International staff taking Merino to the world
They came from all corners of the globe when all members of AWI’s international staff met for the first time in Sydney recently. Jimmy Jackson, AWI’s global product development manager, says AWI now has offices in New York, Treviso, New Delhi, Shanghai and Hong Kong to take the message about Australia Merino to the world’s key apparel markets.
“It was the first time all international staff had been together in one place, and for some, it was their first visit to AWI’s Sydney headquarters and their first visit to Australia,” Mr Jackson says. “The meeting was based about coming up with a plan for the international marketing of Australian Merino for autumn winter 2008 and 2009, as basically our trade shows start in September with Spin Expo and Intertextiles.
“We have to have a plan we can all focus on, for product marketing and product development: what does the market want and what does the market need?”
Mr Jackson says this can only be formulated by global staff getting together and sharing the information everyone has gained from customers and processors around the world: “We focused a lot on consumer insights, with a new report we have just received giving some good trend predictions and that helps formulate our plans.
“The natural story is the next big news for fashion. We’ve been talking environmentally friendly for 20 or 30 years, but finally people want to consume environmentally friendly products and wool is perfect for that market. That has to be captured in our marketing plan.”
Each international office is located in a key area of influence, for example Hong Kong, because it is the largest wool knitwear exporter in the world.
AWI Hong Kong’s marketing manager Timothy Iu says that staff network with local industry, assisting in the education of processors, designers and customers to access Merino innovation.
“Hong Kong is a gateway for many of the international fashion apparel houses, so AWI’s office here is ideally situated to building direct business relationships with key global apparel companies,” Mr Iu says.
“With the improvements and new technology constantly being developed in wool top treatment, spinning, knitting and finishing, it is leading to more Australian Merino wool textile varieties being available to introduce to the fashion apparel market.
“I really believe Australian Merino wool will play a very important role in the industry in the near future.
“AWI is continuing to produce interesting and high-quality products which are in response to demand being shown by buying offices, sourcing agents, manufacturers and designers, not only in Hong Kong but now internationally. I am very proud to be a part of that development.”
Eighty per cent of the world’s clothing purchases are made in six countries – the US, Italy, Japan, Germany, the UK and France – and more than 90 per cent of all households in those six countries own and use washing machines to care for their Merino wool garments.
China and India are the two most important emerging markets. India is the third largest importer of Australian Merino. China remains the largest importer.
Mr Jackson says AWI is focusing on 10 countries, split into three groups. Group one comprises the six established ‘mega-consumer’ markets listed above. Group two comprises the potential new and emerging retail and consumer mega-groups, including China, India, Russia and Eastern Europe. Group three is Australia.
AWI’s New Delhi office is strategically located at the centre of the emerging markets of the sub-continent. Debabrata Chakraborty, AWI’s business development manager for India, says he is focused on developing new business partnerships within this important market to enhance the volume and value of Australian Merino wool.
“Every day we are working with more and more businesses, great and small across the world, that are interested in further developing innovative Australian Merino wool textiles,” Mr Chakraborty says. “We now have the Klimeo thermal buffering coming out of Chaugers, France; the Merino Travel which is crease and stain resistant coming from Youngor in China, and the recent launch of the new Care, Soft and Visual technologies in India. The work we are doing I believe is really adding benefit to Australian woolgrowers and better promoting the use of Australian Merino wool.
“Australian Merino wool is unbelievable. After more than two decades I am still learning more about the versatility, beneficial properties, and adaptabilities of the fibre.”
Return to Beyond the Bale Issue 27 index page.