Proud to be “made in Portugal”

A big “P” in red and green, Portugal’s national colours, and the slogan Compro o que é nosso, meaning “I buy home-grown” are the two major striking points of a campaign being carried out by the AEP-CCI, the Association of Portuguese Enterprises-CCI. The campaign aims at encouraging consumers, entrepreneurs and workers to buy locally produced Portuguese goods, “without any protectionist motives”, promises the Vice-President of the AEP, Paulo Nunes de Almeida. Since its launch in 2007, at least 415 companies have joined the project, a figure that is increasing daily. Averaging an annual fixed membership fee that varies according to turnover (between 500 and 1,500 euros), members have the right to use the slogan and the “P” logo on their products, and benefit from marketing events carried out by the AEP-CCI. Radio and television stations, newspapers, Internet sites, outdoor signs and buses widely proclaim “the socio-economic importance of buying products and brands that generate added value for Portugal.” The doors, shopping trolleys and even floors of member supermarkets boast of products “made in Portugal”. In all, the AEP-CCI has invested 2.7 million euros since the start of the campaign.
According to Paulo Nunes de Almeida, the best barometer is the renewal of the annual membership fees paid by companies, showing that “members consider the process is paying off”. Two studies also give off positive signals: most people surveyed said that they are now “pay more attention to buying national products” and acknowledge that they have begun to “purchase products with the ‘P’,” says the Vice-President. When the campaign was launched, “the Portuguese swore only by national products”, buying domestic was looked down on. Today, many Portuguese know at least someone who has lost work due to relocation. The AEP Vice-President is not unaware that in some circumstances, competition is impossible. “Between a Portuguese T-shirt at 50 euros and a Chinese one at 5 euros”, the choice is clear for families with the lowest incomes.
But the goal is not to compete with the lowest prices. The project aims at placing emphasis on “brands and symbols that hitch up Portugal’s image and boost Portuguese self-esteem”. This objective has won over the government, investing 1.2 million euros into the campaign in 2009.