*AHDB campaign empowers consumers as 'trust' in British red meat and dairy championed

Extolling the benefits of red meat and dairy, AHDBs dynamic We Eat Balanced (WEB) campaign has cut through the noise to empower consumers, reinforcing the UKs leading role in producing sustainable, high-quality food. Mollie Leach reports.

From national TV screens to social media, the results have seen a positive boost in consumer perceptions towards the credibility and trust in British produce, with over 90 per cent of shoppers empowered by the campaigns use of its farmer network to push out bold health and environmental messaging.

Designed to dispel myths around food production, the use of these farmer social assets have helped to clearly communicate the story behind the UKs leading welfare and sustainability standards.

With farmers being seen as the most trusted part of the supply chain, AHDBs senior consumer insight manager Susie Stannard said: Whilst health is currently top of mind for consumers, sustainability remains a key theme and an area where we know that consumers care about deeply.

Caring about the planet is a key driver of trust in the industry and consumers are keen to hear more directly from farmers about the sorts of initiatives that are happening on-farm to make environmental improvements.

The activity on social cut through strongly, with 92% agreeing the advert showed that meat and dairy are produced in a sustainable way in the UK.

Building on last years success, which instilled more than 80 per cent of shoppers with the confidence to continue eating British red meat and dairy, the campaigns most recent burst of activity saw significant uplifts in the health and nutritional messaging of the campaign.

With a 6 per cent increase in consumers understanding that red meat provides a range of key vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B12, WEB has helped to bridge the gap from farm to fork.

Arming consumers with the facts, AHDBs director of marketing Liam Byrne said: At a time when consumers are facing huge pressures on their budgets, We Eat Balanced campaign has played an important role in helping shine a spotlight on the nutritional value red meat and dairy can bring.

Especially micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and calcium, that we know are found in a more bioavailable form in animal sourced foods.

Speaking to consumer focus groups, the feel-good nature of the campaign has also been key to a successful shift in attitudinal perspectives around red meat and dairy production.

It was great to know that these animals have a good life and are well looked after, and that we have high standards of production here in the UK.

We should buy British meat and dairy, as it is a natural product filled with a multitude of nutrients.

And the move to continue building real momentum around the campaigns key health messaging has been accelerated by TV personality Dr Ranj Singhs efforts to encourage Britons to Wake Up to B12 in support of WEB.

Pointing to the valuable role of the campaign in instilling confidence in the consumer through myth-busting health advice, Dr Singh said: While many households will be looking to eat healthily in the most cost-effective way possible this year, milk is a great option for those that consume it, as it is packed with important nutrients such as B12 at an affordable price.

Bold messaging around the nutritional value of milk, beef, pork and lamb has also been key added Dr Singh, especially in the wake of a recent AHDB study, which revealed 26 per cent of adults were unaware that vitamin B12 helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue.

This January I would encourage families to Wake Up to B12 with a healthy breakfast made up of foods such as milk and other dairy products.

Vitamin B12 can help to reduce tiredness and fatigue and can help your immune system to work normally. It is also important to remember B12 does not occur naturally in foods of plant origin, he said.

Mr Byrne said the impact of this dynamic approach to messaging was an integral part to enacting long-standing consumer perceptions around red meat and dairy.

Adding further credibility to the campaigns drumbeat around red meat and dairy as natural sources of iron and vitamin B12, NHS doctor and author Emily MacDonagh threw her support behind WEB after partnering with AHDB during World Iron Awareness Week.

After an AHDB study revealed that two in five women are suspected to suffer with an iron deficiency, this leg of this PR campaign honed in on the importance of enjoying a balanced diet.

The fact that so many women and girls are already affected by low iron levels or suspect they may be iron deficient is worrying and the symptoms, including tiredness and lack of energy, can impact daily life, said Dr MacDonagh.

Eating a balanced diet is key to helping us get the wide range of nutrients that our bodies need, and there are plenty of cost-effective options available too.

Published in more than 60 national news publications with a combined reach of nearly 500 million, the Iron Women campaign has been selected as a finalist for the PR Moments Public Sector Campaign of the Year Award.

Speaking to the value of WEB in educating consumers, Ms Stannard said: Public health is currently a challenge but by adopting unnecessarily restrictive diets in the interests of their health many sections of the community, including menstruating women and teenaged girls, are missing out on many key nutrients with many risking iron deficiency as a result.

The Iron ladies campaign highlights this issue and the vital role that eating red meat can play in a healthy balanced diet.

Mr Byrne concluded by saying it had been fantastic to see purchase intent rise significantly for those exposed both to WEBs TV advert and social media campaign.

BOX OUT: WEB: Top level results

90 per cent of consumers seeing the activity felt that the farmer social assets increased credibility and belief that British meat and dairy is produced in a sustainable way in the UK, crucially delivering its key sustainability message.

Without the WEB campaign, purchase intent would have dropped significantly for red meat by 6 per cent and for dairy by 4 per cent.

TV & social media increased purchase intent significantly by 15 per cent for red meat and 13 per cent for dairy (compared to those with no media exposure).

9 out of 10 consumers that saw the TV advert agreed it communicated meat and dairy can be part of a balanced diet, and reassured them to eat meat.

8 out of 10 consumers that saw the TV ad agreed that the creative was believable and credible.

8 major supermarkets took part in the campaign, and 8 million on-pack stickers were applied to meat packs with a healthy recipe link.

The social generated 41 million impressions