TechLahore

Procurement methods have changed substantially in recent years. So too have marketing practices.

Some export-promotion offices have not adapted to (or even recognized) current realities. Little or no benchmarking is being done. Metrics are scarce. So is accountability and transparency.

Better results can and should be achieved for the money being spent. There are significant inefficiencies in how Pakistan’s IT/ITeS companies are being marketed. Funds are being wasted.

Marketing methods most commonly used would not appear out of place to someone from pre-independence days. These methods are manpower intensive and technology-phobic. They are inefficient, feel-good efforts that are divorced from the way IT/ITeS products and services are purchased globally.

Branding issues are at the heart of the matter—yet it’s not enough to merely beg potential buyers to view Pakistan differently. There has to be some concrete evidence that supports a rebranding effort. Rebranding can and should be done, but I’m not convinced that branding issues are understood, especially in the offices with relevant responsibilities.

Branding does not merely exist or function on the national level, but on the corporate level as well. Branding is about how others see you. Branding is about trust levels. Business depends on trust.

Every other IT/ITeS country would be happy to have the advantages that Pakistan enjoys. Unless and until Pakistan’s strengths—and IT/ITeS weaknesses—are recognized and managed appropriately, its strengths will continue to be under-utilized. Merely throwing money at problems doesn’t fix them.

Anthony, I completely agree with you. To be blunt, I think part of the problem lies with the current leadership at the PSEB. While the past Managing Director, Yusuf Husain was a savvy, forward looking guy, the guy that succeeded him is a clueless bureaucrat. I don’t think Talib Baloch, the new chap, understands branding issues or even what to do about them. Yusuf had built a decent team around him, I don’t think smart people like working in the bureaucratic environment Talib is probably most comfortable in.

That leaves the private sector; we’ve got to promote Pakistan as an IT destination regardless of who sits at the helm of affairs at the PSEB. In that respect, PASHA (Pakistan Association of Software Houses), has done a pretty good job. They’ve made sure a large number of Pakistani companies were represented at APICTA (Asia Pacific ICT Awards) where several Pakistani companies walked away with prizes. That sort of exposure to the actual high quality work being done in the country goes a much longer way than some ill-thought out trade show presence.

As Pakistani entrepreneurs we’ve taken on the challenge of ensuring that the world hears about us and what we have to contribute. There are new Pakistani product companies emerging all the time – just recently we’ve covered a mobile software startup called Pepper.pk – who are exposing the world to our craftsmanship and capabilities. People that have used a product made in Pakistan on their iPhone and have liked it, will be far more likely to believe that Pakistan is a good source of talent. All these small things make a difference.

All of that said, however, it is still sad that we aren’t replacing the current MD of PSEB (Pakistan Software Export Board) with a more focused, marketing savvy, dynamic leader. I’ll keep writing about this and making noises about it until something changes.