Soil Association calls for common approach to marketing organics
The Soil Association is calling for shops and producers to support a common marketing approach for organic food to make its benefits clearer to consumers.
Organic sales have recently returned to strong growth after a slump following the 2008 downturn, when supermarkets stripped premium products from their shelves and focused on bargain basement lines.
The renewed popularity of organics is thanks in part to a new generation of consumers who are more concerned about what they eat and how food production impacts on the environment.
Organic sales through independents rose 7.5% last year – 2.5% higher than the rate of growth across the UK as a whole .
But after years of claims and counterclaims about the benefits of organics over conventional foods, the Soil Association believes shops and suppliers should focus on a few clear messages and a common image.
For this year’s Organic September promotion, it is focusing on “five key reasons” to choose organic: it’s better for the planet, it contains ‘more of the good stuff in nutritional terms, it avoids pesticides, it protects wildlife and it promotes higher standards of animal welfare.
Trade development manager Lee Holdstock told FFD: “It’s been a problem in the past that virtually every organic brand and every retailer has a different communications strategy.
“We’d like to see as many brands as possible using a common look and feel to achieve some consistency.”
The Soil Association has produced a range of point-of-sale material and marketing advice , available free to independent stores via its website, as well as specific PoS to support Organic September.
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