The Best Malawian Initiative (bmi)

Best Malawian (bmi) is an initiative to promote the Malawian economy from
within. Centred on usage of a logo, identifying products and institutions
as Malawian, bmi is a pride campaign similar to the Australian made and
the Proudly South African campaigns. The campaign, a hybrid of the South African
and Australian campaigns is presented from a Malawian context, taking into account
what has and has not worked globally.

By joining bmi, members make a meaningful contribution towards building a
Malawian economy thus contributing towards job creation, indirectly
assisting in alleviating poverty, disease and crime. These aspects make the
campaign an excellent corporate social responsibility initiative.

The campaign also helps in boosting product or institutional marketing as
institutions now have a campaign that actively seeks out to market,
profile, promote and sell their products and services. Bmi will canvas the
whole country, through billboards, TV, newspaper, radio adverts and
promotional materials, special events and bmi week or month, to sell
Malawian products and institutions carrying the bmi logo. Our message will
be simple, ‘buy best Malawian products’ or ‘use services of institutions
that carry the best Malawian logo’. In so doing, we will be able to keep
the money in Malawi, be able to employ more people who will be able to
produce more of these products, encourage entrepreneurship and an
enterprising spirit, and effectively engender national pride.

Best Malawian has earmarked some institutions to be Founding Sponsors,
three Strategic Partners including the MCCCI, Ministry of Trade, Industry
and Private Sector Development and MBS and six corporates as Founding
Members

At least four of the above institutions will hold a seat on the Board of
Directors of bmi in the quest for transparency and accountability.

Objectives
Bmi objectives are to engender national pride and encourage consumers and
institutions to choose locally made products and services bearing the sign
of quality, the bmi logo. Bmi will also be used to promote tourism and
destinations in Malawi that meet the standard set by bmi and in the short
term will maximise the benefits derived from the 2010 games. We hope
through bmi, alternative venues in Malawi for teams, and the hordes of
tourists, may be identified and promoted. South Africa and its neighbouring
countries may not be able to handle all the tourist traffic and Malawi may
thus benefit from those looking out for warmer alternatives.

We also plan to promote culture through the bmi concept.

Bmi will promote quality as only those products that are of the highest
quality and services of institutions that are of highest standards will be
approved to carry the logo.

Bmi will support government in its effort to turn our country into a
predominantly producing and exporting country as opposed to importing and
consuming.

The Brand
Bmi secretariat will be the custodian of the logo and bmi, at the most,
intends to create a brand out of Malawi, its products and institutions. As
characteristic of a brand, bmi will be identifiable, consistent yet
creative in the implementation of its strategies. In promoting and
protecting the brand, we will employ the services of a local advertising
agency roofhouse which is wholly owned by a Malawian company but works in
cooperation with Africa’s largest network of Ad Agencies, OMA network.

How to Join and the Criteria
All institutions interested in joining must fill in an application form
and submit to bmi secretariat. Once approved and an annual membership fee
has been paid, the institution can use the logo according to the code of
conduct and terms of bmi. Both forms and code of conduct will be made
available on the bmi link on the this website.

Bmi will be open to any organisation, including not for profit, government
departments, NGO’s, academic institutions, sports organisations, trade and
industry and associations. The membership criteria guarantee members’
integrity to join. To join an institution must satisfy any one of the
three core criteria i.e.
•        Local content
•        Local ownership
•        Local head office

Plus the additional compulsory Quality Criteria.

Local Content- The company’s products must carry at least 50% of locally
sourced raw materials. They must incur at least 50% of their production
costs, including labour in Malawi and be substantially transformed.

Local Ownership- The institution must have at least 50% local
shareholding/ stakeholders

Local Headquarters- The institution must be headquartered in Malawi

Quality- The institutions services must be of high standards and the
products must be of high quality - bmi will engage the services of experts
in different fields to ascertain the quality requirement is adhered to.

Note: by joining institutions voluntarily show willingness to have their
premises, products inspected and services rated at any reasonable notice.

By meeting these standards, consumers can be assured that institutions and
the products carrying the bmi logo are of high quality and that they are
supporting the local economy.

Non compliance with the criteria of the campaign will dilute the bmi brand
value thereby undermining all our marketing and advertisement efforts.

Bmi members will therefore have the obligation to make full realisation of
the above pledge by complying with the criteria of the campaign.
Furthermore, members must establish and maintain systems and policies to
ensure that their employees and agents know and comply with their
responsibilities in relation to the use of the bmi logo.

Benefits
Publication- Incmedia the publishers of Diversity Leader will produce a
bmi edition featuring member institutions at no-extra cost. Special
promotions will be carried out for the bmi logo holders e.g. the bmi week
or month.

Partner, Founding Member & Sponsor: All communication, advertising and
events will carry Founding Sponsor, Founding Member and Strategic Partner
logos and banners.

Media- Often times media releases will be made to notify the general
public of the members roll, there also, the above will be highlighted.

Exclusive Fairs or Trade Exhibitions- will be held for members.
Special offers and special deals: will be negotiated amongst members and
for members.

Promotions- Useful and beautiful promotional items such as point-of –sale
materials, corporate clothing and a range of other merchandise will be
produced by bmi to be available at favourable prices for bulk orders.
These items will represent an effective way to market and advertise the
campaign and to boost the benefits of bmi membership.

Exporting- bmi will not only promote institutional products and services
within this country but will also look out for partners that are able to
assist in facilitating exports for members.

Procurement in Tendering- bmi will lobby for members to have preference
for their products and services when it comes to tendering. Government has
always been committed to supporting local content and ownership and we
will continue to push for formal tender recognition and preference given
to bmi companies. We want to ensure that our members are recognised in the
tender processes of both public and private sectors. Bmi will also
campaign publicly against tender practices that unfairly prejudice local
producers or members.

Tax Rebates - We will also, through this campaign actively lobby for tax
rebates for members due to their contribution towards job creation etc.

The Logo
The bmi logo is every member’s stamp of quality, an indication to all that
their product or service or institution complies with local content, local
ownership and local headquarters criteria and it is also the key to
umpteen business and  networking opportunities with other members.

We look forward to your partnership in the campaign.