Proud to be Irish

Research shows protecting Irish jobs is a priority for the vast majority of Irish consumers. Subsequently it has never been more important for genuine Irish brands to fly the flag for Eire.

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Brand Central

With Ireland’s unemployment register burgeoning in recent times, research has shown consumers feel strongly about supporting Irish goods. Empathy research conducted on behalf of the Love Irish Food campaign, found 86% of consumers agree or strongly agree that buying Irish products will help the Irish economy recover by protecting Irish jobs.
Likewise, Behaviours and Attitudes research for 2010, reported over 42% of shoppers said they planned to buy more Guaranteed Irish goods over the next year. Showing the strength of consumer feeling on this issue, retailers have also been keen to publicise their Irish credentials. The Musgrave Group claims 75% of all products purchased on behalf of all its retail partners in 2009, were either produced or manufactured in Ireland. This represents a commitment of more than €2.6 billion to Irish suppliers.

Fresh from the farm

Country Crest recently launched its range of ‘From the Farm’ prepared meals and vegetable meal accompaniments.  The prepared meals range includes an authentic Beef lasagne, Cottage Pie with cheese & chive crust and a Shepherds Pie with generous helping of vegetables providing a complete meal solution. All the ingredients used are Irish using only quality Irish beef and lamb, potatoes and vegetables when in season.
The meal accompaniments include a range of baby potatoes in garlic butter, sundried tomato, or honey and mustard. Also available in the From the Farm range are filled baked potatoes with mature cheddar cheese or cream cheese & chives – ideal for lunch or dinner.  The ‘From the Farm’ range of products are now available in Superquinn, Dunnes and Tesco and other independent stores across the country.

Sticking to Irish roots

The all-purpose instant adhesive is immediately recognisable and consumers often ask for it by name.
Loctite should be part of every household’s emergency repair kit for those inevitable breakages and small repair jobs. Loctite is made in Henkel’s world-class factory in Tallaght, and comes in a variety of formats – bottle, tube, liquid or gel.
Ideal for impulse purchases around the till or on clip strips, Loctite is one of several number one brands in the Henkel range, a position which has been reinforced by massive TV support over the years

Cooking up wonders

Homecook Wonderbar Cooking Chocolate is a firm favourite in households throughout the country. Homecook Wonderbar has recently undergone a makeover with contemporary new packaging and best ever chocolate recipe.  It versatility means  it can be used in a wide variety of recipes including chocolate chews, buns, cakes, toppings, mousses and it is the perfect decoration for all cakes, buns and treats. Homecook Wonderbar Cooking Chocolate, made in Ireland, comes in a variety of flavours to suit all tastes – dark, milk and white.  Available in 150g, 450g and a 1kg catering size. New to the range is Homecook Wonderbar Microwaveable Cooking chocolate which is available in a handy 250g microwaveable pouch, perfect for ‘no fuss, no mess’ baking.

Ireland’s pot of gold

Kerrygold is a pure Irish creamery butter, and is 100% natural. Kerrygold, a household name in Ireland, is made from the purest pasteurized cream, with no additives save a little salt for flavour.  Kerrygold is a brand that people know and trust. It is a name that stands for premium quality, for naturalness, and is a truly reliable Irish food.
What’s more, Kerrygold believes nothing compares to its superior taste, versatility in cooking, baking, glazing and dressing the very best of cuisine.

Fresh from the farm

Country Crest recently launched its range of ‘From the Farm’ prepared meals and vegetable meal accompaniments.  The prepared meals range includes an authentic Beef lasagne, Cottage Pie with cheese & chive crust and a Shepherds Pie with generous helping of vegetables providing a complete meal solution. All the ingredients used are Irish using only quality Irish beef and lamb, potatoes and vegetables when in season.
The meal accompaniments include a range of baby potatoes in garlic butter, sundried tomato, or honey and mustard. Also available in the From the Farm range are filled baked potatoes with mature cheddar cheese or cream cheese & chives – ideal for lunch or dinner.  The ‘From the Farm’ range of products are now available in Superquinn, Dunnes and Tesco and other independent stores across the country.

