College of Commerce General Luna ST., Iloilo City: University of San Agustin

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN

College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

Weavemanila Inc.
A Marketing Plan

In Partial Fulfillment of the Course Requirements


In AE 05 – International Business and Trade
Professor: Carina E. Raylos, PhD

By:
Diara Kates Cabuguas
Abbygail Flores
Bea Joy Suarez

January 31, 2020


UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

Table of Contents
1.0 Executive Summary...............................................................................................................................................1
2.0 Mission Statement................................................................................................................................................2
3.0 Situation Analysis..................................................................................................................................................2
3.1 Product.................................................................................................................................................2
3.2 Unique Selling Proposition...................................................................................................................2
3.3 The Company’s Best Practices..............................................................................................................3
3.4 Challenges............................................................................................................................................3
3.5 Competitor Situation Analysis..............................................................................................................4
3.6 SWOT Analysis......................................................................................................................................5
4.0 Target Market.......................................................................................................................................................6
5.0 Buyer Personas......................................................................................................................................................8
6.0 Marketing Objectives and Performance..............................................................................................................10
6.1 Marketing Objectives.........................................................................................................................10
6.2 Financial Objectives............................................................................................................................11
7.0 Pricing Strategy...................................................................................................................................................11
8.0 Distribution Plan..................................................................................................................................................12
9.0 Promotional Plan.................................................................................................................................................13
10.0 Conclusion.........................................................................................................................................................14
UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

1.0 Executive Summary

Weavemanila Inc. is a relatively young handicraft corporation which focuses on producing high
quality hand woven carpet and rugs. Located in the province of Bicol where Abaca (Manila Hemp)
production is abundant, the business owners saw this as an opportunity to create the best hand crafted
Abaca carpet and rugs. Established only in the year 2013, Weavemanila Inc. has been to greater heights
with the global partnership with design firms from the US, Australia, and Europe. The franchisors,
looking into the possibility of expanding Weavemanila Inc.’s reach is set to venture to another country in
Central America. With continuous growth of e-commerce and online-based shopping in Guatemala, the
corporation sees the best chance to seize the said market. Since Guatemala is a tropical country with
tourism as one of their best offers to the world, the business includes the country’s top hotels as the initial
target market. Aside from the top hotels, the business also aims to cater to the taste of the elite group in
the country. As Weavemanila Inc. is a new entrant to the Guatemalan market, we aim to introduce our
product and eventually penetrate the market with the assistance of the pop-up website ads, magazine
features, and of course the most effective marketing strategy which is the word of mouth with the help of
the top interior designers in the country.

The business owners also though about the endless possibilities online-based selling has to offer.
Weavemanila Inc. got a glimpse on how the market would be in the upcoming years with the help of
online platforms. With the evident distance between the Philippines and Guatemala, featuring our
products through an online website is a game changer. Weavemanila Inc. offers pre-scheduled virtual
meetings and virtual showroom tours to those are interested in the products, overcoming the limitations
set by distance.

Armed with both perseverance, export quality products, and the purpose on uplifting the lives of the
business owners, abaca weavers and farmers, the corporation is set to achieve its marketing objectives
including getting the approval of both top interior designers and the elite group in Guatemala, producing
hand woven carpet and rugs for the top hotels, increasing the number of the online website visits from IP
addresses located in Guatemala, and increasing market reach through popular interior design magazine

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

features, which eventually leads to Weavemanila Inc. being one of the top distributors of hand-woven
carpet and rugs in Guatemala.

2.0 Mission Statement

Weavemanila Inc. is a manufacturer and specialist in Abaca Hand Woven Carpet and Rugs. We
are committed to serve you the best Abaca (Manila Hemp) natural crafted from the province of Bicol in
the Philippines.

3.0 Situation Analysis

3.1 Product

As of the moment, Weavemanila Inc. solely focuses in manufacturing Abaca hand woven carpets
and rugs. With this in mind, we take pride in our company’s custom made rugs and carpets for both
residential, commercial, and hospitality needs. Our customers are given the liberty to choose from four
different natural colors. Aside from that, we also offer to dye any color the customer wants fir dyed color
rug requirement. Being a relatively young company established in the year 2013, we achieved greater
heights in terms of the global market. Weavemanila has partnered with different design firms in the US,
Australia, and Europe.

