New campaign shows promise
THE NATIONAL Farmers Union has unveiled its plans for a campaign to increase public awareness of the Little Red Tractor logo and what the logo represents.
The logo was launched four years ago, but market research has revealed that of consumers who recognize it, only 2% know that it stands for inspection and conscientious practice across the food chain.
The NFU has therefore teamed up with Assured Food Standards, Massey Ferguson and PR company Andrew Joliffe Advertising to enhance public recognition of the logo.
A new campaign will soon be launched, in which promotional material will contain direct promises from farmers regarding the quality of the their products.
In the first stage of the campaign, AFS farmers will be asked to make personal pledges on behalf of the quality of their own farming practices.
Farmers will be asked to formulate promises which can be used in the campaign, and the various promises collected will be used directly in promotional material.
Pledges like “I promised that the land my son inherits will be more fertile than when my father gave it to me” or “I promise that each of my chickens can walk, turn, sit, preen, flap and stretch their wings” will be made on behalf of ASF farmers to consumers.
To encourage farmers to contribute, a competition is being launced.
The farmer with the most persuasive promise, as judged by a panel including NFU president Tim Bennett and Sir Don Curry, will win a brand new Massey Ferguson tractor.
The campaign will be delivered with the strapline: “Red Tractor farmers deliver produce with a promise.”
The campaign will first be heard in the form of advertisements on radio, but as some retailers, and Asda in particular, have already shown great interest, it is possible that it will become visible in supermarkets already by the end of the year.
“This is the first stage of a very exciting campaign to reaffirm the status of the Little Red Tractor mark. We‘re responding directly to the recommendations of Sir Don Curry here.
“We want to reconnect the farmer with the customer and unite the food chain,” said NFU president Tim Bennett.