From Manual to Digital [Bar-coding Local Products]

In mid 2013 around October, as I walked passed a street in Port Moresby - the capital of Papua New Guinea, I came across a group of people gathering around someone speaking.  Eager to see what everyone’s packing for, I went by and joined the crowd.

There were about15-20 people standing there listening and it was a little bit uneasy to look through however because I have the height, I was able to stand behind everyone and listen.  There, in the midst was an elderly man exultantly speaking of his products and how beneficial it is to his customers.  His name is Simon Moga and he hailed from Rigo in the Central Province, Southern region of Papua New Guinea.  Simon is a Medical Missionary - Natural Therapist who had spent over 20 years working in the herbal industry.  He produces and sells home-made up-to-standard products made from herbs. Slim with friendly characteristics, he smiled as he spoke of one of his products, the Natural Herbal soap.  This soap, a regular standard bar soap which weighs about a 100 grams can be used for a vast treatment and sells for a hundred and thirty kina (est. US$90).   It can be used both as an external and an internal product which means you can use it to bath or rub on your skin and also boil and drink using instructed medical advice.  

While Simon was speaking and trying to explain the use of this product, a lady’s voice sounded from the crowd.  I looked over and saw an elderly woman interrupting to testify of her recent experience with this product.  Modestly speaking, she tells everyone about her story on how the product had unbelievably healed her.  She said she couldn’t walk for weeks and used crutches to support her when moving around.  She stressed that she can’t walk for more than 10 meters so she had to spend most of the time at home.  A family of hers bought the soap from Simon and brought it to her.  Using the medical consumption advice given by Simon, she used the product.  She confessed that within three days of using product, the condition got cured.  I could really see from her face the emotions she showed despite being shy in front of the crowd that the product had really great significance.  

I thought of the story as a convincible one because it really does seemed effective from the evidence given by the lady.  I formidably tried to loop the logics of how this great product could reach out to more customers and expand Simon’s business.  At that moment, I kind of switched between a user and a product manufacturer’s perspective trying to figure out what made me like the product and another side regretted to get the product because of something not right.  

While Simon continued with his marketing, I examined the product from a distant to fit the puzzle I have.  I realised that this great product could sell even more if the presentation is boosted so I noted down Simon’s number and left the scene without trying to find out more from Simon himself.  That night, I called Simon and told him that I am interested to buy one of his products.  I asked him of the product (soap) and he clarified to me the different types of soap he had.  He advised me to take the multi-purpose Soap which sells for K6 (US$2) so I told him that I would take 15 to give it to families and friends.  The real motif for me buying the soap was to develop new marketing campaigns for Simon and help him promote his initiative.  I thought this would be a good contribution to add to my list of community outreach support over the years.  

I got my orders two weeks later after new stocks were manufactured.  When I picked up the soap, I talked to Simon about how he can improve his sales.  I gave him my business card and told him that I am willing to assist him promote all his products.  Because that was our first contact, there weren’t much attention to details. 

Within the first week after I talked to Simon, all his corporate identities were developed and a sample package was designed for each of his soap.  When I presented the designs, I could see the happiness on his face.  I told him I wanted to see him succeed and this is the beginning of greater things ahead.  We both agreed to take his products to the world market in 2014.

In the beginning of 2014, it came to Simon’s attention that a retails shop is going to shelve his products and requested him to place barcodes on his products.  He came to me and I advised him to do necessary arrangements with the shop prior to running several packets for him.  Because I also ran a small scale off-set printing, I assured him that we can do everything.  Simon requested us to produce 50 packages with barcodes for his first distribution in the shop.  It was done as required and delivered to him within two days.

From this day on, Simon had moved on from manual to digital, bar-coding his home-made products for international markets.

This year-2014 alone, we intend to develop Simon’s posters, video campaigns and promote his digitisation drives.  I will help him do a major review on all his promoted products at the end of the year.