Kasper Kerver and Jesse Bloemendaal of ProFound held a 3-day marketing strategy workshop for Ethiopian bee product processors in Addis Ababa. After short theoretical introductions of the different topics in a marketing strategy, the participants of the workshop developed their own marketing strategies through exercises and private counselling sessions with the consultants.

This workshop was the kick-off for a long-term commitment by ProFound to support companies with their marketing strategy and business planning. Entrepreneurs delivering a high-quality marketing strategy are invited to participate in local and international trade fairs and other matchmaking opportunities.

The first participants of the workshop have already visited the Biofach 2014 in Nuremberg, Germany, for a matchmaking tour. Importers showed a lot of interest in Ethiopian bee products. One of the largest importers even expected Ethiopia to become Europe’s major honey sources within the next years. The participants are more motivated than ever before to use their newly gained knowledge to develop their businesses to the next level.