Lebanese jewellery designers go digital
ITC supports Lebanese jewellery designers to target international clientele through e-commerce, finding alternative markets
Lebanon is one of the most important jewellery producers in the world. Following the COVID-19 crisis and the country's economic crisis, many Lebanese companies, in particular small ones, have sought to diversify their sales channels by strengthening their e-commerce presence.
Today, the jewellery industry is adapting to the new reality of the post-COVID economic situation by strengthening their online presence internationally and developing new distribution and online sales channels.
Knowing your target market and its potential
When a brand wants to go internationally through e-commerce, it is essential for it to identify and analyse its target markets and their potential. This allows relevant e-commerce and marketing strategies that will lead to the business’ success.
Lina Rai is a jewellery brand founded in 2017 by Lina Rai, one of the project’s beneficiaries. Lina says that her main goal was to gain more knowledge in online marketing and social media, and to reach international marketplaces.
With the support of the International Trade Centre, Lina defined her internationalization strategy by analysing the most promising markets for exporting her products. Several ITC online tools such as its Export Potential Map and Trade Map were used for this purpose.
Lina was able to exhibit her products at Wolf & Badger, a well-known international marketplace in the fashion and jewellery sector.
"We learned that we need to be fully prepared before we approach an international platform”, explains the founder. “Thanks to the programme's support and training materials, we learned how to use several online tools that helped us overcome these challenges and we got advice tailored to our business needs."
The content is king
Mukhi Sisters is another example of how training in online marketing can lead to success – a family business founded in 2019 by three sisters from a jewellery family.
Among the main challenges the company faced, were defining the buyer personas and target customers in addition to developing a content and digital marketing strategy.
"It's not like a traditional shop where operations don't change much," says Maya, one of the founding sisters. "I learned that the more I understood about how things work online, the more relevant results I could get (through SEO, data collection etc.). Most importantly, I learned that my brand is not just about me, it's about my customers, which has led me to change our content and our perception of communication with them. I also feel more confident about our online shop in terms of structure and policies."
About the project
Under its Women's Enterprise Finance Initiative (We-Fi), the ecomConnect team at the International Trade Centre (ITC) implemented the E-commerce for Women-led Businesses project in Lebanon, which helps women entrepreneurs access domestic and export markets through e-commerce platforms.
The ITC-World Bank We-Fi project in Lebanon is part of a regional project that gives women-led small businesses access to markets through e-commerce platforms and improves their e-commerce related business environment and infrastructure. The project’s participants are now connected to local and international e-commerce platforms and receive practical advisory support.