TIM eMagazine Volume 3 Issue 2 | Page 63

TIM eMagazine Vol.3 Issue 2 PACK! PINAS - A successful packaging roadshow for MSMEs DTI launched Pack! Pinas road- show to help MSMEs become more globally competitive during the Press Conference held at BOI Penthouse, Makati City Credit : Reselda Karen Bernardos I t is said that first impressions do last. And part of the attraction that makes any product very saleable is the way these are packaged. Just as there are various creative ways and means of selling any product, it is also the way that these are packaged that instills that strong sense of product identity with actual consumers; this is also why companies spend so much effort— as well as investment—in coming up with packaging that make their own products not only different from each other in a very eye-catching way, but to instill easy brand recall as well. This was also the rationale behind the Department of Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) latest campaign launched last May in three different roadshows called Pack Pilipinas, an MSME Packaging Roadshow, designed to promote, among Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) products innovative packaging and branding. Pack Pilipinas, an MSME Packaging Roadshow was a great success, thanks to the enthusiastic participation of many who were able to catch up with the latest market trends and emerging opportunities in product enhancement, as well as packaging solutions. It was held at three different venues, namely Summit Hotel Tacloban last May 3 to 4, for the Visayas; at Limketkai Luxe Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City last May 16 to 17 for Mindanao, and at San Lazaro Leisure Park In Carmona, Cavite last May 29 and 30 for Luzon. Pack! Pinas was co-organized and supported by the MSME Development Council, the Design Center of the Philippines (DCP), the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC), the Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Packaging Institute of the Philippines (PIP) Not to mention, the visitors were able to meet government agencies and companies that offer assist in designing, branding, and marketing their products. Stressed DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez on the hosting of Pack! Pinas: “MSMEs rely heavily on the packaging as a means—and sometimes the only way—to advertise their products. Innovative packaging can spell the difference between a product that sells and one that’s left on the shelf. We always encourage our MSMEs to innovate. And through this kind of event, we link them to industry experts in packaging and help them get their products to be more attractive to consumers, not just locally but also abroad.” dti.gov.ph Led by DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, DTI launched Pack! Pinas roadshow to help MSMEs become more globally competitive during the Press Conference held at BOI Pent- house, Makati City Credit : Reselda Karen Bernardos 63