a growing company in Peru with relatively small effort"

Mrs. Maria del Pilar Noel de Brou:

" I have learned to take a look at my strengths and weaknesses in my company. Now I have a realistic plan that I can manage with my own resources. And I'm confident that with this plan we can have very good results."
 
"I admire the Dutch approach for its structure and clarity! This new approach is about deciding where you want to be and also planning exactly how to get there."
  

Follow up

The manager and second manager are responsible for the execution of all activities indentified in the marketing plan. Follow-up will be done end of every month with the expert, and in between if matters occur that need to be discussed for advice. Certain activities have already being executed.