OUR PRODUCE AT HOME.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17581, 10 December 1928, Page 9

OUR PRODUCE AT HOME.

PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN. EXCELLENT RESULTS SECURED. SOME DRAMATIC TESTIMONY. Three million pimple u week I'tlemlillK the hundreds of reshuiruuls o N o Vrnled Hrtmd Company and assm'iuU d companies throughout Ihe L»»d..n mul the Untied Kingdom, by a now I publicity scheme oulorc.l into by > Condon manager ot the New Zeal n Dairy Hoard for llm next. t* will he impressed with Mm ,nor ' , Now Zealand lmltor. The restaurants of the companies eon moil '"’c 'Mistaking forlhis period lo uso on > N ; w Zealand 1m1.1.0r and cheese. I ht.y '' Issue weekly 35.000 menus, each bearing a prominent luWcrlisement lor Dominion dairy produce. he will specify only New Zealand buUu and New Zealand Cheddar cheese, and, most important, every penny pal of butter sold to a customer w l he clearly stamped with the words Now Zealand.” , ~ Gratification was expressed at tho meeting of the Dairy Hoard on December G with the foregoing arrangement. The huge turnover of 3,000,000 a we k in ihe restaurants of Ihc companies concerned in the arrangement ion stituled a buying force of definite moment, and Ihe publicity value bung achieved by litis undertaking was ut inestimable importance. Definite Success Secured.

In the general discussion on Ihe advertising programme undertaken by tho hoard, it was pointed out, alter tho completion of the current, year s programme, over £55,000 would hove been spent in furthering the interests of New Zealand dairy produce over a three-year period. This has been at the rate of £20,000 a year for two years, and £15,000 a year for the third year. Reports concerning the campaigns that have been undertaken by the hoard in various areas in Britain show that, a definite success has been won. Many novel features have been introduced into the campaign. One of the most successful has been tho selling of twopenny samples of genuine New Zealand butter. Those have been enclosed in small cartons suitably printed. So succcss r ul indeed was this method of advertising when first introduced at various stalls taken at trade and other exhibitions that the policy is now being followed of taking shops in areas sought to be cultivated, and selling samples direct from such shops to the public. The propaganda work of the board in Great Britain is associated, wherever possible, with the activities of the High Commissioner of New Zealand and co-operation effected in exhibits in various outstanding shows. The policy is being pursued of developing different areas in succession, rather than diffusing general publicity over the whole of Hie United Kingdom. Close co-operation with tho wholesale and retail trade is effected at every point, and interlocking arrangements effected between newspaper posters and general publicity. Prejudice Dispersed. Definite testimony as to the value of the board’s advertising policy was rather dramatically given to the board at its last meeting by the chairman of the Morrinsville Co-operative Dairy Company, Mr J. E. Leeson, who lias just returned from an extensive tour to Great ’ Britain. Incidentally, Mr Lecson’s testimony included a frank avowal of a change of attitude on his part towards the hoard. “I will confess,” said Mr Leeson, “that I was prejudiced to a certain extent formerly and, as members know, keenly opposed to the board and its marketing organisation. As a result of my trip Home, however, I am convinced most decidedly that the hoard is serving a very useful purpose, and that it is necessary to have in London a representative organisation of the 500 dairy factories of New Zealand.” Mr Leeson proceeded lo pay a testimony to the ability of the board's manager, Mr H. E. Davis, after which lie endorsed the board’s activities in relation to advertising, and particularly the care with which the British campaign was being carried out and the good results secured. Nothing had been more evident to his mind than that they must spend money on advertising if they were to protect and develop llieir markets as they should. The Empire Marketing Board was doing a wonderful work in teaching the British public to think imperially, and full value of that favourable sentiment towards our produce should be secured by active propaganda in relation to our butter and cheese. If they wanted to create a better demand for New Zealand dairy produce they must not grudge the money. A member of the board: We will have .to raise the levy. Double the Levy.

Mr Leeson: Gentlemen, the directors of my company before I came here to-day passed a resolution expressing their willingness that the board should double the‘■"'present levy, provided the amount so raised was spent on advertising. (Voices: Hear, hear.) It was essential, Mr Leeson continued, that they must increase the demand. IS'ew’ Zealand was producing increasing quantities of dairy produce, and other countries were too. At Home ho had seen samples of Icelandic butter, and the market was also being exploited by European countries. If wo were lo hold our place against our competitors it was essential that (he hoard's hand should be slrenglhened and adequate publicity undertaken. So lar a's lie was concerned, he would like to see the board spend at least £70,000 annually on advertising butter and cheese, and in his opinion that sum should be supplemenlod by the Government, to the extent or £25,000. He quite realised that any such support given by Ihe Government to one primary industry would involve support to others; but if the Government were lo allocate £IOO,OOO to further Ihe individual efforts of Ihe various primary producers in expanding British markets If would be a good thing for the Dominion and the producers generally.

Mr Leeson, in a half-hour summary of Ills observations in Great Britain; further expressed appreciation of arrangements effected by Ihe board in relation lo Ihe compulsory storage of produce in cool store before distribution to the trade. This arrangement was very effective and would materially benefit the. reputation of New Zealand produce. All our produce had a very high reputation indeed. Possibly Hie most complimentary thing said about It was by one large retailer; "We buy New Zealand butter because 11 never lets us down. If we buy other buffers we get poor results and cannot satisfy our customers. Therefore we buy New Zealand butter be,cause j|, never lets us down. “That,” concluded Mr Leeson, “should form a good slogan for Dominion produce."