Exporting Your Goods
Having Competitive Products
Your products may be very competitive in Canada but may not be as competitive abroad due to differences in cultural values and expectations, differences in consumer needs, or what else is available in the market. The following three questions and answers can help you explore the competitiveness issues:
How do we decide what product(s) to export?
What kinds of adaptation or redesign will be required for exporting?
What cultural factors do we need to take into consideration?
How do we decide what product(s) to export?
Any of the following types of products could be competitive in an export market:
- A product that addresses a documented customer need for which there is no other product in the market or the supply of product is very limited
- A product that has been successful in Canada within similar ethnic communities
- A product that is unique and well matched to the standard of living in the market
- A mature product that could be price competitive in a developing market
What kinds of adaptation or redesign will be required for exporting?
- Modification to meet government regulations
- Modification for geographic or climatic conditions
- Adaptation to buyer preferences and standards of living
- Modification to facilitate shipment or to compensate for differences in engineering and design standards
- Adaptations to cultural values
- Modification to operate within existing infrastructure (e.g., electrical standards with regard to phases, cycles, or voltages)
What cultural factors do we need to take into consideration?
- Who will be using it
- The context of usage
- Attitudes towards maintenance
- The meanings of various colours
- How the product is described in promotional materials (e.g., “traditional,” “new and improved”)