N.Z. DAIRY PRODUCE

Northern Advocate, 6 February 1934, Page 6

N.Z. DAIRY PRODUCE

INADEQUATELY ADVERTISED MORE PUBLICITY NEEDED APPROPRIATE STAND VITAL (Special to “Northern HAMILTON, This Day. The opinion that Now Zealand daiij produce is inadequately advertised in the United Kingdom is confirmed by Mr S. Tombs, theatrical manager, who recently returned from a visit to England. He said he visited all the principal cities, in which New Zealand produce was retailed, and one thing that struck him was the very . sparse advertising given to New Zealand products, with the exception of Canterbury lamb. The advertising compared very unfavourably with that of Australia, Canada and South Africa. These countries were making direct personal contracts with the buying public, which was the obviops way to create interest and a demand for their goods. “The retailers are only concerned in.selling what they are asked for, and, from what they receive a substantial profit,” said Mr Tombs. I think it is essential that New Zealand should extend her advertising campaign. By extensive advertising only can' our produce be firmly established on the English market,, Once this is done, I think the quality of our produce will keep it there.” ■ Mr Tombs said England was a. very conservative country, and her people were slow to replace a product thathad given them satisfaction.-That, he contended, was the reason for ■ the permanency of Danish butter in English homes. He was told,. by. ; good authority, that a great portion of butter sold as Danish butter was. really New Zealand butter which had- been bought by the Danes and; resold at a profit as Danish. He thought that it would be better for New Zealand to spend a little more money in advertising rather than give the Danes a. profitin selling New Zealand butter as their own. ■ ' '• The branding of the goods was-an-other matter that wa? commented upon by Mr Tombs, -lust as an article was branded “Made in England” : or < < Made in Japan, ” as the ease might be, so should our produce be? toanjled !“Made in New Zealand.”- The'present method of branding Empire products was far too wide and left- too gnuch scope for the dishonest Tombs said he understood that about 40,000,000 lbs of Soviet' butter was imported into England during last year, but he did not see any. on sale in retail shops in any of the big. cities. Mr Tombs said that, in his opinion, it should be pointed out to the British public that New Zealand does not raise any barriers against English goods, that New Zealand is England’s best customer per capita, and that they should buy our produce to enable ns to continue buying their goods. In the same way, the public of New Zealand should be told that the 'Dominion produce sold in Britain amounted annually to £34,000,000, while New Zealand bought only about £12,000,000 of. goods from England each year. New . Zealand was, howevei', buying three times, the amount of goods from Japan. Canada, Germany and the United States of America that it was buying from Britain.