N.Z. problems little realised

Press, 19 April 1979, Page 4

N.Z. problems little realised

NZPA London Housewives in Britain know too little about the problems the Common Market is causing New Zealand, an extensive survey has found. The survey, carried out by Paul Winner Marketing, the Dairy Board's publicrelations company in Britain, was commissioned by the three producer boards (dairy, meat, and apple and pear) at a cost of about $30,000. It was designed to establish the level of British awareness of the main New Zealand products, and to assist the boards with market research. Mr Winner appointed a panel of six influential

women, covering consumer organisations, newspapers, politics, and women’s institutes, to come up with the answers. Housewives in Britain know too little about the problems the Common Market is causing New Zealand, an extensive survey has found, reports the Presss Association from London. The report, which Mr Winner is not making public, has been given to the three boards and to the New Zealand High Commissioner, (Sir Douglas Carter). It makes several recommendations: — A positive campaign to tell consumers more about New Zealand products should be planned.

— Closer relations with consumer organisations should be established, and a New Zealand consumer information service “would be useful.” — Consumers should be given more information on trading matters affecting New Zealand, such as tariffs, quotas, and levies. The report said that British consumers generally were not aware of the problems British membership of the European Economic Community caused New Zealand, and that too few of them were aware of New- Zealand products — such as cheese — disappearing from supermarket shelves. Consumers were not well-informed, it said.

But it did make the point that 77 per cent of the people questioned would take some action, for example sign a petition, to support New Zealand if the need arose.

More than HMM) persons throughout the United Kingdom were surveyed. Although the Government had no part in it, the survey was seen as being a part of New Zealand’s recently-revived effort to step up promotion for New Zealand and its products in Britain. A spokesman for the High Commission said it was “obviously interested, but we felt the area of market research was more the concern of the hoards.”