PUSHING NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 51, 1 March 1930, Page 8

PUSHING NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Are New Zealand products being pushed to the limit in our Home market? Until they are we will always have a serious unemployment problem in this country. The reason I ask is because I carefully studied some Home papers recently received, and failed to see an advertisement either by the New Zealand Publicity Department or by local retailers of New Zealand produce. One firm waij pushing its Danish butter. I am taking tire matter up with that paper next mail. To make the best of our Home markets our produce must be continuously advertised, not only in the papers with, the great circulations, but in the smaller country journals. The readers of these latter are probably the more patriotic.

Another point is: Are our advertising methods as efficient as they might be? "Buy New Zealand produce and New Zealanders will buy your produce" or "New Zealand is your best customer," etc., might apparently be considered the gist of first-class advertising. But it isn't. As an independent advertising man I know the personal appeal is always the most effective. Here's an idea in the rough I'd put over: "There, are —. thousands of Devonians (Northumbrians, Durhamians, Yorkshire, or other county people) in New Zealand. Keep them employed by buying New Zealand produce and they'll help to keep you employed by buying your produce. ■ Refuse foreign substitutes. Insist on the produce of your own people in New Zealand. Make sure you have only New Zealand butter, cheese,' etc., on your table."

Make a distinct appeal to each county. If possible, supply the amount of products from each comity imported, into New Zealand according to the latest statistics available. If every New Zealand resident born in Great Britain in every letter home added something like "Be sure you buy New Zealaud butter, etc., and you'll help me," we'd also begin to get better results. :

Are Newcastle-ou-Tyne and Hull ports of entry for New Zealand produce? If not, why not? They are the chief ports of entry for competing products. If we can kill the trade of our competitoi's in their ports of entry we need not fear them in other parts of Great1 Britain. I give these ideas for what they are worth. —I am, etc.,