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With the Manufacturing sector taking a hit following Hurricane Melissa, Jamaican producers need to be able to innovate to compete both globally and internationally. Manager of the Jamaica Business Development Corporation’s (JBDC) Marketing Services Unit, Janine Fletcher-Taylor, says the agency has observed a growing trend of producers entering markets with products that closely resemble existing offerings. In a post-Melissa economy, she says, this doesn’t work as it limits their ability to stand out and scale.

According to the JBDC, competitive advantage, the factor that makes a product or service distinct and valuable to consumers is critical to business survival, particularly in increasingly saturated markets. Fletcher-Taylor noted that competitive advantage does not necessarily require an entirely new product but rather a clear value proposition that competitors cannot easily replicate.

“The ease of replication or surpassing what you have created is the key. The more you distance yourself from competitors with a unique value or offer, the stronger the competitive advantage,” she said.

Businesses can achieve differentiation through product innovation, improved customer experience, packaging solutions, specialised ingredients, or value-added services.

“We use the word disruption. Your product or service must disrupt the market in some way,” she added. “Often, innovation comes from listening to consumer feedback and solving problems competitors have ignored.”

The edge game

She points to intellectual property as one layer of protection. A product such as ‘Guess Wah’, for example, carries built-in copyright elements. “Because of the intellectual property built into designing a game, it has a lot of innovation in there. Even though it is modelling the nature of another game, ‘Jamaicanising’ it and using elements that are unique, it’s not going to be easy for somebody to copy that because they would perhaps, in trying to copy it, infringe on the intellectual property.”

Art, she adds, functions similarly. A one-of-a-kind creative piece is inherently difficult to replicate. “Once you are limiting the ability for somebody else to replicate or copy, that is where you know you’ll have a competitive advantage.”

Innovation beyond traditional recipes

The JBDC emphasises that many locally produced goods rely heavily on traditional recipes, which can make products easy to duplicate. “If that’s the basis of your product, then it’s easy to replicate,” Fletcher-Taylor noted. “Competitive advantage comes when you introduce elements that are difficult to copy, whether through science, technique, sourcing, or intellectual property.”

She highlighted research, science-based formulation, and improved production methods as important pathways to innovation, particularly as global markets increasingly demand specialised and health-conscious products.

“Even digital innovation is rooted in science. The chemistry, the biology, and engineering. The degree of difficulty in creating a product also creates separation from competitors,” she said. While Jamaican identity remains a strong marketing asset, the JBDC cautions entrepreneurs against relying solely on national branding. The agency stresses that brand reputation must be supported by consistency, quality assurance and customer trust.

“To say a product is Jamaican may attract attention, but it is not enough on its own,” Fletcher-Taylor explained. “Ultimately, consumers are seeking value for money and will switch if another product better meets their needs. “We challenge entrepreneurs to determine what truly positions their product differently from what already exists.”

The JBDC further noted that competitive advantage is a moving target and must be continuously reinforced through innovation and market responsiveness. “If a product performs well, competitors will study it and attempt to improve on it,” Fletcher-Taylor said. “Innovation must therefore be built into business processes from the beginning.”

Training for competitive advantage

Through its advisory services, the JBDC works with entrepreneurs to assess product competitiveness, improve packaging and manufacturing processes, extend shelf life, and develop scalable business models capable of entering regional and international markets. Export is a key national development pillar outlined by the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce and therefore forms a significant aspect of the agency’s programmes.

The JBDC says its training programmes are implemented to guide micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) toward sustainable and globally competitive operations. Keera Walters, Assistant Manager of Business Advisory Services at the JBDC, emphasises that competitive edge is not an afterthought, “Competitive advantage is what is created when strategic planning is done successfully. Every business enters the market place with one primary goal, sustainable profitability. And no matter the size of its resources, there is a limit to what those resources can do.”

She encourages leveraging the company’s resources to strategically form the competitive advantage, “Strategic planning looks at these resources: physical assets, human talent and skills, money, relationships and these are what are leveraged to create competitive advantage. Each business uses the same resources but success hinges on how a business organises and leverages these resources to take advantage of opportunities in the market and to insulate itself from potential threats to its viability.”

Walters continues, “This is the value of strategic planning and management. This continuous process of monitoring and assessment of the business’s internal and external landscape and then designing and implementing informed plans in response to the findings is what over time, creates valuable learning and knowledge that can form that sought-after competitive advantage.”

Competitive Advantage is among the key areas of focus in the JBDC’s ‘Launching Your Business’ workshop, which is designed for potential entrepreneurs. The aim is to educate participants before they launch their ventures.

Entrepreneurs are encouraged to move beyond imitation and focus on innovation, research and customer-driven product development to strengthen Jamaica’s manufacturing sector and global competitiveness.