Summary

Background / Terms of Reference

Export marketing is an area where ICT already plays a important role for developing country firms. Studies by the Asia Foundation and others have shown that email and Internet use for promotion, market research, and management of customer relationships, for instance, have already had strong up-take among developing country firms and exporters, more specifically. While e-market places and electronic transactions have not yet had an important impact outside certain industries such as tourism and outsourcing, they are being used in targeted instances to great effect. ITC is currently working with a wide range of companies in the developing world that use ICT—principally email, Internet research, websites and other technologies—to reduce the cost and improve the impact and quality of their marketing. 

Better export marketing also has an important role to play in supporting economic development. ITC's experience and research in a number of developing countries and product sectors indicates there are opportunities to improve performance, for instance in targeting higher value products, and entering higher value markets. The drive for export diversification also continues to be a major element in export promotion strategies in many countries to reduce volatility of export earnings and to contribute to overall economic growth.  Better marketing, that is identifying potential clients, understanding what they need, communicating with them, and creating a better mix of price, product, and promotion, is a key element to taking advantage of these opportunities and to drive diversification. 

The project will take place in three phases:

• First, ITC will compile market briefs on the four industry sectors in which ITC has special expertise and which are particularly relevant for the developing world: clothing, coffee, certified products (Fair Trade, Organic) and back office services.  The study will provide an overview of trade in each sector identifying where potential exists, discussing how ICT is already being used by exporters in those sectors, including exports by both consolidators and farmers directly, providing a range of recommendations of how ICT use can be promoted more broadly, and proposing a program of capacity building based on the findings.
• Second, infoDev and ITC will present the findings and recommendations of the study at a meeting with stakeholders and discuss the proposed program of implementation.
• Third, infoDev and ITC will implement a capacity building program for mainstreaming ICT for export marketing and promotion.