ICSC: International branding and marketing lessons for Bulgarian Retail (BG)

International marketing expert Clive Woodger of SCG London will speak at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Bulgarian Retail Real Estate Conference on May 10, 2011, in Sofia, alongside representatives from Debenhams and BHS – the first time these international retailers have spoken in Bulgaria.

Woodger works with retail developers and asset managers across the world creating and sustaining first choice destination brands. International marketers, Julia Langkraehr of Retail Profile Europe, Byron Lewis of Lewis Commercialisation and Dr Filipa Fernandez of SES Spar European Shopping Centers will also speak at the conference.

Developers and retailers across Bulgaria say they are in urgent need for marketing education and investment to give their shopping centers a boost in a difficult market.

ICSC is the global trade association of the shopping center industry with more than 60,000 members. ICSC supports members in their own countries, providing networking and business opportunities as well as unique access to retail organisations and intelligence from across the world.

Other topics to be covered during the conference include: Shopping centers as a social destination and how to attract retailers into new markets.

Woodger says: "A center's identity and profile needs to be consistently developed and communicated to create a distinctive competitive advantage across its' PR and marketing activities. Center management must have a clear vision and set of values that guide their everyday actions as well as their long term strategic initiatives."

The conference will include case studies of successful marketing and commercialization campaigns and consider the benefits and threats of fast-growing social media.

The ICSC Bulgarian Retail Real Estate Conference brings together local and international shopping center professionals and focuses on the Bulgarian market whilst taking into account lessons learnt elsewhere in the industry. For more information, contact Susan Richards at srichards@icsc.org.

Source: Nicky Godding

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