Dairy industry professionals must recognise the need for cohesive communications on key issues facing the industry, according to a recent presentation given to The Chartered Institute of Marketing’s (CIM) Food Drink and Agriculture (FDA) Group.
Amanda Ball, head of marketing and communications at DairyCo, emphasises the importance to dairy marketers of strategic and consistent messaging to help shape consumer perceptions of the industry.
Ethical issues in food production have, and will continue to, influence the food and drink sector, affecting consumer purchasing behaviour. However, marketers in the dairy sector are now facing a new challenge in educating consumers about the diversity of farming systems including so-called ‘super dairies’. Recent DairyCo research revealed that although there is a generally positive public view of dairy farming in Britain, people are not well-informed about such current issues as ‘super farms’. Ball notes that industry messaging, based on clear knowledge-based strategy, must be communicated to positively and emotionally engage consumers on these hot industry topics.

Ball comments: “Consistent, easy to understand messaging from the industry as a whole ensures that consumers are given factual, accurate information on where their food comes from and how it is produced. There is widespread debate in the industry, media and amongst NGOs about ‘super farms’, but as marketers we must make sure that this is informed debate on both sides. We have a duty to communicate to the public that animal welfare is as important to the industry as to consumers, and demonstrate that we as an industry are engaged with consumer opinion.

“In doing so, marketers can better educate the wider public on the services we provide, and the fundamental part dairy farming plays in British life.”