Sticking to Irish roots

The all-purpose instant adhesive is immediately recognisable and consumers often ask for it by name.
Loctite should be part of every household’s emergency repair kit for those inevitable breakages and small repair jobs. Loctite is made in Henkel’s world-class factory in Tallaght, and comes in a variety of formats – bottle, tube, liquid or gel.
Ideal for impulse purchases around the till or on clip strips, Loctite is one of several number one brands in the Henkel range, a position which has been reinforced by massive TV support over the years

Cooking up wonders

Homecook Wonderbar Cooking Chocolate is a firm favourite in households throughout the country. Homecook Wonderbar has recently undergone a makeover with contemporary new packaging and best ever chocolate recipe.  It versatility means  it can be used in a wide variety of recipes including chocolate chews, buns, cakes, toppings, mousses and it is the perfect decoration for all cakes, buns and treats. Homecook Wonderbar Cooking Chocolate, made in Ireland, comes in a variety of flavours to suit all tastes – dark, milk and white.  Available in 150g, 450g and a 1kg catering size. New to the range is Homecook Wonderbar Microwaveable Cooking chocolate which is available in a handy 250g microwaveable pouch, perfect for ‘no fuss, no mess’ baking.

Ireland’s pot of gold

Kerrygold is a pure Irish creamery butter, and is 100% natural. Kerrygold, a household name in Ireland, is made from the purest pasteurized cream, with no additives save a little salt for flavour.  Kerrygold is a brand that people know and trust. It is a name that stands for premium quality, for naturalness, and is a truly reliable Irish food.
What’s more, Kerrygold believes nothing compares to its superior taste, versatility in cooking, baking, glazing and dressing the very best of cuisine.
The brand is owned by the Irish Dairy Board, a commercial cooperative, responsible for the export and marketing of Irish dairy products abroad.  Today, Kerrygold has loyal consumers in over 50 countries around the world, stretching from the US, where it is the most popular imported butter, to Australia, South America, Asia and throughout Europe.  In Germany, the brand commands number one position.  Here in Ireland, Kerrygold holds a 42% market share.
Kerrygold TV advertising in Ireland has been iconic, with a high level of recall and affection amongst consumers. .

25 years of Killeening up

Ireland’s number one cleaning brand (AC Nielsen) is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010.  Continuing in the finest traditions of the last quarter century, Killeen continues to provide best-selling products in refuse, cloths, scourers, household gloves and laundry aids. The company’s manufacturing facility in Drogheda employs 55 people and is Europe’s largest producer of soap pads. Killeen advises retailers to look out for further innovative products from the brand which it hopes will cement its place as a provider of high quality, value for money products.
A staple in Irish homes for the past 25 years Killeen cleaning products are a genuine success story.

It’s my MiWadi

Miwadi is an iconic Irish brand and continues to go from strength to strength in the marketplace appealing to all age groups. From small beginnings in 1927, when it was filled by hand in Nassau Place (Dublin) and distributed by horse and cart, MiWadi has become one of Ireland’s best-loved brands and continues to be the largest squash brand in Ireland. It is still produced in Dublin to this day and around 16.5 million litres of MiWadi are consumed every year. Miwadi is a key brand in the Love Irish Food (LIF) campaign and research has shown that buying Irish is important to Miwadi consumers. The LIF logo will be on all Miwadi packs in the coming months.
MiWadi fruit squashes are all prepared from sun-ripened fruit and contain real fruit juice. They are sold in 1L and 2L bottles. MiWadi has been a fruity and flavoursome part of childhood in Ireland for over 90 years and has always remained relevant to Irish families with a wide range of flavours in both regular and no added sugar (NAS) formulations. No added sugar is the key driver of category growth in squash as consumers look to reduce the sugar intake for their children.
Miwadi Extra Fill Packs have been a key innovation for the category this year increasing frequency of purchase and weight of purchase for the brand and the category. Miwadi has successfully increased the amount of occasions where squash is consumed in the home through above and below the line campaigns.
Miwadi will launch a new campaign this summer that will continue to drive the squash category.

Ireland’s “owl” favourite

Odlums has been an integral part of Irish baking and cooking for generations and many consumers instantly recognise the brand’s distinctive cream packaging and famous Owl logo. As a core ingredient in baking, the brand’s Cream Plain Flour and Self Raising Flour are sure to be found in many kitchen cupboards throughout the country.
The innovative Odlums Quick Range, produced and packed in Portarlington, allows Irish consumers to bake the perfect breads, scones, cakes or brownies in three simple steps.
For more information, contact Odlums, Merrywell Industrial Estate, Ballymount, Dublin 12, telephone  +353 1 405 1500, or fax +353 1 460 1336.

