CCI, the NCC’s export promotions arm, continued to elevate U.S. cotton in the global marketplace. That success was made possible through CCI’s adherence to a three-point plan that includes: 1) Supply Chain Development, 2) Brand and Retailer Promotion and Support, and 3) Developing Industry Partnerships.
With 15 offices covering more than 50 countries, CCI was bolstered by its receiving of $17,426,33 in Market Access Program funding from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) as well as an FAS allocation of $3,529,886 under the Foreign Market Development Program.
 The COTTON USA Orientation Tour’s participants represented a million bales of U.S. exports. |
CCI also continued to garner support from the following partners: the NCC; Cotton Incorporated; the American Cotton Shippers Association; the American Cotton Marketing Cooperatives; the Committee for Cotton Research; the National Cottonseed Products Association; ICE Futures U.S.; Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.; San Joaquin Valley Quality Cotton Growers Association; Southern Cotton Growers, Inc.; Supima; USDA; U.S. cotton yarn and textile manufacturers; and COTTON USA Mark licensees worldwide.
CCI’s highly successful demand-building activities in 2013 included multiple highlights:
The COTTON USA Orientation Tour’s participants represented a million bales of U.S. exports.
The COTTON USA Sourcing Fair in Panama facilitated 700 meetings between buyers and sellers.
The CCI Executive Delegation into Asia enabled face-to-face interaction with major textile industry customers in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Led by CCI President John Burch, the event featured an orientation tour for rising sourcing contacts to the United States.
The COTTON USA Conference in Dubai included nearly 1,000 meetings that resulted in increased U.S. cotton fabric and garment sales.
CCI’s Sourcing and Supply Chain Marketing programs were well received by U.S. cotton customers in Asia and were expanded there.
The CCI-hosted COTTON USA Chinese Yarn Buyers Tour in Jakarta to promote U.S. cotton-rich yarns produced by mills in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam led to numerous requests for the mills’ U.S. cotton yarn samples.
U.S. cotton also was promoted at major global trade shows such as Texworld/PV, Heimtex and Colombiatex. CCI's sponsorship of Expotextil, the second largest textile show in Peru, gave COTTON USA a direct line to communicate COTTON USA’s benefits to 22,000 attendees from Peru’s textile and apparel sector.
 The COTTON USA Sourcing Fair in Panama facilitated 700 meetings between buyers and sellers. |
The U.S. mill tour to China and Hong Kong saw U.S. cotton yarn exports to China increase by 192 percent. The Special Trade Mission from China enabled major U.S. cotton customers -- mills representing 990,000 bales of U.S. cotton – to see U.S. cotton industry operations.
The “Naturally Live Your Life Campaign” created large exposure of COTTON USA through different media platforms.
In Europe, CCI’s presence was evident in the Hattric Dancing Jeans promotion in Germany that resulted in 81,600 COTTON USA Mark-labeled men’s cotton trousers sold. The London Fashion Week public relations campaign in the United Kingdom generated a total consumer impact of 325 million people.
In northeast Asia, the Cotton Days promotion created 189.2 billion consumer impressions in Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. The “I Love Cotton” Promotion in Korea saw a year-on-year sales increase of 12 percent for Korean licensees. The FanFan Concert in Taiwan generated 16.6 million consumer impressions. Originally, Cotton Day was an opportunity to honor the United States’ best customers but it also has become a platform to inspire consumer demand.
In Southeast Asia, the COTTON USA Promotion with Cotton Doll compiled an earned advertising value of 48.5 times CCI’s investment.
In south Asia, the “Let’s Design” campaign produced estimated visibility among 859 million people in India while the COTTONSCAPE promotion reached 173.3 million people across that country.
In the Western Hemisphere, the COTTON USA and Girbaud Collection Launch counted more than 2,800 garments labeled with the COTTON USA Mark.
Looking ahead, CCI will enter its 60th year by taking advantage of ongoing partnerships with Cotton Incorporated, like the Global Lifestyle Monitor, and continue to look at increased cooperation as it reaches out to its brand and retail accounts. The two organizations also will continue to partner in furthering the COTTON LEADs program that was initiated to demonstrate to brands and retailers the responsibility and commitment of U.S. cotton producers.
CCI also is anticipating another successful Sourcing Summit after the 2012 event brought together 345 business leaders from the U.S. cotton fiber exporting community as well as senior textile mill executives from 22 countries. The 8th biennial event will be held in Phoenix in late 2014.