Industry experts discuss how trusted quality marks, including Guaranteed Irish and Bord Bia, help consumers navigate an increasingly complex marketplace.
Industry leaders gathered today at the annual Guaranteed Irish Food and Drink forum sponsored by Supervalu and Centra, to discuss accredited marks, trust, and what drives consumer purchasing decisions other than price. The strong panel featured representatives from Glenisk, Bord Bia, Matheson, Food Cloud and Musgrave.
Teresa Brophy, senior manager, Marketing at Bord Bia spoke about recent research showing that a range of quality marks are performing well, such as the Guaranteed Irish symbol and their own quality mark. She confirmed there are significant opportunities for accredited marks overseas.
Over 57% of Guaranteed Irish businesses export, with Ballymaloe representatives today saying that the G mark has helped them enter new markets abroad.
Panellist, Kate Malone, sales manager at Glenisk explained why they chose to expand the use of the G on their growing range of products, citing the importance of supporting their local community and jobs and how the Guaranteed Irish licence supports this.
Giving an important update on the the EU Green Transition Directive, Kate McKenna, partner, Matheson, spoke on new regulatory constraints which businesses are facing across the EU, which will place greater emphasis on transparency, evidence-based claims, and consumers’ ability to challenge or make complaints about misleading advertising.
New Musgrave research found that 84% of people say buying Irish matters when grocery shopping. To help an up-and-coming Irish food or drink brand, Guaranteed Irish has launched a €25,000 Advertising Competition today in partnership with Supervalu, Centra and Elevate Media. This campaign will allow a member to advertise their product on digital screens across SuperValu and Centra stores nationwide.
Bríd O’Connell, CEO of Guaranteed Irish said: “As consumers become more conscious about where their food comes from and the impact their purchasing decisions have, accredited marks have never been more important. The discussion today featured many angles including the Guaranteed Irish symbol and how it gives people confidence that they are supporting businesses committed to jobs, community impact and provenance here in Ireland. Initiatives such as our €25,000 digital advertising competition help Irish food and drink businesses grow their visibility and reach new customers. Thanks to our sponsors SuperValu and Centra who support us throughout the month”.
75% agree that they have benefited financially by having the 'G' symbol on Comms (POS, packaging, marketing materials or digital communications)
Guaranteed Irish, Supporting Business that Supports Ireland.