A real gem

Gem Pack Foods, a member of Guaranteed Irish, currently employs 85 people and aims to be the most cost-efficient producer in the Irish food packaging business, with a strong emphasis on quality, product safety and service.
The company’s core activity was originally packaging and distributing dried fruits. Over the years, the group has steadily grown, adding additional food products such as rice, cereals, traditional desserts and a full range of sugar, salt and pepper sachets under the Gem and Gold Seal brands.

Gem Pack Foods’ 1kg sugar has recently been re-launched in new packaging featuring an on-pack competition where *10,000 can be won. This competition runs through until the end of July.
Although sugar is no longer produced here in Ireland, most households will have a packet of Gem Sugar because it is the only sugar packers in Ireland and as consumers we know the importance of buying Irish.

Irishness clearly sign-posted 

PostPoint is the market leader in e-transaction services in Ireland and has been trading for over ten years. PostPoint prides itself on the being the first company, not only in Ireland, but in Europe to generate a mobile top up voucher and the first to integrate onto electronic point of sale in Ireland.
PostPoint was founded in 1999 when it was awarded the mobile contract by Eircell to sell its mobile top up vouchers. The company was formed with just two staff and the launch of its first terminal on 22 August 2000. By the end of 2000 the company had 800 retailers on our board and the PostPoint brand was formally launched in 2002.

PostPoint now enjoys the support of over 3000 Irish retailers who employ its  technology and the company boasts a full customer support team to look after its every need from technology to marketing and new product development.  PostPoint looks forward to continuing to supply top level products, customer support and e-transaction solutions to all customers across the island of Ireland for many years to come.

Be part of Ireland

Ballygowan, Ireland’s original and number one water brand, is the only water brand involved in the Love Irish Food campaign and believes it has been central to the campaign.  The Love Irish Food logo will soon be seen on all packaging further emphasising the relationship.
As market leader Ballygowan is also working to continue to reinvent the bottled water market and make it more relevant in recessionary times. In February Ballygowan launched a groundbreaking campaign to raise much needed funds for breast cancer awareness. Supporting the Marie Keating Foundation and its campaign partner in Northern Ireland, Action Cancer, the Ballygowan ‘Be Part of It’ campaign aims to help save lives through early detection.
The first phase of the Ballygowan ‘Be Part of It’ campaign saw the launch of its Ballygowan Pink bottles. Ballygowan Pink contains the same still pure, Irish still water, which Ballygowan is known for, presented in a stylish pink bottle and is available in 500ml, 2L and 6×1.5L packs.  The glass 250ml and 750ml licensed trade bottles are also sporting the distinctive pink ribbon.  Every bottle sold will help raise funds for breast cancer awareness.
Ballygowan ‘Be Part of It’ will continue to be heavily supported throughout the summer with above-the line, below-the-line and instore promotions. Instore activation is key as consumers are actively looking to buy Pink so make sure it can be seen.
Ballygowan Pink will continue to be in the news across the year. For Easter the brand linked up with Munster Rugby to create a unique fundraising event for the Marie Keating Foundation around the Munster/ Leinster game.
Ballygowan Pink will also lead key activations around the Women’s Mini Marathon and have lots of other fundraising initiatives planned across the summer in the build up to Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. 

Q&A with…

 Tom Rea

director, Guaranteed Irish

How did Guaranteed Irish come about?
The Guaranteed Irish programme was established by the Irish Goods Council in 1975, in order to identify Irish products, help create Irish jobs and bolster the economy. Since then, it has become one of the most recognised brands in the country appearing on everything from bags of sugar to software packages.
In 1984 the European Court ruled against the operation of the scheme by a state funded agency. To continue with this valuable service to industry and the community, Guaranteed Irish Limited was formed as an independent non-profit company to maintain and develop the programme.

