EU to help fund £2m organic food campaign

The Organic Trade Board has had its application for EU funding to run a £2m awareness-building campaign approved, and will begin activity later this year.

OTB
On board: EU will fund campaign

The company is planning to run a multimillion-pound marketing campaign, partly funded by major brands including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Green & Black’s and Yeo Valley Organic, that aims to increase awareness of the benefits of organic food and farming (MW 14 April).

It follows the publication of the Soil Association’s annual report, which found sales of organic food fell almost 13% in 2009 on the back of the recession and a Food Standards Agency study that found organic food wasn’t healthier than “normal” food.

Organic Trade Board chairman Huw Bowles says of the three-year activity/ “We want to encourage consumers to explore organic products and give them reasons to consider purchasing them. We’re not forcing consumers to subscribe to all the benefits we mention, but simply consider making the switch if they haven’t already.”

EU requirements mean no individual brands will be promoted and brand ambassadors will not feature on any parts of the campaign, which will include print ads, PR and digital activity.

Activity will start in September, with the main press ads running towards the end of the year. The campaign has been created by integrated agency Haygarth.