THE "SWEET" BRAND OF AZERBAIJAN - "SIRIN"

The government of Azerbaijan has proclaimed the diversification of the economy as its priority. If in the past the country's economic indicators rose mainly due to the oil and gas industry, in 2011 the non-oil sector grew almost in direct proportion to the decline in oil production.

Among other areas of the non-oil sector, the confectionery industry has also seen noticeable development in recent years. A good example is the work of Sirin, a company that made significant progress in a short period of time. Today, the company not only produces high quality products to meet the needs of domestic consumers, but also represents Azerbaijan on the foreign market.

To get acquainted with the activities of the company, we visited the factory and talked to the founder of the Sirin brand, Tahir Aliyev.

- Tahir muallim, first I would like to ask you to provide general information about the activities of the Sirin factory, whose products became the leading brand in Azerbaijan in less than 6 years...

- The Sirin Limited Liability Company was established in June 2006 and manufactures high quality confectionery products in Azerbaijan. Since the very first day, our mission has been to produce high quality products and offer them on local and foreign markets. The production process at the factory is based on the most modern European equipment. German and Italian equipment allows us to make products that meet the highest standards. The key to quality is also the use of cocoa beans and spices of the world's leading companies in our factory. Our product range consists of chocolate, candy boxes and caramel. The manufacturing process is fully automated. The decision about how much raw material should be added to a product is taken by a computer without human intervention.

This equipment, which has various technologies, can produce various kinds of chocolates, including fondant and enrobed chocolate.

In addition, we produce milk caramel which is in high demand. In the past two years, the number of our products also includes candy caramel and chocolate with fondant filling. One of the most significant events in the history of the factory was the start of the production of dragee. Modern equipment, high-quality ingredients and proper storage make it possible to manufacture products that meet the most refined taste. Currently, LLC Sirin has four workshops, and the factory employs 150 people. Another important point is that the recipes of our products are developed by German experts. After that, they are tested in the laboratory and only after the approval of experienced professionals, they are mass produced. Sometimes 60 recipes are prepared to get the desired taste.

It should also be noted that our products do not contain alcohol or pork fat. All products meet government standards and scientific-technical requirements, and have a certificate of conformity and a hygiene certificate.

- Behind the success of each company is professional marketing and a correct sales strategy. What kind of work has your company carried out in these areas?

- We work with more than nine thousand commercial points in all regions of Azerbaijan. Our team includes more than 80 sales representatives, through which we deliver our products to customers in every region, including in Naxcivan. Sometimes we even delay orders from foreign partners to meet domestic demand.

I would also like to note the importance of the export orientation of any manufacturer. Today, 46 per cent of Sirin products are exported. We are known as an Azerbaijani brand in the US, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. A number of companies in Russia and Ukraine also have a great interest in Sirin products. Calls and emails coming into the company show that the customer is pleased with the quality of our product, and it is very pleasing. Sometimes there are even people who do not believe that it is an Azerbaijani product until they read the wrapper.

In general, whatever you produce, it is first of all necessary to study the demand on the market. Proper marketing is crucial to building a successful business. The appearance of products and customer tastes are also of great importance. Therefore, despite the fact that we work in three shifts, we cannot fully meet the demand. Our products do not stay in the warehouses. It would be different if we made, for example, peanut butter. If we consider the market for peanut butter, we can say that the demand for this product in Azerbaijan is not great. Market surveys show that in our country, investment in the manufacture of this product does not justify itself. While in neighbouring Turkey it is the other way round - the demand for peanut butter is high enough. There, this product is part of the daily diet of the consumer.

I would like to draw your attention to another interesting point. Entering the Russian market, the world-famous company Nestle tried to offer the consumer ice cream with a European flavour. But despite the popularity of Nestle, sales were not high. The company then conducted a new study and found that it's not the brand, but the taste that does not meet the requirements of local consumers. They immediately decided to manufacture a new product and thus became one of the leaders on the Russian market.

I should also note that Shirin is a subsidiary group of the Koroglu group of companies. Currently, the Koroglu group of companies sells products of 26 foreign companies on the Azerbaijani market, and its rich experience in marketing helped us a lot.

- And finally, we would like to know about the company's plans for the future...

- The plans for the near future include the organization of high-quality production of types of products that are not available in Azerbaijan, but are in high demand in Russia and Ukraine. We intend to implement this project by the end of 2012. By the end of the next year, we plan to expand our scope of activity and cover other areas of the food sector.