Managerial Marketing 1 BM6053 Buy Malaysian Products Campaign 1.

0 Introduction Buy Malaysia Campaign is aiming to encourage consumers to buy Malaysian made products. This is because they are not only priced reasonable but also helping local entrepreneurs to grow. The campaign is focusing to increase public awareness of the products offered by the Malaysia producers and can compete with international products standard. It is also response to the economic slowdown a couple years ago. These studies explain about the important of buying of the Malaysian products campaign. According to Datuk Rohani, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (MDTCC) issue from Borneo Post Online. By launching the Buy Malaysian Products Campaign it will create an awareness and patriotic spirit among the Malaysian consumers toward the local products, as a result it will help the country to boost the domestic economy. When the Malaysia economy is strong, it will help the country for future development and growth. The buy Malaysian Product Campaign also can be recognized as one of the added value activities that can penetrate the foreign market that accelerate the national economic growth. Example of Malaysian product is Khind which produces electrical goods such as home appliances, kitchen appliances, lightning applications, and electrical wiring appliances. It is a global brand from Malaysia Country. Most of the products sales international such Afrika , Middle east , Hong kong , Singapore and China. It means that buy Malaysian product campaign is not for the domestic trade but also to promote the Malaysian products to global market. According to Deputy Minister of MDTCC, Datuk Rohani, Malaysian consumers should have the positive perception to the Malaysian products are comparable, price reasonable and better quality than those from overseas global products.

Managerial Marketing 2 BM6053 2.0 2.1 Problem Perception The problem and issue that incur to buy the Malaysian products campaign is regarding the perception of the local consumers toward the Malaysian products. Perception is the meaning that a person attributes to incoming stimuli gathered thought the five senses of human being such as sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell according to Kurtz (2012). Most certainly in Malaysian context, a buyers behavior is influenced by his or her perception toward the good and services. For example, how the consumers of Malaysia perspective and what is the perception toward Khind products are as good as the global brand such as Tefal a leading of non -stick cookware maker worldwide cooking appliances. Normally, the buyer perception of the products or services results of the interactions of two types of factors which is positive and negative perception. First factor is the stimulus factors characteristics by the physical object such as size, color, weight and shape of the products and services. Second factor is individual factors which mean unique characteristics of the individual; this is including previous experiences and expectations when the local but the Malaysian products. Maznah Ghazali, M.Said Othman, Ahmad Zahiruddin Yahya & M. Sarif Ibrahim (2008), Based on their studied of products and Country of Origin effect: the Malaysian consumers perceptions, The researchers conclude that in general, the Malaysian consumers fairly agrees that it is important for them to look for country of origin information in purchasing a products. It means that when the Malaysian consumers buy a certain product such as food products, they prefer to look at the origin of the product came from either from Malaysia or overseas. It showed that consumers perceptions on products origin country play a major role in influencing a consumers choice of products. This will affect the buy Malaysian products campaign.

Managerial Marketing 3 BM6053 2.2 Attitude The attitude of the Malaysian consumers sometimes affects the buy the Malaysian products campaign. Attitudes are a person enduring favorable and unfavorable evaluations, emotions or action tendency toward some products and services. In this case, this may affect the campaign. These attitudes make the consumers not confident and accept the Malaysia products or services are good as the global brands. 2.3 Product Quality One of the most important issues in this campaign is the quality of the products itself. Products are bundle of physical, services and symbolic attributes designed to satisfy a customers wants and needs Kurtz (2012). The product quality is based on the durable and packaging of the products. Durable means how the products can last long during the usage. Packaging is the label and decoration of the products that can attract the local consumers. Malaysian consumers assume that the global products are far more qualities than the Malaysia products. The price competitive also affects the Malaysian consumers to buy Malaysian products. 2.4 Awareness The awareness of the Malaysian consumers still not convinces them to buy the Malaysian products. Because they still did not know the quality and important to buy Malaysian products. The lack of mentality awareness of the Malaysian consumers, stop the attempt to buy Malaysian products campaign. For example, Japanese and Korean had high positive awareness and always proud with their own products. These make them increase the economic growth on their country.

Managerial Marketing 4 BM6053 3.0 The Challenges The challenge that the buy Malaysian products campaign facing is promoting the brand of the Malaysia product. According to ( Norjaya, Mohd Nasser and Osman,2007), by building a strong brand it can become a marketing priority for many entrepreneurships firm today because it give a number of advantages. If the Malaysia products had a strong brand, it can help the firm to establish and identify in the market places. For example Khild products, every consumer in Malaysia know about the electrical appliances. This is because most Malaysia consumers prefer international brand rather than Malaysia products brand. The equity of a brand is the result of Malaysia consumers perception of it which is influenced by many factors. Some of factors is influences is through experiences and family members. Experiences mean past experiences when the Malaysian consumers buy or had been using the Malaysian products but give a negative and positive outcome when using the products. Influences by family member means that they have use the international products many times in the family uses rather than using the Malaysia products. This gives a big challenge to the buy Malaysia products campaign. It is to change their perceptive regarding the Malaysia products. When the government establish the buy Malaysian products campaign, according to previous research done by (Norjaya, Mohd Nasser and Osman,2007), it show that many

consumers use country of origin stereotypes to evaluate a certain products. It says that brands from countries that have a favorable image generally find that their brands are eagerly accepted than those from countries with less favorable. So, the challenge here is to change the Malaysian consumers mentality, perception, and opinion toward the Malaysia products.

