On October 22-23, 2019, CLDP and USTR conducted a workshop on ‘Building Effective Marketing Strategies and Practices,’ for approximately 100 government officials, academics, and industry representatives from El Salvador and Guatemala in San Salvador, El Salvador. Participants included Guatemalan and Salvadoran representatives from micro, small, and medium-sized textiles and apparel producers, academics from the Catholic University of El Salvador, and representatives of Hanes Brand’s Central America division.

Salvadoran textile and apparel producers of all sizes struggle with effective design and marketing, which affects their ability to create new business opportunities. These struggles are further intensified by a lack of training opportunities and higher education programs in design and marketing in El Salvador.

To address these areas of need, CLDP and USTR conducted a workshop on building and effectively implementing targeted marketing strategies. The purpose of this workshop is to build technical capacity to support the Salvadoran producers’ efforts to maximize opportunities by improving their independent marketing strategies. Strengthening the capabilities and efficiencies of the Salvadoran textile and apparel industry will enhance export opportunities along the full US – CAFTA-DR supply chain. 

The workshop served as a foundation to showcase effective marketing strategies tailored for the textile and apparel industry such as defining brand advocacy, strengthening presentation delivery, creating new opportunities, and improving targeted research and development efforts. To achieve this, CLDP and USTR called upon university professors, as well as industry leaders from the U.S. with extensive experience with trend forecasting, content creation, digital marketing, communication strategies, and sustainability. The presentations showcased prioritizing research and development, maximizing meetings with potential buyers, understanding global trends in marketing, and harnessing social media to innovate with limited resources. To conclude, the experts led the participants in interactive case studies that supported entrepreneurial development through creation of various marketing strategies.

As a result of this workshop, textile and apparel industry representatives in Central America’s Northern Triangle increased their understanding of the nuances inherent to communicating with customers through marketing campaigns, and how to effectively convey their respective brands through targeted marketing to enhance the industry’s competitive advantage. This workshop is part of a multiphase effort to improve regional economic prosperity in the Northern Triangle by strengthening the Salvadoran textile industry’s competitiveness through enhanced efficiency and communication within the integrated supply chain.