Project News

Discussion of marketing facilitated by LWG

Since the end of the last year, Ulos producers in Samosir have been discussing to assume specific target markets of their handicraft products processed using Ulos fabrics. A series of discussion tries not to name the target region for marketing but identify the specific destinations of sales and sales channels.

The weavers first performed an exercise of imaging buyers/ users, assuming their ages, sex and lifestyle, assessing their degree of understanding and interest in Ulos and Batak culture, and then estimating their expectations for the handicrafts or fashion products both for local communities and tourist to the Toba Lake. Following this, Ulos producers are being facilitated to considering where such imagined buyers/ users gather, and which channels could be used to access to such buyers/ users, thus identifying the specific designations and sales channels.

However, Ulos producers have not yet been engaged in their job in a business-oriented manner, and so far just concentrating in weaving Ulos individually in response to the orders. Therefore, they have rarely experienced such an effort of marketing, and would need continued facilitation support to assume the specific sales destinations and channels. Later, through guiding the producers to visit and interview to the potential buyers/ users of Ulos products, it is expected that Ulos producers comprehend the gaps between their assumed users/ needs and actual ones, and thus the necessity to proceed the prototype work of the acceptable Ulos products. Since this is a very important step for the product development activity, we would further guide LWG/ facilitator to lead the discussion in order to achieve the tangible outcomes.