3.2 Unique Selling Proposition

The Philippines is the largest supplier of Abaca fibers supplying about 87% of the world’s
requirement for production of cordage, specialty papers used in making currency notes, capacitor,
insulation paper, etc. According to the Department of Agriculture, Abaca is endemic to the Philippines. It
is also considered as the strongest of natural fibers. With a wide spectrum of rugs and carpet suppliers,
why should we choose Weavemanila Inc.’s Abaca carpet? Made from natural fiber obtained from Abaca

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

plants, this carpet is proven to be 100% sustainable. With only the vacuum to keep it clean and looking
good, the Abaca carpet is considered to be low maintenance. Abaca carpets are quite strong, too! It can
last for years even without proper care and can never be out of style. Also, given that Guatemala is a
tropical country, with humidity levels not that different from the Philippines’, the carpet may act as a
natural humidifier which helps homes stay cool even on hot days.

3.3 The Company’s Best Practices

The company focuses on crafting high quality hand woven products. With globalization in mind
even in the early years, partnering with global design firms has been achieved. Aside from the production,
the company pays high respects to the hands behind the carpets and rugs. A huge chunk of the livelihood
in Region V or the Bicol Region relies on the agricultural sector. The region is considered to be one of the
most vulnerable areas especially when typhoons hit. Weavemanila Inc. aims to help uplift the lives of the
Bicolanos by giving them livelihood opportunities that could sustain them in their everyday lives. The
weavers are not just considered to be workers under the company, but they are considered as partners. As
much as possible, Weavemanila Inc. allows its weavers and personnel to personally source abaca directly
from the farmers. In an attempt to help them earn, the company buys the raw materials sourced by the
weavers and personnel at a higher price.

3.4 Challenges

Running a company surely is not just about profits, strengths, and opportunities. Weavemanila Inc.
is facing challenges too. In these trying times, the pandemic poses a huge limitation in terms of
transporting products. As mentioned above, Region V where the company manufactures the products is
greatly susceptible to typhoon destructions. Recently, Typhoon Goni (locally known as Rolly) hit the
region. According to the Department of Agriculture, the area incurred damages amounting to USD
103.3M. 126,077 hectares of agricultural land was damaged and 194,181 tons of agricultural production
was lost. High value crops were affected which included abaca. Farmer’s livelihood was threatened
because the next harvest of these crops will not be for several years.
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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

Also, in these trying times, the pandemic poses a huge limitation in terms of transporting products.
Living with the fact that people only go out for necessities nowadays, social media has a great influence
over buyer preferences. Weavemanila Inc.’s social media presence is still not well established. With just a
little over 3,000 following on Instagram, venturing on a different country which is somehow similar to the
company’s country of origin would be such a challenge.

In order to penetrate Guatemala, earning the trust of interior designers is considered to be one of
the most important missions of the company. According to Ana Asturias (interior designer of Lo Studio in
Guatemala City), Guatemalans also consider a lot of things before deciding to bet their money on a certain
product. They first consider the Three B’s which stands for Bueno, bonito y barato which stands for
“good, beautiful, and cheap”.

3.5 Competitor Situation Analysis

Market Competition

As Weavemanila Inc. is to venture on a country that has been importing rugs and carpets from
different countries in the past few years, the competition is believed to be evident. With all the strategies
directed upon catering to the needs and wants of the target market, the business should be able to track
and observe the trends when it comes to competition. Weavemanila Inc.’s rival would be businesses from
India, China, Colombia, Germany, etc.

Threat for Suppliers

The Philippines has been the longest world leader in terms of Abaca export throughout the world.
However, according to Philippines Fiber Industry Development Authority, this long withstanding status is
being threatened by Indonesia and Costa Rica. These two countries are now said to be into plantation-type
farming. This information could be a threat to Filipino farmers because Abaca is only intercropped with
coconut, rubber, and fruit trees.
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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

Capabilities of Buyer

During the initial market entry by Weavemanila Inc., it could be possible that the prices will be
tailored according to the purchasing power of the target market. The business targets the elite group and
chains of hotels, and as of the moment, the hotels are the only ones who pose a challenge in terms of
tailoring the prices for them. The elite group in Guatemala are extremely rich, therefore we believe that in
terms of buying decisions, they would first look at the quality instead of price.

