High quality problems

Selling products of very high quality and price can create problems for farmers due to the vulnerability of changes in the market.

The problem is made worse when someone sells a similar product at a lower price – even if the quality is inferior to yours. The availability of lower prices often affects the choices customers make.

The question then is how to tell a customer that your product is the one to buy even at a higher price.

**Cheap imports threaten Swiss meat*

The Swiss meat industry is facing such a problem. So far the Swiss market has escaped the problems that cheap meat from other countries bring, due to the country’s high import taxes. But this will change in the coming years as the EU is forcing Switzerland to agree to a new Free Trade Agreement.

Suddenly, Swiss meat producers are faced with a big increase in competitors. Cheap imports can hit local meat producers, taking a share of the market.

Swiss meat is high quality because animals are free range and mainly fed grass. This is also a reason for the higher prices.

Marketing is everything

As a result of all this, Swiss meat producers took the only step that was right for them and founded “Proviande”. This is an organisation with the main aim of promoting the Swiss Meat brand.

Proviande wants to make sure that Swiss customers will still buy the local meat after the cheap foreign imports start. And, they want to expand to neighbouring countries.

Shout about quality

The most important role for Proviande is to let people know about the quality of Swiss Meat. The customer has to be told what advantages the product has to offer over lower quality meats – and why it is worth the higher price.

So, how is it done? Proviande’s methods reach right across the field of PR work, from TV to newspaper adverts, exhibitions and even printing their own cookbook. A road show, fully equipped with a show kitchen, is planned to tour supermarkets to convince customers.

The only way this was all possible was to involve all the affected companies. None of the meat producers could have organised this alone.

Proviande has high hopes for its northern neighbour when it comes to exporting. Heinrich Bucher, Director of Proviande, says: Germany is a massive market with a great interest in local produce, a high willingness to import and a great awareness of food safety.”

In the end, the threat of the cancellation of high import taxes could well be a blessing for the Swiss meat industry.

What do you think? Could projects like this be possible in Germany or is Switzerland a special case? How can companies work together with traders to increase proceeds from quality products? Please leave your comments.