5 minute read
DAIRY MATTERS
DAIRYMatters
Dairy farmer Andy Venables farms in partnership with his family, milking 330 cows in Cheshire, selling milk on a Co-op contract. He is also managing director of Hillsgreen, a marketing agency dedicated to agriculture with many high-profile clients, including NFU and Cereals.
We are well aware of the e ects the current nancial situation is having on our dairy farming businesses and, therefore, the impact it is having on our buying decisions.
In ation in food prices is now hi ing consumer pockets and with the crisis in Ukraine starting to make our Government realise the bene ts of domestic food production, we as an agricultural industry have an opportunity to connect be er with consumers and in uence their buying decisions.
In recent years, we have been doing more to tell our story and get closer to the consumer with initiatives such as Open Farm Sunday growing in popularity and farmers-turned-YouTubers, such as Tom Pemberton, gaining large audiences online. However, collectively, there is so much more to do.
Alternative and plant-based food and drink brands are be er at this than us and it contributes to the category’s ever-increasing popularity.
We can’t just assume that British consumers understand the nutritional bene ts of buying dairy and the bene ts of a lower carbon footprint through buying British; we need to tell them.
ere are many misconceptions around farming too, such as those around its environmental impact, that we must educate the wider world on. If we don’t, it’ll damage the industry’s reputation.
All of this is why it’s so important that we start to share more about what we do. Not only will it educate people, but it will encourage more people into the sector, helping diversify our workforce and it can open up another revenue stream for farmers.
If you’re connecting with consumers, you can also sell to them. Selling direct for some farmers could help to provide the additional revenue stream needed to plug the gap due to the reduction in Basic Payments.
A cultural shi in how consumers shop can be used massively to our advantage. People now want to ‘shop small’ and endeavour to support local and independent businesses.
Vital
Farms should be a vital retailer in local communities. People can buy fresh as well as supporting hyper-local economic growth. Not travelling as far to shops will also result in less CO2 emissions from vehicles as we shorten the supply chain. e demands of consumers when it comes to online grocery shopping are high too. ey want choice, good quality, good price and good customer service. Whether they’re buying from Amazon, Uber Eats, Tesco or their local milkman or veg box supplier, the expectations are the same, but local, friendly, face-to-face contact is always going to rank more highly when it comes to customer service. While the variety, quality and price of products can be in your full control.
Back in 2019, I looked to utilise online channels and launched the ‘Mission 4 Milk’ campaign, which aimed to dispel the myth of ‘full fat milk’ and raise awareness of the health bene ts of milk. is campaign started on social media and soon gained traction o ine too, with many farmers pu ing up roadside banners. is was a small self-funded campaign, but it showed the opportunity to raise awareness with the consumer. So, while the bene ts of connecting with the consumer are clear, how to go about doing it can be overwhelming.
We can’t just assume that British consumers understand the nutritional benefits of buying dairy, says Andy Venables.
Whether you are looking to build your own brand and sell direct to consumers, wanting to promote agriculture via social media, or wanting to execute a national campaign which promotes your industry, it can be daunting. ese are the reasons why we have launched Mission.AG for farmers. Mission.AG will o er free marketing education resources developed speci cally for agriculture.
We need to upskill our sector in digital marketing, then the concept of connecting with consumers via digital channels will not be as intimidating. ere are many ways to e ciently and cost-e ectively build a relationship with consumers, particularly by utilising digital methods.
We are building a positive community of likeminded farmers with a forum where you can share marketing best practice, ideas, industry knowledge and experience, as well as ask questions and learn from others.
Over time, we then see the opportunity to work with our community to launch national consumer marketing campaigns.
If you need inspiration or are questioning the importance of direct-to-consumer relations, then think about industries such as insurance, travel, fashion and ultimately, a lot of non-fast moving consumer goods retail. ey utilise technology and digital platforms very well. For some of these, consumer sales are only a small part of their business, such as insurers or banks, which sell their product through brokers.
Consumer-facing
However, they have still built a consumer-facing brand and engage with consumers because it builds brand recognition and trust, which means we are more likely to buy from them, even if it is indirectly. is is our industry and we have a real opportunity to make a di erence to our future, but I strongly believe the biggest di erence will come if the consumer is be er informed and makes buying decisions based on the bene ts to the British farmer. rFor more information, visit mission.ag
Decades of experience providing Dairy Cattle Finance to UK Agricultural businesses
01904 405299
salesdesk@peregrinefinance.co.uk www.peregrinefinance.co.uk
