Dear Editor,
I refer to a letter in your edition of Stabroek News dated April 3rd, 2019 on exports and niche products in Guyana. I have some observations.
We do not have a Brand Guyana and it is something we should work towards. Brand Guyana should be a national effort to promote all products especially niche products originating from Guyana. This would require all national sectors working towards this goal. Some may even argue that almost every citizen should be motivated in the promotion and protection of this brand and its associated products. Brand Jamaica offers good lessons in how this can be achieved.
Secondly and specifically for niche products intense and targeted marketing is usually required. The consumers of most niche products are highly intelligent and conscious persons. More often than not they respond to a narrative. So, when buying a product, they are influenced by the narrative associated with the product. Guyana has some deficits in this area. The narratives of the products in Guyana, that is the story behind the products is not usually well done. Even when done well it is still a challenge for marketing because the country of itself does not have good narratives. People purchase niche products to make themselves feel good by consuming the product and also other motives including assisting the producers for example female or indigenous producers.
In college my classmates, all Americans, refused to accept that Guyana had better rum than Barbados and Jamaica. Because they all knew of Jamaica and Barbados and prior to meeting me did not know anything about Guyana except Jim Jones was here. Even when they tasted Demerara rum and agreed it was better they continued to get rum from Jamaica. So, when they bought a Red Stripe beer or Wray and Nephew rum, they were not buying just rum and beer. They were buying the story of Jamaica. They were buying the experience of Bob Marley, reggae and dancehall music, the reggae boys football team, Usain Bolt, the sands of the beaches of Montego Bay, the hills of Portland, Jamaican ganja, the sea in Negril, the spirit of the maroons etc. They were experiencing Jamaica, through its products, which has so many positive and uplifting narratives that even 4 or 5 murders a day does not dampen the demand for its products. The motto for Jamaican tourism was once “Come to Jamaica and feel alright”. If you can’t go, you can buy one of their products and also feel alright.
What are the narratives of Guyana? Corrupt governments (and we have given ourselves this description!) , racial and ethnic insecurity and high suicide rates and deaths by vehicular accidents. People do not spend money to depress themselves.
Moving forward even without a Brand Guyana or whilst Brand Guyana is in the making we may want to be cognizant: government, opposition and citizens what narratives we put out of Guyana and how these narratives are received in the global space. It not only affects investors, it also affects local businesses being able to market their products in the global market place.
There also needs to be a refocus on producing narratives. This is where the STEAM education becomes useful. The scientist and artisans craftsmen and women must produce excellent products and the arts persons create the narratives of the products. Story telling is an art that we have lost and need to regain. Story telling is important not only in selling niche products but also in creating the kind of society we wish to see.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)
