Members of the Indigenous Cooperative Red Puna and students from the MSc Entrepreneurship course at Henley Business School worked together to develop internationalization strategies for selling llama wool products.
The first day, Dr Claudia Murray provided a brief presentation of Red Puna’s organisational structure and contextual challenges. This was an opportunity for students to ask further question and to know more about the cooperative and their llama wool craft.
During the second day, students and representatives of Red Puna worked together over a video call. Red Puna presented their aims and current strategies for internationalisation whilst students asked more questions about their business and operation.
Under the supervision of Associate Professor Keith Heron, the students then worked in groups on different alternatives for internationalisation including business to final consumer, business to business. They conducted a market analysis, identifying potential international markets and consumer segments.
The final day of the workshops was also an online activity where students presented the different options to Red Puna representatives. This was followed by a discussion on challenges and opportunities in international trade for artisanal products.
An important aspects was the focus on branding, digital marketing, and e-commerce platforms. Students develop a list of crucial international certification aimed at promoting greater equity in trade. This is aligned with Red Puna’s high credentials in gender equality and their struggle to secure the rights of marginalized producers and workers in the region.
The workshop concluded with a clear roadmap for the cooperative to begin international sales, leveraging the innovative ideas and practical strategies developed during the sessions.