Building on brand trust can make the difference between earning a premium price at home, or getting flogged on the world market.
North Coast producers who have brought their good game to consumers’ attention are reaping benefits and say adopting best practice literally makes cents.
Natalie Bell, who addressed The Next Crop’s Lismore forum, now helps lead one of Australia’s largest blueberry operations.
Her father, Ridley Bell, is regarded as the godfather of the industry, having bred the best berries for more than 40 years.
In fact, his Eureka variety, sold exclusively through Coles, has attracted such a following for its size and flavour that keen consumers were able to support Mountain Blue when its spring crop was affected by visually damaging hail-strike.
“We sold a line of ugly fruit through Coles and it made a difference,” she said. “My dad always used to say ‘people want flavour’ and by giving them what they want, that creates brand loyalty.”
Chairman of dairy co-operative Norco, Greg McNamara, told the Lismore forum that brand trust played a key role in the success of a product and yet social media often made arbitrary decisions on what was best.
For instance, Norco “won the internet” during a recent nurses’ campaign which lifted sales. It was also on the flip side when one of its major suppliers at Raleigh was filmed by backpacker labour showing mistreatment of cattle. That news also made the internet.
Documenting areas of risk through on-farm mapping is currently in the pipeline to make sure Norco can quantify safety measures.
Similar pressure has led to the adoption of more sustainable cane growing techniques adopted by members of the NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative, in conjunction with its refining partner, Manildra.
“As Australian farmers we already adhere to the best standards in the world, so this process was more about documenting the process and filling in the holes,” explained the co-operative’s CEO Chris Connors. “It didn’t hurt us to do it, and it gave us something to work towards.”
