Marina Sarruf*
marina.sarruf@anba.com.br
São Paulo – One of the ways that company WS Marketing Consultancy, based in Bahrain, found to help Brazilian companies insert their products into the market of the Gulf is the opening of a showroom in the Arab country. "This would be just a strategy to help Brazilian companies have a point to exhibit their products in the region," stated one of the directors at the consultancy company, Walter Carvalho Neto, who is Brazilian and has been living in Bahraini for over 15 years.
According to him, the idea is to find between five and ten companies interested in having a permanent exhibition site for their products in any sector, be they food, fashion, furniture, cosmetics or handicraft. "As I have worked in the region for many years, I know the commercial and labour laws here very well," said Carvalho, who before opening his company was the CEO of a real estate company in Bahrain.
Apart from the showroom, WS Marketing Consultancy may offer Brazilian companies studies and market researches, help in the promotion of products and may also get in contact with Arab companies in the sectors sought. "It will depend on the interest of the Brazilian company. Our objective is to help make the companies in the region more professional, adding value to them," he added.
The site available for the showroom would be in the city of Sitra, an industrial area close to the main highway connecting the port of Mina Saman, in Bahrain, to Saudi Arabia. The total space available is 100 square metres.
In the last day of the Gulfood, the largest food sector fair in the Middle East, which ended on Wednesday (27) in Dubai, Carvalho visited the stands of some Brazilian companies. According to him, participating in Arab fairs just once a year brings results, but it would be ideal for the organisations to remain present in the region with their products or with a local representative. "The profile of Arab businessmen is very current. They have good knowledge of what the market requires and do not invest before having studied the supplier."
According to the director, the Brazilians still have a very antiquated vision of the Arabs. "They do not notice that it is necessary to establish partnerships to enter the market, and we may help," said Carvalho. According to him, some Brazilian companies interested in exporting are still lacking in preparation. "Many do not have catalogues, promotional material or product labels in English," he said.
Contact
WS Marketing Consultancy
Tel. (+973) 17795239
E-mail: walter@brazilnative.net
Site: www.brazilnative.net
*Translated by Mark Ament
