VALUE OF ADVERTISING.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 June 1921, Page 6

VALUE OF ADVERTISING.

IN BUSHING SALES OF DAIRY PRODUCE. RECOGNISED BY DAIRY CONFERENCE. FUND FOR CAMPAIGN STARTED (From Our Own Correspondent.) Palmerston N., Yesterday. Now that New Zealand has ceased to sell its dairy produce to* the Imperial Government, and has to place its produce on the English market in open competition with the produce of other nations, those keenly interested in the industry are realising the necessity of taking steps to advertise the produce in England. Mr. Morton (President of the Association), who brought the matter forward, said that the matter had been before them on previous occasiohs, but nothing had been done. The time had now arrived when they had eeased to be sellers to the Imperial Government, and it was up to them to make the best use of their opportunities and so push the sale of their produce as to make the highest price for it . Mr. Brash had stressed the point that the question of advertising was a Vital one. The South Island Association had decided to go in for a policy of advertising, and would welcome the assistance of the association. Mr. Brash, secretary of the association, said that he was enthusiastic regarding the question of adventising. Ono of the things that struck ft New Zealander at Home was that the consuming public knew absolutely nothing about New Zealand produce. The merchant might know something about its value, but to the consuming public our meat, butter, cheese, etc., were classed as “colonial stored, and sold with all other colonial butter, suffering accordingly. He believed that New Zealand had the best butter and cheese in the world, and they should tell the people about it. As illustrating the results of judicious advertising, he pointed out the sudeess achieved by “Glaxo.” He was perfectly satisfied that our butter was better than Danish to-day. He had heard Sir Thomas Clement, chairman of the Control Committee, tell the Danish Commission that they had lost their premier position as far as quality was concerned, and New Zealand had got it. This was due to the fact that Denmark allowed its inspection to relax during the war, whereas the New Zealand Dairy Division had never let up on its good work. The producers had got the benefit regarding quality, but nut as regards price. He suggested that a fund should be vested for advertising by making a levy of Is per ton on butter, and 6d per ton on cheese in dairy' factories, and also a levy of half that amount on the merchants handling the produce. The latter, he said, would more readily pay the levy than the factories, because they realised the advantages of advertising. It had, however, got to be a voluntary matter among the factories, and unless 75 per cent, agreed to contribute to it, he would not touch the scheme, as he realised it was no use forcing the scheme on factories unless they realised its value. They could not do much this year, and if they did start they should continue for at least three years. He considered that about £3OOO or £4OOO would be raised each year on the lines he suggested. Dunedin factories were unanimous in supporting the scheme; in fact, one man suggested £lO,OOO Should be raieed. They should appoint an expert to do the work thoroughly. In Canada and the United States they spent thousands of pounds annually in advertising milk, and in Quebec they claimed | that during five years they had more than doubled (he consumption of milk by advertising its food value. There was good food value in butter, and they should advertise it.

Mr. J. B. Murdoch said that advertising was taken up very systematically in America. They had gone so fur as to teach in the schools that dairy produce was essential as h food for children and young people, and it was expected that in a few years the whole of their dairy produce would be consumed in their own country. By expert advertising he believed they could sell anything. At present their produce was not put befote the public in a way to advertise where it came from. He believed that by judicious advertising they would get more for their produce . Three ot four thousand pounds wa«s a small sum, but he felt sure if they started in a small way the results achieved would pay for further advertising. Mr. J. R. Corrigan said that when at Home Jie had found New Zealand the least advertised country in the world. The idea was on the right lines, but at the same time it wtis really a national matter, ami the New Zealand Government should spend a certain amount of money in advertising New Zealand. The best advertisement it had ever received was the behaviour of its men at the war. The £3OOO or £4OOO would not go very far, but he thought the dairy farmers should first raise a fund and ask the to subsidise it. He moved accordingly.

Mr. Broadbent (Levin) seconded. Mr. Vaughan did not consider any spoon-feeding was necessary. Factories should realise that any money spent in advertising would be returned four-fold. Mr. R. \V. D. Robertson (Clements and Son) said that in the past, owing to the prejudice of the consuming public, it would have been useless to advertise our meat and butter as New Zealand, because that would have let the public know that it was two months old, and it would therefore .have been considered as stale. It was sold «s “pure English make” under false pretences. Now conditions had altered. People hud become adeustomed to eating stored butter during the war, and New Zealand could hold its own in quality with any other, not so much because its quality had been enhanced, but because the quality of its competitors had gone back. It was now an opportune time to advertise New Zealand butter. Cheese was different. Cheese matured with age, and the time was always opportune to advertise cheese.

Mr. Vincent (Levin) thought they should spend at least £lO,OOO. They could see what had been done with margarine by advertising. Mr. Dalrymple thought an effort should be made to prevent New Zealand losing its’identity in the name Australasia.

Mr. Sinclair considered that the war restrictions had caused a decreased consumption of butter, and it was imperative that, they should advertise its food value. It had been suggested that it woulcfr be advantageous to drop particular brands, which were often Maori names, and difficult to understand, and adopt a national brand, say “Fern Leaf,” identifying the factory by number. Mr. Brash did not think it would be advisable to do away with the individual brand until the brands were more uniform. There was no £oubt that the peo-

pie of England still held the idea that English creamery butter, however poor in quality, was better than New Zealand butter, and they had gut to educate them to the fact that butter could be carried Home and landeu there in fresh condition. There was no question that cheese made on English farms was prime, but the butter was poor. Mr. W. R. Wright (Cape Egmont) instanced the Canterbury Farmers’ success in raising their money as a proof of the value of advertising. Air. Brash, in reply to a question, said the levy proposed by the South Island was on export produce only. A member considered this unfair, as the local produce would benefit from the increased price obtained at Home. The levy should be on the output. Mr. .Moss said that there was no question hut that they had to overcome the ignorance and prejudice of the British public. Mr. Brash said cheese required advertising also, to do away with the prejudice that eyiated in favor of English and Scotch makes. Both nutter and cheese would be advertised together. Another speaker considered it would be necessary to put travellers on the road with samples. Mr. Macfarlane pointed out that one I difficulty was that New Zealand butter was only on t-he market about 28 daya, ; whereas Danish was on the market ail the year. A voice: Increase the. production. Mr. Brash said that New Zealand butter was never going to be on the L’nglish market all the year round. The Danes got a better price because their butter was sold a«s fresh creamery butter, and went on the market all the year round, receiving winter prices in the I winter, but New Zealand, if it made winter butter, would get summer prices. He did not favor holding the butter here in cool storage and sending it Home throughout »the year. Mr. Corrigan said that some of their biggest customers were men who blended their butter and sold it ar? fresh creamery butter. Experts had told him that there was no butter that lent itself better to these conditions than New Zealand. Members favored deleting the portion of the resolution asking Government assistance, and the resolution waa carried as follows: “That the National Dairy -Association circularise the dairy companies, suggesting a scheme for the advertising of our butter and cheese in the United Kingdom, and that they be asked if they are prepared to support it.” Later in the meeting, Mr. Corrigan moved that the Government be approached "with a view to subsidising the amount.

Mr. Marx seconded the motion, which was lost on a division, after a little discussion