The Role of Marketing Strategy for Knit Bag SMEs Businesses Success in the Case of Audy Handmade

Abstract

Micro, Small, and Medium Enteprises (MSMEs) were known for their contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and work labor absorption. However, they often face a lack of strategic planning, limited funding, and strategy to meet market demands. This can be caused by a lack of marketing strategy formulation. This study aims to provide a descriptive overview of community service from university to empower MSMEs in marketing strategy analysis by conducting an international seminar. This study uses the Participatory Action Research (PAR) method in empowering Audy Handmade. This MSMSe focuses on knit bag production. This study consists of three main activities which initiated by preliminary visit to gain insight into existing problems. The international seminar was also conducted as the next activity to solve their problem. This seminar aims to become a sharing session between the MSMEs and marketing experts to share their conditions and provide feedback from experts to MSMEs. Lastly, there is an evaluation stage to ensure the main goals of the event were achieved. The workshop results in two points that need to be a concern for Audy Handmade. First, they need to produce a bag that can be of unique value for them such as adding some unique element or their logo on the bag. Besides that, they need to reorganize their marketing strategy. They need to focus on some specific marketing segment to help them take a position in the market. A strong brand identity, effective marketing strategies, and attractive product packaging were believed to help improve their products' visibility, competitiveness, and sales in the market. Therefore, Audy Handmade needs to strengthen its brand image, especially its product uniqueness, and its position in certain market segments. This needs to be taken into consideration as a means of strengthening their position in the knit bag industry.