3.6 SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Weavemanila Inc., despite being a relatively young handicraft corporation compared to its
competitors was thriving in the global industry. This success is due to the collective strengths the
corporation has. Starting with the raw material used in making the finished products, Abaca is endemic to
the Philippines, which only means that the company already has an upper hand as compared to its
competitors abroad. The company originated and is located in Bicol, Philippines where according to the
Department of Agriculture, almost 1/3 of the country’s abaca production is obtained. Aside from that, the
company does not only care about profit but it also gives emphasis about uplifting the lives of the farmers,
employees, and weavers. With the utmost dedication to quality and choosing not to give in to trends,
Weavemanila Inc. is doing the right in bringing only A-game when the craftsman weave for the clients.

Weaknesses

Weavemanila Inc. has already gone global but the corporation still have not tried venturing in small
countries like Guatemala. It can be considered as a weakness because with the vast competition in the
market, Weavemanila Inc.’s name still has not been heard anywhere in that country. With just a little over
3,000 following on Facebook and Instagram, the corporation still needs to work on its social media
presence. This is a weakness for a business who targets the online portal. Also, with the effect of
pandemic in terms of buyer preferences, having high quality products will not be enough. A strong social

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

media presence should be established in order to cater to the strongest form of marketing which is WOM
or word of mouth.

Opportunities

According to International Trade Administration, e-commerce is observed to have a rapid growth.


With a market penetration via online website or social media in mind, Weavemanila Inc. stands a chance.
Facebook is said to be the most used social media tool in terms of promotion and sales. In January 2020, a
total of 7.9 million Facebook users has been recorded. 92% of these users accessed the social media
platform via mobile device. Aside from Facebook, other notably used social media platforms were
Messenger, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest. Online buying has also been made easier for
Guatemala offered new payment methods which lead to the further development of e-commerce in the
country. Personal debit and credit cards were said to be the most common forms of payment. These
include VISA, MasterCard, and American Express. Somehow, the increase in the number of online
platform users were influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Guatemala’s most popular overseas purchase
included decorations. Culturally, Guatemalans prefer face to face transactions but with the limited access
to physical businesses, international businesses were given a chance to penetrate the country’s market.

Threats

Guatemala shows not much difference from the corporation’s home country which is the
Philippines. Some similarities include both countries having a tropical climate. Guatemala’s possible
ability to grow their own Abaca plants seem like a threat to the business. Also, despite the Philippines
being the largest exporter of Abaca in the world, countries like Indonesia and Ecuador managed to secure
Abaca plants and tried to grow them in their respective countries. Ecuador, with 2,363km distance from
Guatemala is much nearer compared to the 15,257km distance of the Philippines. Lastly, as long as this
pandemic is still in existence, travels would have limitations. These would greatly affect the tourism
industry of Guatemala which would result to some hotels experiencing recessions.

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

4.0 Target Market

As for the entry point of Weavemanila Inc. in Guatemala, we are targeting a consumer market.
Among the industries available in the country, we chose the hotel industry and the elite group of
Guatemala as our target market.

