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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia launches campaign to promote domestic brands

Belgrade, 6 May 2004

The Serbian Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Services is launching a one-year campaign called “Buy Serbian – Rebuild Serbia,” in an attempt to influence consumers and encourage them to buy domestically-produced goods. The campaign is expected to boost confidence in domestic products, reduce outflow of money from the country, and help create jobs.

Serbia launches campaign to promote domestic brands

The campaign aims to encourage producers to offer quality products at affordable prices in the domestic market. On Tuesday, a working group within the ministry will start drafting a new trade bill, which envisions the introduction of a new term – the “Domestic Quality Mark.”

Minister Bojan Dimitrijevic told a press conference today that the campaign’s objectives are to increase Serbia’s export capacities, strengthen state run funds such as the pension fund, health fund and social welfare fund, and encourage creativity and competition in the domestic economy.

Dimitrijevic said that the domestic industry has been exposed to fierce competition from abroad, given that globalisation and the removal of trade barriers have reduced the competitiveness of Serbia’s economy.

He added that the domestic economy has also been affected by wars, sanctions, low purchasing power of the population as well as the entrenched stereotype that imported products are better than local goods. Dimitrijevic also said that foreign trade deficit has been on a very high level in the past few years and recalled that in 2003, Serbia’s trade gap stood at some $5 billion.

Dimitrijevic said that part of the domestic industry has lost the marketing war to foreign competitors and failed to create local brands. That is why we are launching this campaign, he added.

According to Dimitrijevic, the effects of the campaign will be visible in two to five years from now. If we raise the awareness of local consumers of the importance of domestic products and if producers realise the significance of creating local brands, this campaign will be considered successful, he said.

The target group for the campaign are consumers, producers and media, said Dimitrijevic. Foreign companies have also shown interest to support the campaign, he added. The message to be conveyed is that by purchasing domestic goods one gets good quality at lower prices, along with a better control of the quality and origin of products, said Dimitrijevic and added that this will strengthen the domestic industry and bring domestic producers to equal footing with foreign competitors.

He said that the campaign was designed based on Croatia’s experience and added that Bosnia-Herzegovina has had a similar campaign. Currently, Australian is carrying a similar campaign, he said, adding that Great Britain also had one some 20 years ago.