N.Z. DAIRY BOARD.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18900, 15 January 1927, Page 16

N.Z. DAIRY BOARD.

* PROPOSED PUBLICITY

CAMPAIGN. THE BIRMINGHAM AREA. .'FROM CUE OWK CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON', December 4. Mr W. Grounds (chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Producers' Board) and the London representatives of the Board have decided to embark upon a Specialised Sales Campaign in Birmingham and contingent towns —including Smeihwick, West Bromwich, Oldbury, Walsall, and Wolverhampton. This is to take the form if shop-window displays and a general canvass of trade in that, area. , This area of England has been selected for the initial campaign, because it is a very important centre from the population point of view, and it is one of the markets that New Zealand has not yet captured to the same extent as is the case in Southern England. It was therefore decided by the Board's representatives that a move forward from the consolidated area in the south, where New Zealand is very well established] should' prove advantageous in a centre of population where the dairy produce is not at the moment as widely known. This incursion has been timed for mid-January. Distributors and Retailers. Mr Grounds and his colleagues have enlisted the aid of the whole of the importers. The latter are communicating with their local agents, and it is the intention of tho Now Zealand authorities to call a meeting with the local agents in the Birmingham district to arrange and formulate all details in connexion with the campaign. The general idea is that the Board will supply all the extra materials that are required for the shop-window displays—such as show cards, cartons, and carry-away bags imprinted with the' New Zealand fern leaf. Very attractive white cartons have been selected and prepared showing tho fern leaf in green. At each end and on each other *ection across tho leaf is imprinted in goldenorange lettering the words. "New Zealand." All butters will come under the general designation of the Fern-leaf brand. The Agency has received substantial promise of support from leading distributing and retail firms, such as Thomas Lipton's, Ltd., and it is understood that all of tho big stores with multiple shops will join warmly in tho movement, while similar companies with smaller stores will-be met by the Board's representatives. To supplement this offort it is proposed to have a publicity campaign by means of tho Press —chiefly through the local nowspapers and through London dailies that circulate largely in the selected area. The authorities here invited suggestions for effective designs for the newspaper advertisements from a number of advertising agencies. Many designs wcro submitted for consideration, and one> has been selected as being the most suitable effort upon which to work, and to that firm will be entrusted tho responsibility of all the newspaper advertising. In each local paper space will be devoted to giving the names of all tho shopkeepers who are taking a part in the display and salo of tho produce. - Help From Marketing Board. The Board's representatives havo been in touch with the Empire Marketing Board, who havo already embarked upon' a certain amount of general advertising publicity for ail Empire goods.' The latt-er body. will shortly bo supplementing its advertising campaign by imposing poster displays. The. posters, it may be recalled, were shown at Burlington House recently. All have been carried out by well-known artists, and several are devoted to New Zealand pastoral subjects. The Empire Marketing Board havo communicated with Mr Grounds saying that there should be no difficulty in arranging for tho display of the Board's specialised New Zealand posters in tho Birmingham area during the Dairy Board's campaign. This will, of course, provide a considerable supplemental advantage It is proposed to continue this initial campaign for either two or four weeks, according as the Dairy Board find tho general scheme will fit in with tho ideas of the retail distributors. Presently it will be known for what length of time the retailers will bo prepared to maintain tho display. Members of the New Zealand Agency will be in active- touch with all tho trade representatives during 'the whole of. the period, so that any additional effort that may suggest itself to make the campaign as fiuccessftil as possible may come up for discussion and he acted upon, if approved. Municipal Interest. '.•.'.. Further, it is proposed to get into touch with tho local Municipal Authority. Information that this important body is interested and "is prepared to help has been communicated to the New Zealand Dairy representatives', through the Empire Marketing Board. The Municipal Authority ba a expressed very considerable sympathy towards tho latter Board's Empire advertising work. Campaigns to Follow. It should bo thoroughly understood that this coming campaign is purely experimental in character. Its progress will be followed carefully by the Agency in conjunction with their distributors (or allottees). In this way the value of such a campaign can be carefully estimated from a Bales point of view. Should tho initial effort prove successful similar campaigna will follow in other populous districts, so soon as all the details have been collated and considered. Practically all the thirty allottees of the New Zealand Dairy Board oavo some sort of connexion in the Birmingham district. All these allottees are in communication with their local agents, and meetings will be held as soon as the allottees receive reports from their main agents. "We expect to make this effort about ( tho middle of January," said Mr Grounds, "but it will not be launched until wo ate cure that everything is ready. For we want our initial push to prove a.;«dly great success. The Cartons and the Film. Butler will bo put up into pound cartons, and boxes of butter will also bo shown. This will serve-the dual purpose of keeping the name of New Zealand always before the public ■ and of introducing tho appropriate and neat cartons into the homes. By means of those cartons containing the best New Zealand butter it is hoped that the trade will bo widely and permanently developed. . A valuable adjunct to tho publicity campaign will be the showing of the. Dairy Board's films. Five reels have recently arrived from the Dominion, and as soon as the re-editing of these splendid pictures is completed—thiß work is practically finished—the films will be shown in leading picture theatres in all parts of the country. It is probable that opportunity may. occur during tho Specialised Sales Campaign period for talks on New Zealand's dairying industry to take place. The' films will probably be Bhown locally about tho samo time. THE SEARCH FOR OIL. AREAS IN NEW ZEALAND. Messrs Wyllie and ' Bailleu, two of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company's leading geologists, have arrived in New Zealand, and will make a thorough inspection of all the areas held by Taranaki Oilfields, Ltd. It is expected that they will visit visit the Taranaki district, and will later go to Poverty Bay. On their report will rest tho decision whether or not'the company will throw its resources in with the other company. Within the next few ' weeks, says tho "Poverty Bay Herald," boring will be commenced near Tokomaru Bay on the sito selected some months, ago by geologists attached to Taranaki Oilfields, Ltd. The erection of the rig has been completed, and only a few minor items have now to be placed in position. Two American drillers,-Messrs Blackwell and Richards, have arrived at Gisborse, and will be working on the new bore, under the supervision of the chief driller. . It is probable that another bore will be put down in Poverty Bay later in the year, and subsequent events doubtless will depend to some extent on the decision of "the English geologists. If the Anglo-Persian Company decides to co-operate with Taranaki Oilfields, Ltd., in the venture, New Zealand will be thoroughly combed geologically, and no efforts will be spared towards securing oil in payable quantities. >