Moldova has brands, but nobody to evaluate them

Domestic marketing specialists say that Moldova has brands but it has nobody to evaluate their market value. Or, if they are evaluated, this procedure is not always professional. The Economic Semiotic Centre (CSE), Silvia Harnau, says that the evaluation of market value of brands is practiced in Moldova but not at the necessary level. An initiative of the Moldovan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which evaluated the brands within a complex marketing research early this year, is an exception. The CSE director noted that every firm which respects itself shall hold periodical researches in order to rank the trademark/brand on market at a certain moment, through the assessment of goods is expensive enough. Domestic entrepreneurs should understand that they cannot develop their business on intuition and suppositions, exact information only, in order to plan their future requests. On the other hand, business-communication expert Ludmila Andronic said that she did not hear anybody in Moldova to assess the market value of goods. She noted that this is probably an issue of time and the first evaluation (if it took place) will become a reality when a brad will be sold or a trial will be held (in the field of industrial piracy, for example). Andronic considers that a foreign company or its representation in Moldova only can undertake a professional assessment for the time being. Invention brevets are mostly evaluated The head of the division for economy and evaluation of the State Agency of Intellectual Property (AGEPI), Iurie Badar, considers that Moldova does not need specialised brand assessment companies and it will need this after development of market relations. He noted that AGEPI has evaluated brands but it assesses invention brevets in general – approximately 50 evaluations of intellectual property objects in the past years. Badar underlined that AGEPI can evaluate brands the way it assesses invention brevets. As regards the invention brevets, the AGEPI expert said that the evaluation of their value is needed in order to pledge them for credits in banks, to include them in the social capital of an enterprise or for calculation of damage resulted from the illicit usage of intellectual property objects. Some inventors have tried to evaluate their inventions in other countries of the world, but the high costs made them give up. In other countries Experts say that Moldova is at a low level compared with other countries of the world regarding the evaluation of market value of trademark/brand. We are at a low level compared with some countries from the former Socialist Bloc, too, Harnau stressed. However, she continued, we shall be optimistic because the marketing activities in the past years have developed; the efficiency of consulting in the field is gradually increasing, while most of entrepreneurs have understood the role of trademark in developing a business. „We will find soon a multitude of examples capable to be a rule, not only exceptions,” Harnau emphasised. At the same time, she noted that the number of companies which participated in the Trademark of 2005 contest with two or three brands has increased unlike 2004. Moldova has brands Andronic considers that Moldova has some brands, as for example, the brands of mobile telephony operators, and several brands of alcohol drinks. However, the expert continued, the marked is covered by brands, some of them of a very good quality but they do not bring communication and philosophy – two fundamental elements of trademark. Harnau also thinks that Moldova has brands if we start from the premises: the brand is more than a simple trademark. The latter is a sign representing a firm on a market, a verbal and visual identity, a cumulus of signs, which makes a difference between entrepreneurs. The brand is a promise to consumer, phylosophy of enterprise, an element that connects the devoted clients, whose “pro” attitude was formed meanwhile through sustained efforts, which ensured the passage from status of “occasional buyer” to the status of „fan” of a product or service. In the context, Harnau indicated the brands „Bely Aist” and „Cricova” She noted that Moldova has many brands. „Perhaps we do not know to promote them appropriately, but this situation can be changed,” she added. On the other hand, Badar said that Moldova does not have any brand at the world level, but it has two brands at regional level (or at the level of CIS): „Bely Aist” and „Buchet Moldavii”. He noted that Moldova has many brands at regional level, mostly in wine sector. A focus on promotion is absent Domestic economic agents do not focus on a long-term brand promotion as marketing and PR strategy. Harnau notes that the „brand promotion” remains the cherry from the stage cake called „marketing” and we still have to learn many things about climbing in order to reach it. According to Harnau, the PR has become a fashion, a cosmopolitan word used very often and not always appropriately, not very liked by marketers because of the autonomy claimed by most of specialised companies. As a rule, the fact that „public relations” represent a communication tool which truly demonstrates the efficiency as part of promotion submix and marketing mix is neglected. The expert considers that a domestic economic agent shall clearly understand first the essence of public relations, their role in economic communication, connection with marketing theory and practice in order to focus on an „long-term PR”. On the other hand, Andronic says that those who join the market of new brands enjoy more advantages: they build the life of their products after brand laws – position, values, motivation, PR, adequate advertising, events. The situation of economic actors who hold known “old” trademarks, which are very rigid regarding promotion, is more complicated. Finally, branding is an issue of mentality or everything new and efficient is finally winning.