Poultry International - July 2018 - 10
10 ❙ PoultryInternational How egg marketing campaigns increase consumption Repositioning eggs from being a commodity through careful branding and positioning has been proven to raise sales and consumption. DR. VINCENT GUYONNET With global egg production growing by 27.5 percent between 2006 and 2016 - surpassed only by aquaculture (+72.9 percent) and chicken meat (+47.3 percent) - one may wonder whether it is really necessary to market eggs. Are they not simply a commodity product that everyone is familiar with and has in their kitchens? Traditionally, eggs were, indeed, a commodity food, where the only variety offered to consumers, and this not even in all the countries, was the color of the shell. Vincent Guyonnet Egg marketing only truly started when the sector had to defend itself against erroneous reports in the mid-1980s that egg consumption had a negative effect on cardiovascular health. The egg was under attack by the medical profession, and other foods took advantage of its demise as the "king of breakfast." It was almost back to basics for the egg sector, which had to invest significant time and effort in better communicating with the medical profession, dietitians and consumers. It had to spell out the great nutritional value of eggs, the importance of quality proteins and their high content and bioavailability of certain vitamins and minerals. Eggs are now back in our healthy, balanced diets after the scientific report of the 2015 dietary guidelines advisory committee in the U.S. stated that cholesterol was not a nutrient of concern arising from overconsumption, and that eggs as nutrient-dense food provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals (micronutrients). Proven campaigns Generic marketing of eggs is one of the key roles of national egg producer organizations. The pooling of resources from producers - otherwise competitors - allowing for broad and impactful marketing campaigns. These campaigns usually target two different consumer types - non-consumers and current egg consumers - but do they really work? Careful branding can help to achieve shelf stand-out, raising purchases and boosting consumption. | Dr. Vincent Guyonnet Read more: Eggs provide poverty alleviation in developing countries, www.WATTAgNet.com/articles/33390 www.WATTAgNet.com ❙ July 2018