Meat & Wool lamb promotion hooks them in Germany

Media Release

6 May 2009

Meat & Wool New Zealand lamb promotion hooks them young in Germany

Meat & Wool New Zealand’s campaign to encourage German consumers to include New Zealand lamb in their shopping basket has continued for a third year and is proving popular with younger consumers.

“Lamb is a niche product in Germany, but people who already consume lamb see the New Zealand product as a high quality, tasty, healthy meat,” says Meat & Wool New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, Dr Scott Champion. “The challenge is to convince those who don’t eat lamb to try it.”

Meat & Wool New Zealand’s German lamb promotion programme aims to maintain the value of the market and grow it wherever possible, by raising consumer awareness through media and point-of-sale education. A key focus is in-store tasting events to introduce New Zealand lamb directly to consumers.

Nearly 300 in-store tasting events were held between December 2008 and May 2009, giving over 23,000 consumers the chance to enjoy New Zealand lamb. A total of 600 events are planned for 2008-2009, a four-fold increase on the previous financial year.

“The in-store tasting events provide the perfect opportunity to communicate directly with consumers at the point of purchase, and most importantly give them a chance to sample the product,” says Dr Champion.

“Of those who do try the lamb at these events, nearly all (98.6%) say they enjoy it and intend to buy New Zealand lamb on the day of the tasting or in the future.”

Another benefit of giving consumers first-hand experience is they generate positive ‘word of mouth’ promotion amongst their families and friends. Of those surveyed at the in-store events, 99.2% said they would recommend New Zealand lamb to a friend to try.

Recent research shows lamb is growing in popularity with younger German consumers. They are purchasing lamb more frequently now than in 2004, before Meat & Wool New Zealand began its lamb promotion work in Germany. The research also showed that Germans aged 20-39 see lamb as a modern, popular meat, which is a positive change.

Further tasting events are planned over the summer months to make the most of the barbeque season, and with spring weather off to a great start in Europe there promises to be barbeques galore.

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