Managerial Marketing 5 BM6053 4.0 4.1 Recommendation Exhibition or Expo Program One is the most common strategy to enhance the buy Malaysian products campaign is through Expo or exhibition to promote local products. This could change the Malaysian consumers awareness, attitude and positive perception to Malaysian products. Government can established the expo carnival by enhancing the local entrepreneurship firms can create and design products innovation to improve the Malaysian products. It is to ensure the Malaysian products can compete with international products. Malaysian products can be promote and sales the products by taking part as a exhibitor to an yearly expo organized by The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) to enhance business networking, business matching plan, exchange of ideas and knowledge among the local and international communities from different countries, especially those seeking to venture into the global market by introduces the Malaysia products oversea. Luckily this year in November 2012, International Trade Malaysia (INTRADE) will held an annual international trade and export exhibition with the theme for INTRADE 2012 is energizing Export Growth. The location of this Expo is at Kuala Lumpur. This theme was selected to reflect the importance of sustaining Malaysia export opportunities in the face of increasing the level of competition in country and penetrated in the global economy. There are 4 specific industry sectors that will stimulate economic growth in this year INTRADE. They are automotive, electrical and electronic and information communication technology, and manufacturing support via lifestyle. In this case, buy Malaysian products is not focusing in local market but also for global market.

Managerial Marketing 6 BM6053 4.2 Establish supermarket for Malaysian Products One of the initiate of the government agency is to promote the Malaysian products is through opening a Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia. The entire products in this shop are 100% Malaysia products. It is also emphasized and enhances the buy Malaysia products campaign. This supermarket is a shop of operating on a mini market basis format which provides various basic necessities products at the reasonable and value prices. This is inspired by the Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak. The objective of this shop is benefit for the low income citizens located in the urban areas. The Existence of Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia will also acts as the intermediate for the Government agency to control the prices and lessens the monopolization of products which has been dominated by the international manufacturers. This is to ensure the local products can sustain it market in domestic market. The effect of established a Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia is helping and highlighting on Malaysian Products manufactured by small and medium entrepreneurs (SME) .By the government continuous support, this is will increase and enhanced local entrepreneurs to build new local products and expand the SME products manufacturing capacity as well as sales. By saying these, local entrepreneurs play an important roles to produces and create new local Malaysia products that can replace the international products that we familiar with.

4.3

Product innovation By increasing the attention of the buy Malaysia products campaign, local firms

need to create product innovation toward a certain product by changing the way of it feature, benefit of the products and packaging. This is to attract the potential consumers that Malaysia products are as good as international products.

Managerial Marketing 7 BM6053 4.4 Advertising program Upon using the marketing mix as marketing strategy, there are other methods that we can use to promote and advertise the Malaysia products. By using advertising program, the Malaysia customers will know Malaysia products were exists and it is good as global product in the market. It is the ways to communicate and giving information about Malaysia products to the public awareness and giving the attentions to customers to purchases it. It also positioning the brand of Malaysia products and it can help informing people about the products benefit. For advertising program that are available is print advertising, active media and outdoor advertising. 4.4.1 Printing advertising For print advertising, it covers the newspaper, magazines, and directory. The reason using this method is because people always read newspaper in the morning for them to update daily what is happening in the society. When they read the newspaper, they will see the Malaysian product in the promotion section. They local newspaper that can be use is Utusan Malaysia, New Strait Times and Berita Harian. This is because a lot of people reading this newspaper and there are the top three most reading newspaper in Malaysia. 4.4.2 Active Media Active media include television and radio. They actually do something that always attracts the customers. TV and radio probably the most passive media in most country. The government and local firms can spent their advertising program to promote buy Malaysian products campaign by choosing these media. These give the opportunities to Malaysia customers to gather information and the benefit and advantages of Malaysia products.

Managerial Marketing 8 BM6053 4.4.3 Outdoor Advertising For outdoor advertising, it consists of billboard or poster and transport advertising. The Outdoor display is the oldest form of advertising, and it has been in use for many years. The reason that choosing the billboard is simply it can appear in the sides buildings, beside major roads, beside railways line, and even in tower through the street. By putting the sign or banner regarding the buy Malaysia products campaign, it can target the Malaysia consumers to change their mentalities ,perception ,awareness and attitude toward the Malaysia products is ways better and low pricing compare with international products. The advantages using this method are low cost because billboard poster is relatively cheap to design and the most important thing is the site rentals are also low. The approved for display the billboard advertising can be applies to any district office for example the Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu. Other than that, It can be targeted geographically are, in these case, targeting the area of full of traffic and the density of the area. For transport advertising, the government can choose the most use transportation of that area which is the City Bus and the LRT train. This is the most people usually use to go to work and sightseeing. When people see the campaign this will chance they perceptive and perception toward the Malaysia products. By putting the advertisement banner at every city bus in every state of Malaysia, it will enhance the buy Malaysia products campaigns.

Managerial Marketing 9 BM6053 5.0 Conclusion As a conclusion, the buy Malaysia product campaign is giving the awareness and perception to Malaysia consumers that the important of Malaysia products is as good as international products. It is also to help the country to grow it economic growth for future development .The most important part is giving the local entrepreneurs to grow by producing more Malaysia products through products innovations. By using the most innovative promotion strategy to promote the Malaysia products to the public, this will increase the attention of Malaysia consumers to change their perceptive and perception to buy Malaysia products.