According to the World Bank, Guatemala has the largest economy in Central America where it has
grown steadily in the 21st century. Despite the huge size of their economy, there is a huge disparity
between the rich and the poor due to unequal wealth distribution. Weavemanila Inc.’s focus is more into
the elite group in Guatemala making them the business’ target market. According to the Borgen
Magazine, an estimated 5% of the population owns or controls more than 85% of the country’s wealth.
This results to the fact that there is no real middle class in the country. Instead, the social class is divided
into extremely rich and extremely poor.
Aside from the elite group in Guatemala as our target, Weavemanila Inc. also chose to try
penetrating the hotel industry in the county. Guatemala’s top ten hotels managed to be part of the
business’ list. These hotels are: Laguna Lodge and Eco-Resort & Nature Reserve, Villas Balam Ya, Villa
Sumaya, La Lancha, Hotel Vista Real Guatemala, El Convento Boutique Hotel, Ni’tun Reserve and
Monkey Eco Tours, Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel, Mesón Panza Verde, and Mil Flores Luxury Design
Hotel. Guatemala has quite a number of hotels in their country given the fact that they are a tropical
country which could attract many travelers. These hotels were the top recommended hotels to travelers
which is why we chose to go with the hotels in the list.
The rapid increase in the number of online platform users as a side effect of the covid-19
pandemic is believed by the corporation to be one of the best ways to strike a business in Guatemala. With
the help of social media, marketing the products is believed to be much easier compared to actually
physically selling the products in the country. Despite the vast distance between Guatemala and the
Philippines, Weavemanila Inc. was able to come up with a solution with this shift in the marketing
platform. Aside from the online website easily accessible to anyone interested in viewing Weavemanila
Inc.’s products, a face-time meeting is also offered upon request by the customer. This idea makes selling
easier because the customers get to choose from a wide variety of sample items.

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

As aforementioned, Weavemanila Inc. is a relatively young handicraft corporation but has already
gone global in a short span of time. This only shows that the corporation is capable enough to supply high
quality hand woven products anywhere in the world. Also, as compared to the largest carpet producing
countries like India, Philippine based corporation like Weavemanila Inc. is much nearer with just
15,316km distance compared to India’s 15,792km.
Weavemanila Inc. could not deny the possibility that Guatemalans would refuse buying the
products mainly because culturally, they are known to be more supportive of local products or those
which came from countries within their periphery namely Mexico, Belize, and Honduras.
According to WITS or the World Integrated Trading Solution, Guatemala has a wide variety of
import partners in terms of carpet and other textile floor coverings. What Weavemanila Inc. has to offer
despite them having a wide variety of partners is a permanent hand woven carpet partners. It is with great
confidence that we claim our products to be world-class. One proof as to why they should partner with us
is because Weavemanila Inc. has been partnering with global design firms from the US, Europe,
Australia, and Asia.

5.0 Buyer Personas

Country: Guatemala
 Background Information: 
Land Area: 108,889 km²
Population: 14.7 million. Population growth rate 2.7% pa.
 Languages: Spanish
 Life Expectancy: 71 years. Up from 65 years when last profiled (El Salvador 72, US 78).
 People: People per sq km 134 (UK 253).
 Religions: Predominantly Roman Catholic, although in recent years there has been a surge in
conversions to evangelical churches. Many indigenous follow the surviving Mayan faith.
 Currency: 1 Guatemalan Quetzal = 6.15 Philippine Peso
 Government: The Republic of Guatemala (capital Guatemala City) is a democratic republic.
 Climate: tropical
 Tourism: 826,000 in 2000; 2.11 million in 2017.
 Transportation: buses
 Head of State: President Alejandro Giammattei
 Key export commodities: Coffee, Bananas, Sugar.
 Vital Import Commodities: The top imports of Guatemala are Refined Petroleum ($1.99B), Cars
($386M), Petroleum Gas ($257M), Broadcasting Equipment ($237M), and Packaged
Medicaments ($236M)
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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

Trading Partners (Export & Import):

1. United States: US$3.8 billion (34.4% of total Guatemalan exports)


2. El Salvador: $1.2 billion (11%)
3. Honduras: $967.3 million (8.8%)
4. Nicaragua: $562.2 million (5.1%)
5. Mexico: $511 million (4.6%)
6. Costa Rica: $423.4 million (3.8%)
7. Netherlands: $355.2 million (3.2%)
8. Panama: $288.8 million (2.6%)
9. Canada: $222.2 million (2%)
10. Italy: $161.3 million (1.5%)
11. Japan: $153.7 million (1.4%)
12. Dominican Republic: $144.9 million (1.3%)
13. Germany: $141.3 million (1.3%)
14. Saudi Arabia: $110.7 million (1%)
15. United Kingdom: $101 million (0.9%)

Statement: “Uplifting the lives of the those in the periphery and victims of extreme disparity in wealth
distribution while maintaining the cultural history of Guatemala.”

