Australian Made kangaroo raises profile

Established in 1986 by the Australian government and delivered under a formal agreement by the not-for-profit Australian Made Campaign, the iconic "Australian Made, Australian Grown" kangaroo logo has helped shoppers buy genuine Australian products for nearly 30 years.

"The Australian Made logo remains the most effective symbol for Australian products today," said Ian Harrison, chief executive of the organization. "It clearly identifies products and produce that are genuinely from Australia."

With the support of the Australian government and chambers of commerce, Harrison and his team worked on the promotion and certification of products carrying the iconic logo in the world's markets.

One of their latest initiatives was to partner with two Chinese companies to open "Australian Made" branded stores in China. "There are already nine of them operating or about to open in the major Chinese cities," said Harrison. "Started in 2010, this move highlights the presence of the Australian Made logo in the Chinese retail sector and supports the online sale of products carrying the logo."

He predicted that the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement would be important for Australia because it will reduce entry barriers for Australian products into China. "For Australian producers, it will provide better access to China's huge market, in which Australian products are loved by a new wealthy middle class with high-quality standards," he said.

The kangaroo logo's registration as a certificated trademark in China has been another key achievement for the organization in recent years as it assures the authenticity of the symbol and prevents its misuse.

Australian Made's future goals include further expansion of the logo as a certification trademark in Asian countries and to grow its strategic partnerships in China to further raise the profile of Australian products in this key market.

(China Daily 11/17/2015 page18)