News From : DagangHalal.com (04 Mar 2010)
Bandar Seri Begawan – Brunei might have to spend a minimum of five years of hard work, just on branding alone, to build the Brunei Halal Brand into a global commercial brand, said the top executive of Ghanim International Food Corporation Sdn Bhd.
Noel Shield, interim chief executive officer of Ghanim, which oversees the marketing for the Brunei Halal Brand, told participants of yesterday’s “2nd Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Halal Workshop” that while he felt the Brunei standard was one of the best in the world, it will not “explode” overnight.
“First of all, my vision for the Brunei Halal Brand is for it to be the number one halal brand in the world. There is no reason why (this cannot be achieved). That is why we have been approached by one of the largest retailers in the world… But this is not the issue,” he said.
“We know we have something that is good but unless we can convince the consumer it is good, then we have nothing. We need a lot of emphasis and money to build this into a commercial brand,” he added.
Ghanim International is the company appointed by His Majesty’s Government to handle and manage the marketing of Brunei’s premium halal brand which takes advantage of the country’s reputation in selling goods to growing Muslim markets.
The company is communicating with global retailers and distributors in several countries and already has a list of product categories. An earlier news report quoted a spokesperson from Ghanim International Food Corporation who said that Brunei was expected to launch its first range of products under the brand sometime this year.
“Right now we have already targeted several companies, food and beverage companies, and are in the process to select companies to manufacture for Ghanim,” said the spokesperson. Meanwhile, during his presentation, Shield used the opportunity to clarify the differences between the Brunei Halal Brand and the Religious Accreditation Marque.
He explained that the marque is owned by the religious council and can only be issued by religious authorities to evaluate the “halal-ness” of one’s product while the brand is a global trading company that is owned by Brunei Wafirah Holdings, a fully owned company of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.
Unveiled during the fourth International Halal Products Expo (IHPE) held at the ICC in Berakas on July 31, 2009, the Brunei Halal Brand is designed be used to market halal products locally and abroad.
Bearing an emblem of black and green with Islamic-shaped features, the brand is also hoped to provide a platform for the development of local products in terms of marketing, advertisement and packaging. — Courtesy of The Brunei Times