£1.5m TV campaign aims to drive home Red Tractor quality message

Red Tractor is launching its first ever TV advert this week – appearing during a slot on ITV’s Emmerdale on Wednesday (12 September) – in an attempt to improve consumer understanding of what the assurance marque actually stands for.

Research has already shown good awareness (69%) of the Red Tractor logo, and the fact that many actively look for the marque, said Red Tractor Assurance chief executive Jim Moseley.

See also: Watchdog rejects Red Tractor 2013 ad complaint

“We also know consumers are twice as likely to look for Red Tractor products if they know more about what it stands for, which is why it is vital we invest in large-scale communications to tell them what we do.”

The £1.5m campaign aims to explain to consumers the effort that goes into ensuring the food they buy is safe, traceable and produced responsibly.

The animated TV ads are set to run for eight weeks, with a social media campaign going for a full year.

The scheme has been funded by the Red Tractor licensees, rather than farmers, following an increase in the license fees for packers, processors and others that use the logo.

“The value is at that end, for the people that are marketing the logo,” said Mr Moseley.

NFU president Minette Batters said that, with Brexit, there had never been a more important time to start promoting British food and encouraging shoppers to buy high-quality British produce.

“Brexit is a game changer for British agriculture and ‘Brand Britain’ must be based on the integrity of robust food assurance,” she said.