Dairy aims to entice younger consumers
LACTOSE-FREE milk and a marketing campaign could help entice islanders back to Guernsey milk, Guernsey Dairy general manager Andrew Tabel has said.
Liquid milk sales have been dropping, which is partially due to changing habits, as some people turn to plant-based milk instead.
Now PR company Orchard have been contracted to market local milk following a formal tender process.
‘The project will focus on mitigating the loss of milk sales,’ Mr Tabel said.
‘We want to promote the benefits of local milk. We want to use positive messaging to ignite people’s enthusiasm to continue to purchase milk or switch back to dairy milk.’
The project will not contain a redesign, so the tartan pattern introduced less then a decade ago will be staying. But Mr Tabel said they would look to advertise on the cartons, as well as on the dairy’s tankers.
‘We will also be engaging with millennials through digital marketing and social media,’ he said.
He said older milk drinkers were loyal to local milk, but it was hoped the latest push would bring in younger consumers and get them in the habit of buying milk.
The cost of the contract has not been revealed as it is commercially sensitive.
‘It should be cost neutral, if we can stop the decline or increase milk sales,’ Mr Tabel said.
But the company is also looking beyond just marketing to increase sales.
One is introducing lactose-free milk. Mr Tabel said they had done successful trials, which involved adding an enzyme to the milk to remove the lactose. A business case is now being drawn up, but it would require only minimal capital spending. If it is viable, the product could be on shelves next year.
Another strand of increasing milk appeal is to get all local milk up to an A2 standard. This refers to the type of protein in the milk and makes the milk easier to digest. It naturally exists in some local milk anyway, but it is hoped to make all Guernsey milk A2 through selective breeding.
In terms of the care for local cows, Guernsey Dairy products could soon carry the RSPCA’s Farm Assured logo that underlines the highest levels of animal welfare during local milk production.
The scheme is the charity’s ethical food label, and covers every aspect of animal welfare.
Three of the island’s 13 dairy farms have already completed the accreditation process, with others working towards achieving the standard in 2021.