Do you think Irish consumers would buy a product just because of a Guaranteed Irish symbol?
Irish people will not buy a product over non-Irish competitors solely because it features a Guaranteed Irish symbol; the item must also be fit for purpose and priced competitively. In saying this, Guaranteed Irish members in every industry in every part of Ireland have found the symbol to be a positive influence on their bottom line.
As a marketing tool the Guaranteed Irish symbol is unique. Research shows that 69% of all adults (or two in every three people) recognise that buying products and services with the Guaranteed Irish symbol helps employment in Ireland.
In certain demographics this percentage is even more striking: 74% of ABCI consumers state that they are more likely to buy a product or service with the Guaranteed Irish symbol.

What are the criteria for participation in the Guaranteed Irish scheme?
Guaranteed Irish stated objective is thar where possible a product should have  a minimum of 50% added value or more at the point of manufacture or conversion.
How can the public get involved in the Guaranteed Irish scheme?
People are currently demanding more Irish products due to the downturn and are keen to protect and support Irish jobs. This is resulting in manufacturers requesting more information about Guaranteed Irish. Our message is supported by our new radio advertising, on air now. These factors combined mean the current demand for our symbol is stronger now than it has been for ten years.

Sharon Colgan
Sharon Colgan, programme director, Love Irish Food

Who is involved in the Love Irish Food campaign?
Love Irish Food is a not for profit organisation set up and run by member brands who are Irish brand owners.  The organisation is governed by a board of directors with representation from member brands. There are currently 73 members including some of Ireland’s most loved food and drinks brands such as Avonmore, Batchelors, Barry’s Tea, Goodfella’s, Flahavans, Tayto, Odlums, Cadbury Dairymilk, Club Orange.  There are too many to list here but they are all listed on our loveirishfood.ie website.

How did you become involved in this campaign?
Unfortunately back in February last year, I found myself a victim of the economic downturn when my role as a marketing manager was made redundant. At that time I was a member of Bord Bia’s steering committee for their brand forum which is made up of representatives from across the food and drink industry.
I had some time on my hands combined with a passion for trying to do something to ensure that more people in the industry don’t lose their jobs.  Hence, I got involved with an industry group through Bord Bia facilitated sessions where we met to discuss the issues facing the industry with the aim of developing a proactive, collaborative solution. I developed the idea of the Love Irish Food initiative as a response to that brief. It gained support from the initial industry group and it began to gain momentum as we widened out the idea to other brand owners.

What are the criteria for participation and how do brands qualify?
•    A brand qualifies to become a member of Love Irish Food if they manufacture in ROI (This verifies the brand is made in the ROI and has a direct link to providing employment in the ROI. A brand can only be classified as a Love Irish Food brand when at least 80% of the brands revenue is derived from the manufacturing process in ROI.)
•    They must use ingredients were possible from ROI.  In cases where Ireland simply does not grow the ingredients (tea leaves or cocoa beans), the member brand must be primarily derived from Irish manufacturing processes

How can the public get involved?.
Ultimately we are asking people to consider buying just one more Irish brand in their grocery shop, as this one more will make all the difference in terms of helping to create a sustainable environment for food and drink manufacturing in Ireland.
Research has illustrated that the campaign has resonated exceptionally well with Irish consumers. Research carried out by BMR in April, shows that Love Irish Food has prompted brand awareness of 80%, 71% recall of TV advertising and an 81% understanding of the Love Irish Food key messages.

Michael Hoey
managing director, Country Crest

How did the company originate?
The company is a family owned business, with four generations of farming on the same farm since 1904.  Country Crest was formed in 1984 when my brother Gabriel and I saw an opportunity to supply quality vegetables to the retail sector. Country Crest is now a  leading supplier of potatoes, Irish grown onions and spring onions.

How many people do you employ?
The company currently employs 160 people and can be broken down into three divisions.  Farming, potato and vegetable packing, and the chilled food facility.

What are the most important elements in producing high quality food? The source and quality of ingredients is key and for Country Crest this is essential; sourcing local and quality Irish ingredients when available.  However R&D and market analysis alongside a highly skilled technical/product development team – these are all necessary components in producing quality food.
We do not use preservatives in our products , we want our products to be wholesome and therefore use only quality ingredients and work within the FSAI guidelines.

What are your plans for growth in the next couple of years? We plan to continue to grow and work with our existing customers to drive sales in the multiple and symbol sectors in our domestic market, however we do hope to develop into new channels at home and further afield in the future.
 

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