Through the USAID Competitiveness Enhancement and Enterprise Development II program, Chemonics worked with 12 Moldovan fashion companies to launch the inaugural promotional campaign titled Din inima branduri de Moldova or “From our heart – Moldovan brands.” The campaign helped the companies unite their efforts and leverage shared marketing resources to promote their products. The message of the campaign appealed to Moldovan consumers and built awareness that domestic brands could compete on quality and price with international imports.
Following this initial success, 10 more companies joined the next campaign, which eventually became a biannual activity with fall and spring collections. Each season’s campaign is launched with a fashion show organized in partnership with USAID, the International Women’s Club, and the Moldovan Fashion Producers Association. As of September 2014, more than 40 local brands have participated in the campaign and presented their collections at the fashion show.
“This unprecedented promotional campaign has changed drastically our consumers’ perception and made them feel proud of wearing Moldovan brands. Thanks to the Din inima campaign, Ionel’s sales on the domestic market increased by more than 26 percent in 2013 compared to 2012,” said Luchian.
The success of the Din inima campaigns spurred the idea to open a retail store where local companies could promote and sell their goods in a single location. With support from USAID, Chemonics, and private investment, the first Din inima store opened in December 2012 with 13 fashion companies on board. Building on this success, the project helped develop a partnership with another local investor, which brought in an additional 30 clothing companies. This partnership resulted in three more Din inima stores opening in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.