Goals of Guatemala:
 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
 Achieve universal primary education
 Reduce child mortality
 Improve maternal health
 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

Challenges and Problems


The covid-19 pandemic certainly affected a lot of sectors but the tourism industry can be
considered as one of the most severely affected ones. With the travel bans left and right, hotel
managements face crisis in terms of tourism bookings. Hotels experience drought and it is much more
concerning than ever given the fact that there is still uncertainty brought about by international travel
bans. Also, a lot of tourists have been wary about the complicated sanitation policies that will be applied

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

once hotel bookings slowly go back on track. The halt in the tourism sector of Guatemala would the
chains of hotels in their country suffer more than anyone.

Values
According to Britannica, Guatemalans are highly exposed to foreign products they use in their
daily lives. This mindset may actually have a positive to Weavemanila Inc.’s attempt to penetrate their
market knowing they are somewhat open to foreign products. Despite the evident foreign influence in
terms of the daily products they use, people in local Mayan villages wearing colorful attires is a common
sight and only varies depending on the village and language group they belong to.

Buying Decisions
In general, hotels would possibly buy products during hotel room renovations which happens
approximately every six to seven years. According to Ana Asturias of Lo Studio in Guatemala, their
typical projects include high-end residential projects for single men. It is best to follow the trend and
make the business known to interior designers because people with money often rely on the services of
the professionals.

Solution
Weavemanila Inc.’s strategy included entering the country with a relatively low price offer. In a
way, the corporation could also help in the budget of struggling hotels by giving them high quality hand-
woven carpets and rugs at a reasonable price.

6.0 Marketing Objectives and Performance

6.1 Marketing Objectives

The following are the main objectives of Weavemanila Inc.:

in the first two years…


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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

 To be able to present Weavemanila Inc.’s local showroom to popular Guatemalan interior


designers via facetime.
 Weavemanila Inc. aims to supply rugs and carpets to at least 7/10 of the top ten
recommended hotels in Guatemala.
 In terms of the elite group in Guatemala which is approximately 10% of the national
population, we aim to get the approval and be able to cater to the taste of at least 35% of
them.
 To gain a 30% increase in Facebook and Instagram following from accounts located in
Guatemala.
 To gain a 50% increase in the website visits from IP addresses located in Guatemala.
 To be featured in a popular interior design magazine, specifically in a Mexican magazine
brand Ambientes which has a huge social media following and reach.

in the next 5 years…


 To effectively increase the number of buyers outside the specified target market by 60%
 To gain customer loyalty and trust.
 To be one of the top hand-woven carpet and rugs distributor in Guatemala.
 Lastly, for Weavemanila Inc. to achieve stability both in market and financial area on or
before 7 years of being into the business.

6.2 Financial Objectives

The following are the financial objectives of Weavemanila Inc.:


 Increase gross margin by 10% annually
 Increase sales by 30% annually
 Achieve ROI in the year 2026
 Maintain a positive cash flow

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

7.0 Pricing Strategy

Weavemanila Inc.’s product pricing will depend on the cost of the raw materials, labor expenses,
transportation expenses, and a lot more. With regards to the target market which includes the elite group
and the hotels in Guatemala, Weavemanila Inc. has thought of the challenges encountered by the half of
the target market due to the international travel bans. Hotels have suffered with continuous limit on the
number of tourists allowed to enter Guatemala. The corporation chose a pricing strategy which would be
reasonable and suitable enough in the foreign country business venture.

For the meantime, Weavemanila Inc. chooses the market-penetration pricing strategy. The
business plans to offer the abaca hand-woven products at a reasonable price which could cater to the
budget of the struggling hotels in Guatemala. As for the other target which is the elite group in
Guatemala, we aim to provide them a lower entry price to gain their trust and loyalty by giving them such
high-quality products at a relatively low price. Using this type of marketing strategy could mean lower
profit, but if we manage to exceed the expectations of the initial buyers, an increase in the volume of sales
is expected which would eventually allow the business to maintain a healthy profit margin.

After gaining the loyalty and trust of the customers, Weavemanila Inc. opts to shift to another
pricing strategy which involves the value of the products as perceived by the customers. At this rate,
through the value-based pricing, the business will be able to charge the customers based on how much
they are willing to pay for the product.

