AWI initiates 'To Russia with Wool' campaign (Australia)

Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) has initiated 'To Russia with Wool' campaign in order to establish a significant market for warm clothing in the world's coldest populated country.

 

Mr. Jimmy Jackson, AWI’s general manager for product development and commercialisation, said the company is exploring new marketing prospects globally to boost demand for woollen garments.

 

He revealed that Russia fits the bill as the next best marketing option because of the considerable population of over 140 million people, steady economic growth and the dire requirement for woollens, owing to cold climatic conditions.

 

Russia endured extreme cold temperatures approaching -35°C for a period of around six weeks last winter. Thus, woollen clothes are a necessity and the demand for wool is ever increasing in that country, Mr. Jackson said.

 

The AWI Manager mentioned that the traditional wool consuming countries like the United States and Europe are going through an extended economic meltdown and in the current economic scenario, Russia is the only country which is expected to have a budget surplus in 2012-13.

 

During 1980s, Communist Russia, being the largest importer of Australian wool, used to import around 160 million kilograms of wool. But now, Russia has a free-market economy, which focuses highly on good quality apparels for a style conscious society.