Irish beef wooing British consumers
The recipe calendar is designed to be kept on kitchen work-tops throughout 2005.
The consumers responded to promotional labels on 3.9 million beef packs last October in the Tesco, Sainsbury, Safeway, Somerfield, Asda and Aldi shops.
In follow-up marketing research, more than 80% of consumers said they were prompted to buy Irish beef by the promotion in October. There was a very high level of satisfaction with the calendar, with 92% describing it as excellent, and 97% saying they would apply for it again later this year.
There was a high level of understanding among those surveyed of the Irish beef positioning around the “beautiful grass makes beautiful beef” image, with most respondents readily able to identify the naturalness, grass fed and taste quality of Irish beef.
As a result, Bord Bia plan to develop this promotional theme further in 2005, to build Irish Beef’s position among consumers in Britain.
Already, Irish beef exports to the UK have accounted for well over half the total Irish exports in the last four years.
In 2004, more than 260,000 tonnes of Irish beef is estimated to have been exported to the UK, 10,000 tonnes ahead of 2003 levels.
Ireland supplies almost 60% of the UK beef import requirement, and Bord Bia has continued to develop promotional activities to increase awareness and stimulate demand for Irish beef on the market. The beef is identified by the Irish beef logo, which Bord Bia has progressively introduced over the past five years.
