N.Z. CHEESE IN AMERICA

Shannon News, 29 March 1927, Page 3

N.Z. CHEESE IN AMERICA

A MARKETING OPPORTUNITY. | In a letter from .the American Manufacturers' Export Association to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce the following encouraging reference is made to the opening up of a marltot in. America for New Zealand cheese:— "We feel that there is a wonderrul opportunity for the marketing or New Zealand cheese in the United States. The American public are keenly appreciative of foreign, particularly Italian and Swiss cheeses, and our imports are growing constantly because the American public have boon taught to use these importations. Since receiving your letter wo have been much interested in observing that in the United States . New Zealand cheese is practically an unknown quantity. On the other hand, Swiss and French and litalian cheeses arc well advertised, also they always appear on the menus of our hotels and restaurants. They are constantly on display In our stores and delicatessen shops. An Advertising Campaign. "Only last fall we personally saw New Zealand Stilton cheese, on a restaurant menu for the first time. Wo ordered a jar of it served, and found it most delicious. We have talked with a number of women in the past few weeks, and have yet to find one who over heard of New Zealand cheese of any kind. If it could be managed in some way. we would suggest by all means that a constructive advertising sales campaign undertaking ;o identify New Zealand cheese in the minds of the American public would be found to be an extrcmely profitable effort. The Swiss cheese importers advertise largely—as can be seen from clipping enclosed from the "New York Times." "In this matter the duty now assessed on imported cheese would have no bearing whatever, since there is a. tremendous population here who are already quite accustomed to paying the price for imported cheese, and who arc also quite ready to believe that, domestic cheese cannot compare in quality or flavour with the imported product (whether this i s true or not we do not undertake to say?. We say merely that the American public are quite ready to believe in the superiority of importation, which is entirely insufficient for sales purposes. If a group of New Z aland busl- [■ nes s men were interested in this pos- ■ sibility we think we can get an advertising expert here in the United States to make a superficial survey of . the possible results together withsome suggestions as to what amount " of money might be needed to do the work successfully. -. "Our cheese imports in 1926 total- - led 78,417,000 pounds, as .compared with 62,403,000 pounds, in 1925. Surely our tariff duties cannot be declared restrictive. The ngim-g should be . encouraging to New Zealand cheese producer?. The demand is here and awaits cultivation." Dairy Boards Comment. A copy of thr- above was sent to the - New Zealand Dairy Produce Control ■ Board, and the following reply was received from Mr. T. C. Brash, secretary of the board: —"Many thanks for forwarding u s a copy of correspondence received from the United Sta.es regarding New Zealand cheese. Unfortunately the remark? refer almost entirely to cheese of a type which is not made in New Zealand and which it would be very difficult for New Zealand to supply owing to the distance from the market. As a matter of fact we are keeping very closely in touch with the market as *a r as New Zealand cheese is concerned, but rarely is there an opportunity 'o roll New Zealand cheese to any \dvaniagc in the- United States."