8.0 Distribution Plan

Since Weavemanila Inc. is engaging in an online-based selling, the orders will be processed
through an online-based shop/website. The website contains different information about the business and
a gallery which contains images of the products. With the assistance of technology, Weavemanila Inc. is
open for virtual meetings with clients. The business offers pre-scheduled showroom tours through

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College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

facetime. Aside from the pre-designed products, the business also offers custom-made products tailored
according to the customer’s requests and liking.

Weavemanila Inc. chose to show the products via an online website because there is a huge growth
in the involvement of people from Guatemala to e-commerce and international online shopping. Another
reason is that choosing this kind of channel can help lessen the expenses that the company may incur
since Weavemanila Inc. is a relatively young handicraft corporation. Guatemalans prefer face to face
engagements, but new generations are embracing technology and moving away from the traditional retail
model. Business people, associations, and the Government acknowledge that e-commerce is a very
important electronic tool in doing business. Payments will be made through internationally acceptable
debit or credit cards like VISA, MasterCard, and American Express. Also, payment through international
e-commerce companies like PayPal which facilitates online transfers is also accepted.

Costs related to distributing the products from the Philippines to Guatemala would include freight
cost, cost of packaging, and handling expenses. Freight costs will be paid to the chosen international
courier that would transport the products. Costs of packaging is also included as this will help in securing
products to avoid any unexpected damages, and handling expenses which is incurred in preparing the
goods or products from the manufacturer going to the chosen courier.

Weavemanila Inc.’s website is accessible any time but the request for face time showroom should
be inquired days before the scheduled date. Handwoven products would also take some time before
actually having the finished product. Weavemanila Inc.’s lead time is estimated to be around 40-60
working days depending on the size of the order.

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

9.0 Promotional Plan

“A homey, personalized furniture that never fails to give a feeling of comfort.”

As an online-based business, Weavemanila Inc. aims to continue doing what it has been doing for
the past years. With the plans of increasing social media coverage in Guatemala, we aim to reach out to
them through a website promotion where we pay to land online pop-up/banner ads. Also, in order to
widen the social media coverage, Weavemanila Inc. plans to hire influencers in Guatemala to promote the
product. But the promotion does not just end in the social media platform, we also aim to be featured in
one of the top interior design magazines in Mexico, it is with the knowledge that products from the said
country manages to reach Guatemala in no time. Lastly, the business is planning to coordinate with the
top interior designers in Guatemala, it is with the idea that the elite group and hotel management would
really hire professionals to do much of their home beautification agenda.

Weavemanila Inc. entrusts a huge chunk of the promotional plan to online platforms. According to
International Trade Administration, there were 11.54 million internet users in Guatemala, and internet
penetration stood at 65% in January 2020. Also, social media users increased by 7.2% which is about
534,000 users. The covid-19 pandemic also affected the sudden spike in the online shop users and e-
commerce activity with about 27% e-commerce growth was recorded. Weavemanila Inc. believes that
promoting through the Internet/social media/websites easily becomes one of the most sensible decisions
because it is the most accessible platform for both Philippine-based business and Guatemalan market.

10.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, Weavemanila Inc. is a company that focuses on crafting high quality hand woven
products. With globalization in mind even in the early years, partnering with global design firms has been
achieved. All materials are made from natural material that can be found in the Philippines. It allows its
weavers and personnel to personally source abaca directly from the farmers and in an attempt to help them
earn, the company buys the raw materials sourced by the weavers and personnel at a higher price.

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

Weavemanila Inc. maybe relatively young handicraft corporation but it has already gone global in
a short span of time and is trying to open up business relations with Guatemala by sending their hotel high
quality hand woven products to help expand the company in the local market as well.

But Weavemanila Inc. could not deny the possibility that Guatemalans would refuse buying the
products mainly because culturally, they are known to be more supportive of local products or those
which came from countries within their periphery namely Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. Not only that
but due to Covid-19, there has been a significant effect on tourism right now, which also has an effect on
buyer preferences, so just having high quality product may not be enough to persuade them.

In the end, only with time, patience and a given the opportunity to prove our products are up to
their standards.

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

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UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN
College of Commerce
General Luna St., Iloilo City

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