The UK dairy sector has announced plans to launch a new £1 million promotional campaign to encourage consumers to drink more milk.
Run in partnership with the Government, the joint-funded campaign will highlight the importance of ‘human connections’ during the current coronavirus crisis.
The £1 million promotional campaign taps into the need for personal moments during lockdown – highlighting the role fresh milk and dairy plays in these challenging times.
AHDB and Dairy UK are joining forces again with Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on the 12-week campaign, which goes live next week.
The campaign will be funded through a combination of £500,000 from the UK Governments, £300,000 from Dairy UK members and £200,000 from AHDB.
It will mainly focus on driving the tea, coffee and milky drink occasions – whether it’s a virtual cup of tea with family or a frothy latte with friends – as these have the largest volume opportunity and are the centre point of most human connections.
The campaign will appear on social media, digital and, for the first time in over a decade, on television. It’s expected that retailers, processors and farmers will come together to support the campaign.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “Our dairy industry plays a crucial role in feeding our nation and we want to support them however we can at this challenging time.
We know the closure of restaurants and food outlets has meant many producers have excess milk that might otherwise go to waste. That’s why we are backing this campaign to drive milk consumption and boost sales.
“We have already relaxed competition rules so dairy farmers can work more closely together on the challenges they are facing, and will continue to support them through this difficult period.”
Christine Watts, AHDB’s chief marketing officer, said: “This is a fantastic demonstration of what can be achieved when industry and Government join together to meet a common challenge.
“We know that consumers love milk and the great taste of dairy, but because it’s such an integral part of our lives, consumers tend to take it for granted – in the same way we all tend to take our day to day relationships as a given.
“AHDB has been delivering a strong focus on the reputation of dairy for the last three years and this campaign will further deliver on the great work we have already begun.”
Dairy UK chief executive Dr. Judith Bryans added: “Everyday moments of human connection are especially important during this crisis.
With this campaign, we want to highlight the central and sometimes forgotten role that dairy plays as part of our everyday lives.
“We want to remind people of the importance of taking a moment to connect with each other while enjoying the foods they love, even if it is remotely.
“We can still take a moment for ourselves and others in these most challenging of times and we can still enjoy nutritious dairy.”
Welsh Government Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths, said: “The dairy sector has felt an immediate impact from the closure of the food services sector and the accompanying drop in demand for milk.
“It is so important we support our dairy farmers during this difficult time.
During these challenging times it is vital we work closely with governments across the UK and use the powers available to us to protect the supply chain and mitigate against the severe disruption this crisis is causing to our producers and processors.
Northern Ireland’s Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots MLA added: “Covid-19 has been very challenging for our agriculture sector and, in particular, our dedicated and hardworking dairy farmers who are facing the brunt of the economic impacts of the pandemic.
“However, the crisis we find ourselves in has highlighted just how important and vital our food chain is and all the food heroes who work in it day and night to get food on our tables.
“We must do all we can to support them and ensure the sector is sustainable and profitable in the long term. As a champion of our local food supply chain, I encourage everyone to buy local and support your local dairy farmers by drinking milk.”
